Attracting & Retaining Talent for Your PMO Best Practice Guide
Want to learn more? Contact Sarah Boone, National Project Manager at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health at sboone2@devereux.org
Table of Contents GETTING STARTED .......................................................................................................................................... 3 RECRUITING YOUR PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM ............................................................................................... 3 DEFINE YOUR PROJECT MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS.........................................................................................................3 WRITE A COMPELLING JOB DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................................................3 ADVERTISE THE JOB OPENINGS .........................................................................................................................................3 SCREEN RESUMES AND APPLICATIONS ................................................................................................................................3 CONDUCT INTERVIEWS ....................................................................................................................................................4 ASSESS PAST PROJECT EXPERIENCE ....................................................................................................................................5 CONSIDER CULTURAL “ADD” ............................................................................................................................................5 ONBOARDING AND SUPPORTING YOUR PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM .............................................................. 5 SYSTEMS & TRAINING BEST PRACTICES...............................................................................................................................5 COMMUNICATION BEST PRACTICES....................................................................................................................................7 RETAINING YOUR PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM ................................................................................................. 7 PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES .........................................................................................7 FOSTER A POSITIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT ..........................................................................................................................8
Developed by Sarah Boone, PMP, at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health. Questions? Reach out to sboone2@devereux.org
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Getting Started Attracting project management staff is of great importance for organizations that rely on successful project execution. Project managers play a crucial role in planning, organizing, and leading projects from initiation to completion. This best practice guide will give you rudimentary foundation for building talent in your non-technical PMO.
Recruiting Your Project Management Team Define Your Project Management Requirements Start by clearly defining the skills, experience, and qualifications you need in project management staff. Determine the roles and responsibilities within your project management team. Remember, as a non-technical PMO
Write a Compelling Job Description Create a detailed and accurate job description that outlines the specific skills, qualifications, and responsibilities required for the project management positions. Highlight any specific industry or domain knowledge that may be necessary.
Advertise the Job Openings Post your job openings on relevant job boards, professional networking sites, and your company website. Utilize both online and offline channels to reach a wider pool of potential candidates. •
Career Builder / Indeed
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Internal Recruiting Communications / Referral Programs
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PMI Chapters & Job Posting Boards
Screen Resumes and Applications Review the resumes and applications you receive to identify candidates who meet the necessary qualifications. Look for individuals with a track record of successfully managing projects, relevant certifications (such as PMP), and strong communication and leadership skills.
Developed by Sarah Boone, PMP, at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health. Questions? Reach out to sboone2@devereux.org
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Conduct Interviews Schedule interviews with candidates. Prepare a list of questions that assess their project management knowledge, problem-solving abilities, leadership skills, and their ability to work in a team. Consider conducting multiple rounds of interviews to ensure a comprehensive evaluation. •
Consider a structured interview process that will enable you to better guide the interview toward specific, job-related topics.
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Consider behavioral-based questions that explore a candidate’s past experiences and help determine if the candidate is a good fit.
Use the table below to help adapt traditional interview questions into more behavioral questions. Traditional Questions
Behavioral Questions
Do you regularly practice safe workplace habits?
Describe a time when you observed staff engaging in unsafe behavior in the workplace. What was the situation, what did you do, and what was the outcome?
To what extent are you customer focused?
Tell me about a time when you had to deal with an irate or angry customer. What did you do and what was the outcome?
Do you take ownership for your work product?
Describe a particularly difficult project where it was a challenge to get employees to take ownership for achieving the predetermined objectives. What did you do to encourage ownership, and what was the outcome?
Do you consider yourself a respectful person?
Describe several techniques that you have used to recognize or reward subordinates. Which method did you find to be the most effective and why?
Are you a team player?
Describe a time when you “led” an organizational team. The team had the same goal, but some had a different vision of how to get there. What have you done under similar circumstances in the past and what was the outcome?
Are you a good listener?
Tell me about a time that information was being communicated to you that you did not understand completely. What did you do?
Do you consider yourself a strong leader?
Describe a time when you took a risk in order to improve a program or service. What was the challenge, and what was the outcome?
Developed by Sarah Boone, PMP, at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health. Questions? Reach out to sboone2@devereux.org
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Assess Past Project Experience During the interview process, ask candidates to provide specific examples of projects they have managed in the past. Assess their ability to plan, execute, and deliver projects efficiently. Look for candidates who demonstrate adaptability, stakeholder management, and the ability to handle challenges effectively.
Consider Cultural “Add” In addition to technical skills, evaluate candidates for their addition within your company culture. Assess their ability to collaborate, communicate effectively, and align with your organization's values and objectives. •
Consider “role reversal” here. Ask your candidate what they are looking for in the organization to see if you are an “add” for them.
Onboarding and Supporting Your Project Management Team Once you have selected your project management staff, ensure a smooth onboarding process. Provide them with the necessary resources, tools, and support to succeed in their roles. Encourage open communication and collaboration within the team.
Systems & Training Best Practices •
Establish an onboarding checklist (see below for an example on a PMO Onboarding Checklist) that consist minimally of: o Reviewing PMO Processes o Shadowing Supervisor and other Project Managers on various projects o Scheduling stakeholders’ meetings with key personnel at your organization that the new Project Management will work on various projects with. o Discussing and sharing training opportunities of interests.
Developed by Sarah Boone, PMP, at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health. Questions? Reach out to sboone2@devereux.org
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PM Onboarding Checklist Example
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Establish and ensure training on a centralized repository that houses all PMO resources and tools (i.e., Microsoft SharePoint, Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, etc.).
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Establish and ensure training on a project backlog management system. For a nontechnical PMO, look for a system that is efficient, transparent, an easy to use (i.e., task planner via Microsoft Teams, Trello, etc.).
Backlog Example (Microsoft Teams)
Developed by Sarah Boone, PMP, at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health. Questions? Reach out to sboone2@devereux.org
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Communication Best Practices •
Establish communication lines with your new employee prior to their start date!
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Establish a weekly supervision schedule with “Start, stop, continue” feedback.
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Establish expectations and cadence for PMO team meetings. Examples include: o Daily Standups (15 min. check-ins). o Weekly Meetings to review PMO projects at-a-glance. o 6-Month PMO Retreats with “start, stop, continue” feedback to review changes in
process and tools.
Retaining Your Project Management Team Provide Professional Development Opportunities Good project management staff value continuous learning and professional growth. Highlight opportunities for career advancement, training programs, and certifications that your organization offers. •
Consider incorporating Project Management certification(s) as part of the development process.
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Purchase PMI memberships for project management to give them access to training, resources, and to network with a large community.
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“Stretch” Assignments (i.e., leading an internal PM training, etc.).
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Organizational committee and/or Employee Resource Group participation.
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Employee recognition program & reward system.
Developed by Sarah Boone, PMP, at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health. Questions? Reach out to sboone2@devereux.org
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Foster a Positive Work Environment Create a supportive and positive work environment that promotes teamwork, creativity, and open communication. Recognize and reward the achievements of your project management staff to keep them motivated and engaged. Remember that finding and retaining good project management staff is an ongoing process. Continuously evaluate their performance, provide feedback, and offer growth opportunities to ensure their continued success within your organization.
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