We Are Looking For Experts

We headed down to the South Florida .NET Code Camp this weekend, looking for experts. By manifesto, Code Camp is a forum for the development community to speak and share ideas. I’m not a developer, but I agree with devoting a Saturday to learn, network, and collaborate. I’m intrigued by experts. Whatever the field – technology, design, medicine, science – these people are smart. It’s exciting to discuss viewpoints, exchange ideas, and connect with the best of the best.

By definition, PR’UF experts are “highly skilled, passionate individuals, recognized within their community as forward-thinking leaders.” How do you explain this idea to people who have never heard of PR’UF? How do you overcome high suspicion of any idea associated with recruiting? We each explain the PR’UF concept a little differently, but ultimately it comes down to a simple idea: PR’UF is a community of experts that connects the right people to the right opportunities.

The PR’UF concept is complex, involving four entities: hiring manager, recruiter, expert, and candidate. PR’UF was actually written and rewritten several times to account for these very different groups.

I spent an hour talking to Tim Butts, a Senior Engineer with Potts Consulting Group. From a developer standpoint, what is the appeal of joining PR’UF as an expert? Tim offered four key benefits:

1. Building Your Personal Brand
Tim explained that people in the open source community gain prominence by giving away their expertise. Other specialists have a more difficult time, and PR’UF allows you to “quantitatively put your money where your mouth is.” Because PR’UF is invite-only, it is important for experts to manage not only their own brand, but also further that of other experts they invite into the system. This dual responsibility should create quality that peers and hiring managers can rely on. Tim explained experts as “candidates plus plus,” saying it’s not unusual for a PR’UF expert to be offered the job for which they are screening. These are candidates who don’t have to look for work, because people are actively seeking them out.

2. Getting Paid For Your Expert Opinion
Developers are typically motivated more by passion than by money. PR’UF isn’t transactional recruiting, it’s honest opinion by skilled experts. That said, people need to be compensated for their time and especially for their unique expertise. Experts are compensated for each assessment and rewarded for placements. It can easily become a second salary.

3. Staying Plugged In
There’s the phrase “To teach is to learn twice.” As PR’UF experts identify skills gaps and work to close them, they may solidify theories for themselves. As Tim says, “I feel like the whole process makes me better.” PR’UF experts assess not only negatives and positives but also identify skills gaps. They might say, “This guy isn’t perfect, but he’s close. Here’s how we get him there.” Candidates hired through the PR’UF system have climbed very high very fast. They’ve effectively become experts and hiring managers themselves, and PR’UF has come full circle.

4. Collaborating With The Bleeding Edge
Many developers are bleeding edge and struggle to stay that way, given their location. Microsoft puts out a document that’s seemingly two days off the press, leading developers to ask, “How do I find people that are on the same level that I am?” Experts will find bleeding edge in the PR’UF system. Instead of questioning an inquiry from a fellow expert, they instead can focus on having a real conversation.

All in all, Code Camp was a huge success. We’d like to thank South Florida for the amazing hospitality and tremendous response.

Check out the photos here.