HR processes for managing long term contractors in a virtual comms/design firm

How we work Spryberry is a savvy virtual team that is acquainted with working both face to face and at a distance. The team assembled for this project works with each other daily from locations in Kamloops, Seattle the Maritimes, and Vancouver. Our geographic diversity brings with it both our diverse experience and well-established professional relationships. Whether we’re in the room with our clients or working remotely, we guarantee attentive and reliable service. Many of our team members are part-time workers. They are raising small children and need flexible schedules. Others work for Spryberry evenings and weekends. Everyone moves to the work and increases their hours as needed. Visit spryberry.co to meet our fabulous team and see our portfolio. Key team members • Dana Koch - big kahuna - British Columbia • Sarah Pearce - project perfectionist - New Brunswick • Natasha McEwen - magnificent media strategist - British Columbia • Sarah Morash - design diva - Japan until end of January, then Washington state Project management We utilize a robust project management system to track each job and task. This is the hub for everything we do — estimating, invoicing, project management, task assignment, timesheets, etc. Team communication While our PM tool handles important communication about a project, we also use Slack for other conversation. Because we work in different time zones, Slack allows us to converse in real time or wait for someone to respond during office hours. Zoom is our tool for video conferencing. We have regular team meetings for projects and to build team rapport. Strategic partnerships We have several strategic partnerships that enable us to leverage a bigger team on projects. These partnerships are two way: in some cases we are the lead consultants, and in others we are white-labelled and work through our partners. We also belong to communo.com . This is a group of vetted marketing professionals who work together on various projects. What we do Each of our projects is unique but the tend to fit into some general categories: • Branding and logo development • Web development • Search engine optimization consulting • Digital strategy and online marketing • Print design • Custom online tools and apps Many of our projects involve all of our team and their skills, while others are very narrow in scope. We have specialized expertise in certain business sectors: • Health care • Veterinary medicine and animal-related organizations • Non-profits • Indigenous Peoples • Natural resources • Speakers and coaches Our Problem Over the last year, we’ve doubled the size of our team and began to take on larger projects. We’ve identified a few gaps and choke points in our processes. Here’s the short list: On-boarding How to effectively get a new contractor up to speed with how we work. Most of our software and tools have tutorials but what isn’t covered are the unique ways we utilize them. We want everyone to be successful and feel they can contribute. There is room for improvement. Project flow A project can involve our entire team with each person responsible for a part. What can we do to improve the efficiency of each stage of a project? We want to ensure everyone knows what stage we are in, and when they will working and handing off to the next person. We’re looking for innovative ways of doing this that minimize the need for hands-on project management. And processes that can be implemented on a wide range of project types. How can we better distribute responsibilities where we currently have choke points? Project management is a key concern. Currently, one person manages 90% of this work, but is also responsible for all other top-level business decisions and tasks. Project communication How can we improve our communication on projects? Often it is one or two people communicating directly with the client. We recognize that the more everyone knows about a client/project, the better they are able to contribute and execute their tasks. More meetings? Other? You tell us. Water cooler chatter How can we increase a feeling of belonging? We all work in isolation most of the day. When we talk, it is most often about projects, not the casual conversation you get around a water cooler in an office. What can we do to find the spontaneity of chatter and ideas found in a traditional organization? The Challenge Spryberry would like you to look at research and other organizations to identify best practices in the running of a successful virtual organization. Have a look at how we work and the tools we use, and talk to our team. Put it all together into a package that will help us improve our work and love our jobs even more.

On-boarding Strategy: Develop A Comprehensive On-Boarding Plan For Entrepreneurs

Dilemma: Our company (we're a Managing General Agency) must grow in order to meet the contractual requirements of our direct contracts with our insurance carriers. One of the avenues that will provide the greatest return on investment is recruitment. Specifically, having independent brokers and consultants in the fields of insurance and investments do business with, and through, us. We want to ensure that our new team members are blown away by our on-boarding practices. In order to capitalize on the recruitment efforts, we must streamline, simplify and create excitement through the on-boarding process. We want to make sure that we outshine industry competitors and prepare our new team members for long-term success. In addition to being more compelling than our competition, we would like our on-boarding process to uphold our company culture, accelerate the learning curve, and increase retention. In addition, our on-boarding process could be a differentiating factor, critical to effective recruitment. We're eager to create solutions in these areas. What we'd like to see (any or all): A project scope and detailed plan for completion of the project. Continued work and updates on deliverables outlined in the project plan. Create visualizations to help us identify strengths and pain points in our on-boarding process. Assess our current process and make recommendations for improvements and efficiencies. Research the on-boarding practices of competitors. Research what on-boarding components are most impactful for new employees. Develop a standardized on-boarding plan that achieves our goals. Deliverables: A comprehensive presentation. Outline the problem and a recognition of its business importance, an understanding of its key drivers, based on research. A clear action plan with timelines and resource implications. Leave behind resources for future reference and on-going implementation. Rationale for the recommendations. Resources: Any existing materials we can provide to ensure a complete understanding and smooth collaboration. As well as a dedicated communication channel with one of our founding partners.