Company Name: Payce, Inc.
Company Focus: Payroll services and solutions
Headquarters: Towson, MD
Office Locations: Towson, MD
Web Site: http://www.paycepayroll.com/
Founded: 1986
Number Of IT Employees: 5 full-time, supplemented with contract and off-shore employees
Hiring Plans: Plan to hire one to two additional C and .NET developers this year. Company may also need to hire an additional two to three contractors depending on the success of strategic partnerships.
The Company: Payce provides outsourced payroll solutions for over 1,300 clients in the Mid-Atlantic area... The company has recently embarked on an aggressive growth strategy through partnerships with Provident Bank (a large regional bank), and IWIF (the largest Workers' Compensation provider in Maryland).
Hiring Leaders: Josh Lindenmuth, CIO, joined Payce in 2003 to lead its growing IT organization and orchestrate a strategy to address capacity issues with legacy software. Prior to joining Payce, he was a consulting project manager with Accenture, where he led retail strategy and transformation projects for clients such as Firestone Retail and Best Buy.
|
|
|
For more expert career advice and articles on
career issues and topics, visit TechCareers.
| |
|
|
|
Given all the news about the talent crunch, have you or are you finding it more difficult to find qualified IT professionals?
Since we are a smaller company, finding individuals with the same talents as our current staff is a challenge. The skillset that is particularly difficult to find is legacy C maintenance programmers. Because there is such a high demand for developers, most individuals we find want to work on the latest and greatest technologies, not 20-year-old applications.
What are your primary recruiting strategies?
In the past, we heavily relied on the job boards such as Monster and CareerBuilder. We're now working a little more with recruiters, but we've found many of the free job sites and forums (such as Craigslist) to be the most cost-effective.
What is the hiring process?
The standard process for a developer is two interviews. The first is with myself, and involves a review of their work history, some problem solving (orally and often on a whiteboard), and then a five question skills assessment customized for the position. The second interview is typically with another member of our executive board, either the COO or founder.
What should candidates know before they interview at Payce?
They need to know how to program (unless applying for a technical support position), and what they want from their career. Payce is a great place to work on lots of different technologies in a laid back environment, but not great if someone is looking to climb the corporate ladder.
What makes for an outstanding potential hire?
A critical thinker who likes to learn, is committed to delivering quality solutions, and can work independently.
What are red flags you look for when reviewing resumes, doing interviews?
Lack of programming experience
Poor performance on the skills (particularly if the resume indicates (s)he should have done well)
Lack of self-assurance
What kind of non-IT skills do your IT team members need, if any?
A friendly and helpful demeanor, but otherwise we're primarily looking at their skills and experience.
How important is the cover letter in job queries?
We rarely read the cover letters.
Is the IT organization looking for certified skills?
Certifications are not a requirement. We are more concerned with prior work experience and demonstrated skills.
Does the organization hire 'newbies' and invest in training and how well does that work, and if not, why not?
We typically wouldn't hire a complete 'newbie', although someone with similar experience would be considered. For example, if a candidate with experience solely in Cobol applied for a .NET position, we'd consider him or her.
What characteristics or personality traits do you want in a hire, and don't want?
A driven, focused, problem solver is ideal who works well with people when necessary is ideal.
What does your company offer IT specialists as an employer?
Daily challenges, constantly changing projects/responsibilities, and a low stress environment.
Other recent articles from TechCareers
Career Profile: CIO/The Learning Pad
Hiring Report: Learning Pad Seeks Self Mastery In New Hires
Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.
Register or sign in today!