Navigating the Flow: Meet Q's Resourcing Team

Exploring the synergy of Q agency’s Resourcing team: their role, daily dynamics, and the strategic impact they make.

In the dynamic world of IT, orchestrating resources seamlessly is not just a job – it’s an art form. We, the Resourcing team at Q, are the maestros behind the scenes. As key players in forming project teams, our role goes beyond mere allocation; it’s about strategically planning every project team to reach its full potential, considering current possibilities. Join us as we pull back the curtain and and give you a glimpse of Q’s daily operations that keep us driving forward.

The Team’s Role

The Resourcing team at Q agency is responsible for managing and coordinating resources across the company’s diverse array of projects.

The team particularly focuses on these responsibilities:

• Current Projects Resourcing: Managing and allocating resources for ongoing projects to ensure they progress smoothly and efficiently.


• Upcoming Projects Resourcing: Planning resources for future projects or dedicated teams, depending on the prioritization of projects.


• Collaborative Approach: While each project or dedicated team has its distinct requirements, they are all interconnected, requiring close coordination within the team and across different departments.


• Strategic Planning: The team is not just involved in the day-to-day allocation of resources but also plays a critical role in planning for future project needs, which involves understanding the evolving requirements of the company and adapting resource schedules accordingly.


• Utilization Reporting: Apart from using Ganttic which is our main tool for tracking resource planning, we heavily rely on Sheets as well for all kinds of reporting.

At Q’s Resourcing department, our teamwork resembles a finely tuned ensemble or a Tetris game if you would. Each project, whether underway or on the horizon, is assigned to one of the coordinators. We take charge from the get-go, overseeing every planning aspect until its successful conclusion.

Our resourcing model begins with the BizDev or Presales team announcing a new project, often specifying required technologies. Once we receive this information, the Resourcing team steps in to assess and fulfill these needs. This includes identifying and allocating appropriate resources, which may involve internal colleagues or external recruitment.

After resource allocation and project kickoff, we continue to support the Project Managers for agile projects and Client Services owners for dedicated teams. This ensures that we stay up to date with all that’s happening on the projects, especially when changes or additional resources are required.

The Team’s Development

Let’s turn the clock back to the beginning of 2020 when our Resourcing team took its spotlight. Before then, resourcing activities were a part of the project delivery process but not quite its own act yet. With the introduction of our dedicated Resourcing team, we’ve elevated our focus.

From an initial solo role in 2020, our team has expanded to the current fantastic four. This includes our director, who steers our strategic direction, and three coordinators, each with our own superpowers: eagle-eyed detail spotting, crafting master plans, ace reporting skills, and, of course, the art of getting along with just about everyone. With each of us bringing unique strengths to the table, we continuously adapt and grow to enhance the planning efficiency at Q.

Since establishing ourselves as an autonomous team, we’ve fully embraced the responsibility of resourcing across the board. This evolution has allowed other roles that used to partake in resourcing to focus on what they do best, while we dive deep into the core of planning projects, team allocation, database creation, and internal process building.

A Week with the Resourcing Team

Our weeks are usually planned with about 25% of time devoted to weekly coordination meetings across departments with the possibility to always hop on some ad hoc syncs:

• Mondays and Tuesdays: These days are all about syncing up with department heads and directors. It’s when we lay the groundwork for new resource requirements, ensuring that each department’s needs are met with precision.


• Wednesday: Midweek shifts our focus to the BizDev team. Here, we gather insights on upcoming projects, aligning our resource planning with the business development pipeline. This day is crucial for understanding future project landscapes and preparing accordingly.


• Thursdays and Fridays: Later in the week, our attention turns towards internal affairs, and keeping everything tidy on our Trello board.. We’re busy updating our tools, finalizing reports, and keeping a close eye on active projects. It’s also when we tackle any ad hoc tasks that arise, ensuring our operations remain swift and responsive.

Collaboration with other departments

Our communication style is rapid and direct, mainly via Slack, allowing for quick decision-making and effective problem-solving. Emails, though less frequent, are essential for formal confirmations and critical updates. Our involvement in process-building tasks has a broad impact, shaping tools like sales pipeline systems, technology databases, and onboarding / offboarding processes.

An often-encountered challenge in our role is the unavailability of internal resources for new projects. When this happens, we prioritize understanding the needs for new talents and coordinate closely with the Talent team to fulfill these requirements with external hires. This collaboration is crucial for ensuring that we have the right people with the right skills on board, even when internal resources are stretched thin. It’s a dynamic that adds complexity to our work but also brings a sense of accomplishment and continuous growth.

Conclusion

As we navigate the world of resourcing at Q agency, our journey is filled with challenges and triumphs. It’s in tackling these challenges, bridging the production and business departments, and ensuring seamless project flows, that we find our purpose. Our role at Q’s Resourcing team goes beyond mere tasks; it’s about actively contributing to the company’s growth and efficiently adapting to the ever-changing needs of our projects.

Stay tuned for our next blog, where we delve into the challenges and decision-making processes of resource allocation at Q.