Back to the future
Transcription
Back to the future
Beating the odds: Successfully managing a rapidly-expanding statistical team Dr. Tim Paulden (Innovation & Development Manager, ATASS Sports) Back to the future... • May 1995 edition of Lancaster Uni newsletter: CAROL VORDERMAN AND TOMORROW'S WORLD were filming Mark Dixon and Mike Robinson (football pools research reported in NewsView) in the Maths and Stats department on Friday. (Ms Vorderman was at school in Rhyl with Dr Francesca Gibson (Italian) who beat her at Maths.) From INKYTEXT 80 www.maths.lancs.ac.uk/~rowlings/Inkytext/InkyPrev/msg00085.html Back to the future... 2012... • ATASS HQ on Exeter Business Park A bit about ATASS Sports • Sports forecasting • Hardcore statistical research • Fusion of ‘academic’ and ‘pragmatic’ Social responsibility Work hard, play hard How have we grown? Recruitment: Why? • Hugely successful company – Desire to expand future operations – Opportunity to move into fresh areas • Universally supported – Focus on logistics, rather than "buy-in" – Acknowledgement that change is inevitable, and needs managing thoughtfully Recruitment: Who? • Talent spotting – Highly specialised research, beyond PhD level – Sharp, ambitious problem solvers with personality – "Fit" with values and goals of company essential • Principle propounded by Joel Spolsky: – Smart & Gets Things Done... And Not A Jerk – True for statisticians, not just developers Recruitment: Where? • Focus on universities (green talent) – Young company by circumstance – Average time since joining: less than 4 years – Intensive and thorough induction process – Importance of embracing CStat • Dedicated recruitment manager – Substantial budget; supported by marketing Recruitment: How? • Bespoke online testing – Revolutionised the recruitment process – Reduction in type 1 and type 2 errors – Leads into a robust, well-tested interview process • Spectacular retention – Benefits of the job (new headquarters) – Opportunities for professional growth What's happened as we've grown? Shift toward specialisation • Specialisation as a trade-off decision – Time gains from individual specialists versus communication & frictional costs – Part of transition from small to medium company – Experience of "large n" versus "small n" Shift toward specialisation • New structures and roles – Separate programming and data teams – I&D Manager role - technological innovation (at interface between research and programming teams), plus staff training, induction, interns, ... – Establishment of HR department – Separation of core statistical activity from other business processes Training & development • Development of existing employees – Promotion from within where possible – Natural team leaders have emerged (taking on greater responsibility) – Data team engaged in new training programme – Establishment of seminar series (internal and external), including literature reviews – Importance of professional development Communication & project delivery • Talking the same language – Statisticians and programmers may approach the same task in different ways (e.g. structuring code) – Highlights importance of establishing good practice (code style guidelines, version control, uniform toolchains / architecture) by team leaders • Physical proximity – Vastly larger office has altered modes of working Policy & procurement • Unavoidable increase in bureaucracy – Absolutely not a bureaucratic company, but some protocol needs establishing (kept to a minimum) • Time versus cost trade-off – Researchers have access to the best possible kit (computers, software, books), without needing to jump through hoops – Makes sense if you "do the math" (Joel Test #9) Wrap-up • Our growth – Focused on recruiting top university talent – Bespoke online testing has been revolutionary – "Fit" with the company's culture absolutely critical – Spectacular retention level - just as important • What we've experienced – Increased specialisation (programming, data, I&D) – Evolving communication and training needs – Need for protocol, while staying true to our values Thank you for your time Dr. Tim Paulden [email protected]