Tag: Tech Staffing

Decoding the Priorities of the Knowledge Workforce

by Allie Pizzemento |

The professional workforce faced significant changes during 2020 and 2021, the most notable being the shift in power dynamics between employer and employee. Reduced labor participation coupled with increased demand has created a landscape where employers desperately search for new talent, but the talent has no interest in participating in the traditional hiring gambit.

According to Randstad Sourceright’s 2022 Talent Trends Report, 53% of business leaders plan to hire extensively this year; however, these professionals will have to start thinking outside the box to fill roles. The priorities of the workforce have shifted; businesses need to evaluate new strategies and more flexible options, like contract staffing and non-traditional schedules, to attract and retain the talent they need.

Shifting Priorities

It’s no secret that the priorities of the workforce are changing, and employees are no longer satisfied with the status quo. But what exactly are their priorities shifting away from and towards?

One of the most significant shifts is towards telework, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. More workers than ever are logging on from their homes and have little desire to return to the office any time soon. The flexibility of remote work is unmatched and has become one of the top priorities for employees and job-seekers alike. Most employers have taken notice, with 86% seeing policies, such as flex schedules and remote working, as an effective way to attract and engage talent. Some companies, like Trello and Automattic, have even shifted to asynchronous work, where everyone on the team works when they choose.

This shift towards prioritizing flexibility is emphasized by another, more surprising change in the market’s mindset; nearly 40% of knowledge workers named work-life balance above salary as the most important element of a job, above compensation (29%), and professional growth (13%).

This desire for work-life balance has manifested as a mass migration towards freelance and gig work for knowledge workers. Paro, a finance startup for freelancers, conducted a recent study and found that 31% of all knowledge workers are already freelancers, and 17% of knowledge workers who aren’t are considering making that leap in 2022.

So, how can employers rise to the challenge and avoid further talent shortages? How can businesses satisfy the needs of valuable knowledge workers while still protecting their bottom line?

Contract Staffing as a Solution

The shift towards a gig-based market is well underway, and as knowledge workers’ values shift to align with the benefits of contract, short-term work, it will only become more and more desirable.

Contract staff can be beneficial for many reasons, even beyond tapping into the growing gig economy, like adapting to economic uncertainty and having the flexibility to scale up (or down) fast. It can also be more cost-efficient than the typical hiring process, and it gives your business the opportunity to trial employees before permanent hire (if that’s still the end goal). Within the tech industry, contract staff is common because it enables companies to tackle a specific project without long-term commitment. It’s a chance for companies and contractors alike to learn and develop in a mutually beneficial way.

But managing a network of contract employees and freelancers can be tricky for businesses equipped mainly for permanent roles. This is why an experienced partner with consulting and contract staffing at their core can be a game-changer. Your business has its own areas of expertise, its own core. Find a trusted partner to handle the other stuff, so that you can reap the rewards.

To learn more about the powerful impact an experienced strategic partner can have on your business, check out this case study detailing 3Ci’s successful partnership with a Fortune 100 bank.

 

4 Ways to Support Women in Technology

by Cassie Torres |

It’s no secret that women are largely underrepresented in the tech world. While more women are working in STEM today than ever before, the gender gap remains. That imbalance holds companies back from realizing their full potential.

We regularly hear from companies looking to bridge this gender gap and support women in tech. Here are a few places to get started.

Listen to Female Tech Thought Leaders
How can you support women in tech right now? Listen and learn. Educating yourself and truly understanding the barriers women face in the tech industry are the first steps towards change. You can start by following these women influencing tech and connecting with a few of Georgia’s top women in technology. Celebrate their success! By amplifying these powerful voices, we can help inspire the next generation of girls considering STEM and diversify the future hiring pool.

Acknowledge the Gender Gap (& Close It!)
The movement is gaining momentum, but the truth is, there aren’t enough ladies in tech, and not enough of those ladies are in leadership positions. Women only make up 28% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. If your company is struggling to attract or retain female tech talent, it might be time to take an honest look at the culture, policies, and biases that contribute to this trend. DiversifySTEM is a free app for anyone looking to attract, retain, and advance women in STEM.

Support Organizations Already Doing the Work
When it comes to empowering women in tech, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. There are some incredible organizations out there already doing incredible work. Women in Technology (WIT) is an Atlanta-based nonprofit dedicated to providing opportunities to help women excel in STEAM. If you’re a company in Atlanta looking to support women in tech, check out these sponsorship opportunities. Or, if you’re a female tech leader, consider volunteering to mentor the next generation of girls and women in tech. Women Who Code (WWCode) is another fantastic organization that supports women through every phase of their tech career.

Diversify Your Tech Talent Pool
The pandemic has completely transformed the way we work and the way we find, hire, and onboard our employees. Hiring tech talent virtually has become the new normal. With physical location no longer creating a major barrier, companies are capitalizing on the opportunity to connect with diverse tech talent from around the world. Now is an amazing time to connect with and hire female tech talent. 

With more awareness and action, we can end the STEM gender gap and empower women to thrive in the tech industry. Please reach out if there are any additional resources/insight you may have on this topic.

3Ci Talent Spotlight: Meet Back End Developer, Austin

by Cassie Torres | ,

At 3Ci, we take pride with building strong relationships with both our applicants and partners to create the perfect fit between the two. We think the tech, creative, and digital experts we work with are pretty incredible. In this series, we’re shining a light on the community of professionals who make our work possible.

Meet Austin. He’s an Atlanta-based back end developer with some awesome advice for his fellow software developers. His main word of wisdom? Never stop learning!

What’s your current role? What are your responsibilities?
Backend developer. My main responsibility is to translate business requirements into backend code. Working on the backend you need to make sure the data is durable, fault tolerant, and performant. Data comes in from the outside world, and we must ingest it and store it for future retrieval.

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Professional baseball player, ha!

How did you get here? Tell us a bit about your professional background.
At 18, everyone is sort of forced to figure out what they want to do with their lives. Luckily, I had a Myspace in middle school, so I was already used to programming. I coupled that with my strength in math from high school and landed on Computer Science as a major when I enrolled in college. The learning curve was difficult starting out, but over the course of the degree I secured two internships that eventually landed me my first full time SWE role. I realized early on that the learning doesn’t stop once you leave the classroom. You have to be a constant student in this field to see gains in your craft. I’m now on my third full-time position out of school and am working on what I consider my most exciting project to date!

“You have to be a constant student in this field to see gains in your craft.” – Austin, Back End Developer [https://www.3ci-mau.com/blog/talent-spotlight-series-meet-austin] #3Ci #TechTalent Social Media Icons - Twitter

Why do you love software development?
When I was 12 years old, I remember my uncle saying something profound to me. He said, “Austin, there are two types of people in this world: people that work with their hands and people that work with their head.” I always wanted to be the person that worked with their head. I was never into tools, building forts, or even making sandcastles. But the caveat to this is I didn’t want my career to feel like fluff. I wanted to produce tangible things that people could use. Software development is the perfect intersection between that and working with your head.

What’s the most challenging aspect of your work?
In the micro, it’s always racing against the deadlines. In the macro, it’s keeping pace with the changing tech. None of what my web development professor in college taught me was relevant when I got in my first job. Now, some of the things I learned in my first job aren’t even relevant today! It’s a constant moving target. You have to devote a fraction of your leisure time to staying up to date and learning the latest stuff. Otherwise you’ll wake up in five years and realize the skills you have aren’t the skills that are needed anymore. As they say, yesterday’s home runs don’t win today’s games.

Any advice for all the job seekers in your field right now?
Never stop learning. Invest in valuable courses, even after you’ve got your degree. This will keep you relevant. I pay $30 a month for Pluralsight—something 3Ci actually exposed me to— and it’s a tremendous ROI in my opinion. Secondly, learn by doing. There are some great textbooks out there that can teach you fundamentals. I’m a big textbook advocate. But the one thing that I see tech interviews vetting more and more as the years roll on are not what you know but what you’ve built.

What do you like to do for fun in Atlanta?
My girlfriend and I are always trying to find new and interesting things to do for dates. We sample a lot of good restaurants around the city, go on walks around Piedmont Park. The Chattahoochee River was fun over the summer, and the Beltline is a kaleidoscope of everything.

Anything to share about your experience working with 3Ci?
It’s all been overwhelmingly positive! And even though I’ve only been to the office one time, it was a very modern set up in a great part of town.

Looking for your next career opportunity in tech, digital, or creative? Search our job board and apply today. Looking to hire top tech talent? Schedule a call with the staffing experts at 3Ci.

Utilities: Now is the Time to Win Top Tech Talent

by Cassie Torres | ,

As utility leaders continue to respond to the impacts of COVID-19, many are looking for tech talent to continue providing critical services while reimagining the future of power, gas, and renewables. For years, utilities have notoriously struggled to attract a younger, digitally skilled workforce. Today, that old paradigm is rapidly shifting course. 

The very thing that once held utilities back in the war for tech talent has now morphed into the industry’s greatest competitive advantage. With all the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, the safety, security, and predictability utilities provide is becoming more and more appealing to the tech talent pool.

“When we’re recruiting talent for a utility company, one of the huge advantages we communicate to potential candidates is the consistency, reliability, and stability that come with the job. It’s unmatched.”
 – Amy Vasquez, SVP Strategic Accounts at @3Cipeople Social Media Icons - Twitter

Historically hard-to-fill Industry 4.0 roles in machine learning, robotics process automation, AI, data science, and more are now readily available and ready to get to work. If you’ve been waiting to staff these key positions, this is the time to secure the available talent. 

Here are a few ways we’re finding success bringing today’s best tech talent to the utility industry.

Realize Your Greatest Strength in the Current Job Market—Stability
Even if you don’t offer the highest hourly rate compared to a tech company, a stable long-term contract often offsets that. Many of our utility clients offer contract positions that last up to three years in duration. There can also be potential for consultants to earn full-time positions within the company. Communicate this to potential employees!

“The utilities winning tech talent today understand the huge advantage that comes with the job—solid, long-term contracts.”
@3Cipeople Social Media Icons - Twitter

Highlight Your Total Compensation Package
When seeking out top talent for utilities, we make sure that candidates consider the total compensation package versus a salary alone. Compared to other industries, utility companies offer great benefits and even retirement plans. They also tend to provide competitive base salaries along with reliable bonuses.

Call Attention to Your Epic Mission
When your job is to support the energy infrastructure, you’re automatically part of something bigger than yourself. This makes utility companies incredibly mission-driven, which is attractive to this next generation of tech talent. With a built-in mission to keep the world running, utilities often provide a professional, polite, and caring environment. The key is to find tech professionals who find great value in this type of setting.

Recognize The Time-Sensitive Perks That Come With the Job
Think about it—what kind of company would you want to work for in the midst of a pandemic? Probably one that is stable and values safety over everything else. At their core, utilities are safety-driven. Perhaps this hasn’t been a wildly attractive offer for young tech talent in the past, but today, it’s top-of-mind. 

Utilities are more than just safe. COVID-19 has accelerated all types of transformation and modernization efforts in plant environments, transmission environments, and power plants. Aside from staying safe, utilities offer employees exciting and meaningful work.

“Utilities tend to be good corporate citizens in the communities that they serve. That permeates to their culture and how they treat people.” @3Cipeople Social Media Icons - Twitter

With all of the shifts happening in today’s workforce, there is a massive influx of highly skilled tech talent on the market. Of course, just because talent is available doesn’t mean it will be a good fit for your company. By staying honest and upfront about what you have to offer as a utility, you’ll attract talent that will thrive in your environment and get the job done. 

If you need help finding the right fit for your utility company, we’d love to start a conversation with you. Contact our team today.

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How to Build a High Performance Software Engineering Team

by Cassie Torres |

One of our amazing clients is a leading global location-level customer experience measurement company serving multi-location businesses through several business intelligence solutions. Serving  major clients like Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chick-Fil-A, and more, the company is a force to be reckoned with in the customer experience management space. 

Continue reading “How to Build a High Performance Software Engineering Team”

3Ci’s Most Popular Blog Posts of All Time

by Cassie Torres | , , , , , , ,

At 3Ci, we are so much more than an IT staffing and technical consulting company. We are committed to putting people first and changing lives. Our blog is an extension of that commitment. It’s a place where we share information, ideas, and insights to help our clients (and readers) succeed.

Continue reading “3Ci’s Most Popular Blog Posts of All Time”

How 3Ci Helps Clients Build the Best Tech Teams

by Cassie Torres |

Looking to hire tech talent in Atlanta?

 

Whether you’re looking to hire full-time employees through direct hire, find talent for project-based work with contract labor, or test the tech talent waters with contract-to-hire, 3Ci can help you find the right candidates fast.

We make it happen with an innovative and award-winning staffing process, proven to help clients find the best people for the job.

Continue reading “How 3Ci Helps Clients Build the Best Tech Teams”

Talent Spotlight Series: Meet Caroline

by Cassie Torres | , ,

Welcome back to the 3Ci Talent Spotlight Series where we’re shining a light on Atlanta’s most talented tech, creative, and digital professionals. By sharing the stories of those who were able to find their dream jobs through 3Ci, we hope to inspire you to make your next career move. Ready now? You can search for open positions right here. 

Today we’re going behind-the-scenes with Caroline Scruggs, Marketing Coordinator at an Atlanta-based parental control phone tracker app.

Tell us a bit about your professional background.
I grew up in Valdosta and lived there until I moved to Athens for college at The University of Georgia. I graduated in 2017 with a degree in public relations and moved to Atlanta for an internship with the Metro Atlanta Chamber. After that, I went to work for a small marketing agency as an Account Manager. I worked there up until this year when I started my current role.

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a babysitter. I’m the oldest of three, so it’s always been in my nature to take care of other people.

How did you get connected with the team at 3Ci?
I went to school with one of 3Ci’s recruiters who reached out to me earlier this year to ask if I knew of anyone who might be interested in the marketing coordinator job. At the time, I was in the final round of interviews for another position. After we spoke more about the role and I got the chance to speak with the team, I realized it could be a perfect fit.

What was that experience like?
They moved quickly, which was great for me. It all happened within a matter of a week—from first hearing about the job to getting hired. 3Ci was so helpful and walked me through every step of the process. They would call after-hours to check and see how an interview went or provide me with important updates. Even now the 3Ci team continues to follow up and make sure I’m happy; we actually went to lunch last month. 

At the time, why were you looking for a change?
The agency was great, but because it was based in Gainesville, I worked from home a lot. That was difficult for me, because I’m a really outgoing person and find joy in interacting with my team. Working for two summers at the Metro Atlanta Chamber really sparked a passion for Atlanta in me, and I was eager to get back and contribute to this city that I’ve fallen in love with over the last few years.

Tell us more about your current role.
I’m a Marketing Coordinator and have been here for about three months now. It’s a startup, so every day looks entirely different for me. I’m responsible for managing and recruiting for our affiliate program. I also create a lot of content, like blogs, emails, decks, and presentations. I manage press inquiries, track where we’re getting hits, and make sure our investors are up-to-date about how much we’re spreading the word. Another big part of my job is collaborating and strategizing with our creative team. I make sure we’re looking at the entire consumer journey and that our copywriters and graphic designers have what they need to implement updates based on the research we’re gathering.

What initially drew you to marketing and PR?
My story is kind of unconventional. I started out as a chemistry major at UGA and got into pharmacy school. A week before I was supposed to start, I realized I didn’t really want to do it. People told me that I was good at science and math, so I always thought that’s what I should do for a career. I felt pretty lost after making the decision to give up my spot but ended up randomly joining the PR and marketing committee of a nonprofit on campus and really enjoying it. I applied to Grady and the rest is history. It’s definitely been the best decision for me. I certainly fit more in this role than I would behind a pharmacy counter.

What is the greatest reward of your work?
This company is really unique because of the nature of our product and its ability to help kids. Our team takes a lot of pride in the work that we do. I love that I get to go home at the end of the week knowing that something I’ve done could save a child’s life from a predator or a mental health issue. You won’t find a single member of our team that isn’t extremely passionate about protecting children in this digital world.

And the greatest challenges?
The most rewarding part of this role is also the most challenging. Every day I’m learning about the latest social media challenge that went wrong or news of a young child groomed over Snapchat. A big part of my role is putting myself in these parents’ shoes and being empathetic, but doing so can take a hard hit on my mental state. You have to straddle a fine line between being empathetic but also not getting too close to it that it affects your ability to stay motivated. 

How do you stay informed in an ever-evolving industry?
The shift from print to digital has completely reshaped our industry, and things are constantly changing. You can learn one thing today and be behind tomorrow. I subscribe to a ton of newsletters to stay up-to-date. My favorites are Hubspot, Moz, and AdWeek.

Any advice for all the job seekers out there?
Always keep your eyes peeled for new opportunities, but be patient. If you’re in a job that you dislike or you’re a recent grad, don’t take the first thing that’s dangled in front of you. Really think through the logistics and the work that you’re going to be doing and make sure it’s a good fit before accepting an offer.

What do you like to do for fun in Atlanta?
I have a six-month-old springer spaniel named Buster who keeps me busy. I also love going to all of the amazing restaurants around Atlanta; Barcelona is a personal favorite. I also volunteer with the Red Cross. 

Are you a tech, digital, or creative professional looking to make a career move? Search open positions with 3Ci and apply today.

Looking to land your dream UX design job with a Fortune 500 in Atlanta? From perfecting your portfolio to nailing the interview, here’s exactly what you need to know.  Click below to learn more!

{{cta(‘3f426d18-497a-456a-91a6-c420a007d8ed’,’justifycenter’)}}To stay connected to Atlanta’s growing tech scene and get more real-life stories and behind-the-scenes insights from top tech leaders, be sure to subscribe to the 3Ci Connect Show right now.

Talent Spotlight Series: Meet Matt

by Cassie Torres | , ,

In honor of putting people first, we’re excited to announce the 3Ci Talent Spotlight Series. We’re shining a light on the talented individuals who found their dream jobs through 3Ci. By sharing these stories, we’ll give you a behind-the-scenes look at some of Atlanta’s most talented tech, creative, and digital professionals.

Meet Matt, an experienced UX designer who currently works as a Product Manager for a major home improvement supplies retailing company.

Tell us a bit about your background.
I grew up in Southern Utah and went to school at Utah State University. Initially, I studied computer science but ended up switching into graphic design with an emphasis on digital, dipping my toes into things like web design and development and 3D modeling.

What do you do now?
I’m a Product Manager and guide a team of designers and developers to solve problems for our in-store associates who fulfill the needs of our customers. We own a handful of applications that our associates use in-store, so on a day-to-day basis, we’re working with those applications as well as any other processes that might be put in place to make sure our associates can serve the needs of their customers as best they can.

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I went through a handful of different phases, but I was a huge gaming nerd growing up. I seriously considered becoming a game designer.

What initially drew you to UX design?
It was probably being able to work with people. I liked that it wasn’t just a technology job where you’re building things for the sake of meeting some specs or getting some requirements knocked out. It was all about how to solve real problems. I really liked the idea of working with users and being a part of that co-creative process to build solutions that actually work for them.

When did you start working in your current position?
A few years ago, one of 3Ci’s recruiters reached out to me on LinkedIn about the position. At that time, I’d been living in Alabama for almost five years and was starting to feel a little too comfortable. I was looking for opportunities to extend my comfort zone a bit, so the timing was ideal. We had a few calls, I came to Atlanta for an interview, and joined 3Ci as a contractor working on the enterprise UX team as a Senior Enterprise UX Designer.

What is the greatest reward of your work?
I think the most rewarding part of what I do is seeing members of the team be successful and happy with what it is they’re trying to accomplish. I get to help our software developers do their jobs in the best way they can, remove their roadblocks, and empower them to solve a problem in a way that they think will work best. It’s those kinds of opportunities that really drew me to the field and it’s those moments that I continue to enjoy the most—watching other people be successful in whatever it is they’re trying to accomplish.

What about the greatest challenge?
A lot of the challenge comes from juggling a couple dozen or more priorities at any given time while also trying to maintain healthy relationships with everyone involved. A lot of what I’m doing involves maintaining and managing relationships between my team, our stakeholders, and the end users to make sure the work that’s being done is the right work. Working with people means working with a lot of emotions and idiosyncrasies. My job is to make sure everyone’s aligned, on the same page, and moving in the right direction.

In UX, we need to make sure we’re solving problems both for the business
and the end user together. It’s that kind of marriage that ends up creating something sustainable.”
– Matt, Product Manager Social Media Icons - Twitter

Any advice for all the UX job seekers out there?
When you’re pulling together your UX portfolio or resume, try to turn your work into a narrative. There’s a great example of this in a book called Communicating the New where the author shares an extensive case study around trying to teach children how to brush their own teeth. Whether you have experience in UX and product management or not, it all comes down to showing that you can solve problems for people. So if you can gather data points (who they were, what the problem was, how you did your research, how you designed a solution, and how you learned from what wasn’t working), you can turn that into a compelling story and make a compelling UX resume.

What qualities make a person successful in UX or product management?
I would say the soft skills within UX and product management are the hardest to find. I can teach people how to learn different tools and processes, but I can’t teach people how to have empathy, be insatiably curious about a particular problem space they’re working in, or be humble enough to take in new information and change their mental model around how something supposedly works. I think it’s attributes like that that allow people to come into this space and thrive.

“Soft skills allow you to find ways to make things work for the humans behind whatever the technologies or processes you’re involved with.”
– Matt, Product Manager Social Media Icons - Twitter

What do you like to do for fun in Atlanta?
I have a three-and-a-half-year-old, so when we do have time to go out and do something, we like to get out in nature. Sometimes we’ll walk a few miles down the Silver Comet trail, play on the river bank at the Chattahoochee, or take a short hike up Kennesaw Mountain.

Anything you’d like to share about your experience working with 3Ci?
My experience with 3Ci has been amazing. It was immediately clear to me that they weren’t just interested in getting me placed quickly and moving on to the next candidate. They really took the time to build a relationship that has lasted beyond my time with 3Ci. They really play the long game when it comes to building lasting relationships with their people, and I appreciate that.

Looking for your next career opportunity in tech, digital, or creative? Search open positions and apply today. We look forward to learning more about you and your professional journey.

Looking to land your dream UX design job with a Fortune 500 in Atlanta? From perfecting your portfolio to nailing the interview, here’s exactly what you need to know.  Click below to learn more!

{{cta(‘3f426d18-497a-456a-91a6-c420a007d8ed’,’justifycenter’)}}To stay connected to Atlanta’s growing tech scene and get more real-life stories and behind-the-scenes insights from top tech leaders, be sure to subscribe to the 3Ci Connect Show right now.

How to Manage a Large Team With a Global Impact [A Conversation With Turner’s Ben Plummer]

by Cassie Torres | , ,

Ben Plummer is the Senior Director of Application Development at Turner Broadcasting. He’s been with the company for over a decade and got his MBA in Management of Technology from Georgia Tech. Ben holds a wealth of knowledge about technology and managing a global team, and we were excited to sit down with him to learn more.

Tell us about your role at Turner. What does your day-to-day look like?
I manage two teams. The first is a development team of about 25 folks. We’re responsible for providing about 182,000 live-scoring games per year for BleacherReport.com, NBA.com, PGA.com, and NCAA.com. I also manage the group that runs quality assurance for Turner’s Sports and Entertainment digital brands like TruTV.com, CartoonNetwork.com, AdultSwim.com, and more.

That’s a lot of eyeballs keeping track of your team. How do you manage the stress?
I have a lot of help. I have three great managers underneath me that I couldn’t do anything without. I directly manage about 45 folks either here in Atlanta, up in New York, or out in India. My goal is to set everyone up for success and empower them to do their jobs.

The stress is real, especially during major events like March Madness. It’s part of the gig, and you learn to manage it. You can’t be in this position and freak out about something that is relatively small, even if it’s out in the public. If something does go wrong, you learn to temper your reactions a great deal because the people that work at Turner are so great. They punish themselves more than any manager possibly could. They feel so bad if something goes wrong because they’re so proud of the brands they work with and they’re so proud of working at Turner.

I also have five kids. So, I like to go home, lie on the ground, and have five kids jump on top of me. That gives me some perspective as to what’s important.

The only constant is change, especially in the world of technology. How do you stay on top of the latest trends?
You rely on other people a great deal. When it comes to new trends, we have product people that are constantly pushing the edge. We also have plenty of third parties that will come to us with new ideas. We’re constantly bombarded with what’s new and exciting. The challenge is taking those things, sifting through them, finding the diamonds, and monetizing it.

What are you reading right now?
I have RSS feeds that feed in Mashable, TechCrunch, Wired, and just about every other technology blog that’s out there. The hard part is reading it all. I try to filter out things that aren’t interesting to me and consume as much as I can. I also get alerts from CNN, CNN Tech, and Bleacher Report—go Falcons!

Either you’re going to manage your culture as a technical leader,
or your culture is going to manage you.
– Ben Plummer Social Media Icons - Twitter

How do you foster a culture of teamwork and innovation at Turner?
Back when Ted Turner started the company a bunch of years ago, he believed in competition. So, all of our brands are in competition with one another. They’re not taking resources from one another, but they’re trying to get the largest market share they possibly can. Collectively, it’s an impressive unit. The challenge for us as a shared service is that we have to be really cognizant of what our culture is.

There’s an old saying that says great fences make great neighbors, and it’s true. When you have a fence, you know exactly where your line of responsibility is. I spend a lot of time making sure we all know where our fence is, where we need to expand, and where we need to contract. It’s always a negotiation, but when everyone knows where they can go and where they can stop, it makes people a lot more comfortable.

Any other words of advice for our readers that you’d like to share?
Either you’re going to manage your culture as a technical leader, or your culture is going to manage you. The companies that do it right are those companies that are transformational: Apple, Google, Turner. If you find a leader that cares about the culture of the team and will go out and protect the team, that’s a team you stay on; that’s a team you stick with because that group is going to be together for a long time.

You can connect with Ben Plummer on LinkedIn right here.

Want more?  Watch the full interview with Ben Plummer by clicking below.
{{cta(’53bcd3ab-07e6-4fcc-bef4-f9df615273cf’,’justifycenter’)}}To stay connected to Atlanta’s growing tech scene and get more real-life stories and behind-the-scenes insights from top tech leaders like Ben, be sure to subscribe to the 3Ci Connect Show right now.

What is a Digital Engineer? Exploring Industry 4.0’s Newest Role

by Cassie Torres | , ,

The utility and manufacturing industries are in the midst of significant transformation. While scheduled maintenance in plants is still the norm, many forward-looking companies are choosing to embrace new digital technologies to better leverage their data. Monitoring and predictive analytics are opening the doors to exciting new possibilities and giving utility companies a way to improve reliability, safety, and efficiency.

It’s all a part of this shift towards Industry 4.0—what many are referring to as “The Fourth Industrial Revolution.” Interconnectivity is empowering companies to operate at a whole new level and leverage real-time insights in a way never before possible. Of course, to successfully implement emerging technology, you need talented people who are willing to brave a new frontier.

Recently, one of the largest utility companies in the US approached us with an unprecedented request. They were looking to leverage data and predictive asset analytics to increase efficiency at their plant and cut average search time from five hours to three minutes. Accomplishing this goal would require the skills of a unique individual who could successfully walk the line between engineering and IT. They needed a digital engineer.

Continue reading “What is a Digital Engineer? Exploring Industry 4.0’s Newest Role”

How to Build a High-Performance Data Science and AI Practice With Capgemini

by Cassie Torres |

Capgemini is a technology service and digital transformation consultancy based out of Paris, France serving clients across industries around the world.  Alex Vayner is Capgemini’s brilliant Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Practice Leader.  He’s spent the last three years building the company’s North American practice and helping clients navigate corporate transformation.  We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Alex to capture his insights about this exciting and growing field.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.
I’ve been in the data science field pretty much my whole life.  I went to graduate school at Georgia Tech—that’s how I ended up in Atlanta.  I started as a coder and modeler writing mathematical and financial models for consulting companies and hedge funds.  I slowly transitioned into being someone who helps companies acquire structure and exploit their data assets.  My last few roles have been focused on building high-performance data science teams, capabilities, and functions.

At heart, I am a math geek. I came to America from the former Soviet Union where I was part of an advanced math school.  When I got here, I realized I was a couple of years more advanced in mathematics than my peers, and it just sort of roller coastered from there.  I feel like I’m a humanities person at heart and probably would have been a historian or an anthropologist in another life.  It was through divine providence that I ended up being a mathematician, and I’m really enjoying the journey so far.

“#Bigdata is like teenage sex: everyone talks about it, nobody really knows how to do it, everyone thinks everyone else is doing it, so everyone claims they are doing it.” -Dan Ariely
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What is artificial intelligence?
There’s a lot of buzz and noise around AI.  At its core, AI is computers mimicking and enhancing human behaviors.  Oftentimes, that’s fundamentals like sight and hearing and other human senses.  All of that data and information needs to be interpreted, and that’s where machine learning and deep learning comes in.  At the end of the day, it’s all of those techniques under the umbrella that encompasses everything from robotic process automation to neural networks.

At its core, #AI is computers mimicking and enhancing human behaviors. #artificialintelligence via @SashaVayner
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At Capgemini, I’m helping clients answer questions like: How do you use those techniques to understand more about your business, your customers, and gain insights?  How do you drive an insight-driven transformation within your company?  How do you make sure managers make decisions based on data and not their gut?  How do you make sure that processes are automated?  How can you ensure that KPIs are readily available and are part of the conversation at the executive level?

What have you learned over your career? Could you impart some wisdom on our readers?
There’s a lot of hype around data science, so do your due diligence.  If you’re in the middle of your career and you’re focused on learning and growing, ask hard questions during interviews when you’re talking to prospective employers.  They might say they’re doing cutting-edge data science. Ask them what kind of tools they’re using.  They might say they’re industrializing solutions.  Ask them what languages they’re using.  Nuances like this can give you insight into how much is hype and how much is real.

If you’re a company, my suggestion would be experimentation.  Before you declare huge ambitions and invest millions of dollars and years into building something, do frequent experimentations.  If you’re on the IT side of things, reach out to the business partners early. Where we see a lot of efforts go into “the PoC graveyard” for data science is either the team building the solution didn’t partner with the business stakeholders from the early stages (so it doesn’t have a landing pad), or they had the business support but they didn’t talk to IT (so now they have a cool solution and they have champions in the business but they can’t industrialize it because they don’t understand how the systems work, how  do you embed the solution into existing architecture).  If you want to avoid “the PoC graveyard,” you have to bring those two teams together.

If you want to avoid “the PoC graveyard,” bringing the #IT team and business stakeholders together is critical. #datascience #AI via @SashaVayner
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Sometimes those teams have tension.  This is natural—that tension will always exist.  That’s how you create something great and something new.  Capgemini helps bridge the gap by creating partnerships that drive effective solutions from the early proof of concept stages to industrializing a solution that’s actually going to drive revenue for the company and maybe even transform and create new business lines, revenue streams, and business models.


Want more?  Watch the full interview with Alex Vayner of Capgemini by clicking below.
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