Sourcing for Innovation

Most companies run an internship program. So why not an apprenticeship? Catalyte CEO Matt Derella discusses why apprenticeships can go beyond an internship, helping employers find higher-quality talent faster and cheaper.

Employers face the increasing challenge of finding, hiring and retaining top technology talent. Most still use "traditional" sourcing methods that rely on resumes or existing skills. This limits the quantity and quality of candidates needed to advance business outcomes. This episode explores new and innovative approaches to sourcing technology talent. Listen to Catalyte CEO Jacob Hsu discuss how employers can benefit from sourcing models that focuse on a person's aptitude and attitude. Learn how to create more productive, diverse, affordable and longer-lasting workforces with nontraditional talent.

A Navy veteran with an established technology career, Karl was not a typical candidate for Catalyte's software developer training and apprenticeship program. However, with his specialized area of expertise no longer in demand, Karl spent nearly a decade looking for a way back into the industry. A Craigslist ad promising "software developer training – no experience necessary" proved to be that way back in. Listen to Karl describe his journey, how Catalyte has its thumb on the pulse of diversity and inclusion and how he advocates for other non-traditional developers in this Sourcing for Innovation podcast episode:

Jamar Johnson was a mixed martial arts instructor when we discovered Catalyte in the mid-2000's. A successful graduate of our software developer training program, Jamar has continued to succeed in the technology industry. He is currently the director of quality and release management, HR technology and information strategy at Comcast. He also chairs Comcast's Black Employee Network. In this candid conversation, Jamar shares his developer journey from a non-traditional background to leading teams at one of America's largest companies. He recounts how Catalyte helped him launch that journey. He also dives into how the tech industry as a whole can do a better job using technology to create a diverse talent pool and build more equitable companies. Hint: everyone speaks "green."

Managing a remote workforce has its challenges and rewards. If you've been thrust into a remote working situation as a result of COVID-19, or are looking for ways to maintain company cohesion, Tom Iler, CPO of Catalyte and leader of Surge, a Catalyte company, has advice on how to maintain a unified company culture across a remote workforce. For more information on how to establish, grow or maintain a remote workforce, please visit https://www.surgeforward.com/blog/ or https://catalyte.io/news-ideas/

The concept of an apprentice or apprenticeship goes back centuries. Traditionally, they were a way for people to learn a trade from a master craftsman, in return for helping that craftsperson with their business. The technology industry is now applying that same concept to software developers – offering on-the-job-training as an apprentice instead of paid training at college or a coding bootcamp. How do these apprenticeships work? What are their advantages for employers and employees alike? And where in an overall talent sourcing strategy does an apprentice model fit? Eliot Pearson, Catalyte's VP of technical development, discusses the different apprenticeships and how companies can take advantage of this modernized form of training.

According to Forrester Research's Future of IT 2018 report, 50% of all digital transformations fail. With success being no more reliable than a coin flip, why even bother to undergo this process? Greg Kintzele, principal of business strategy for digital transformation at Catalyte, explains why transforming isn't optional and how to ensure that your organization falls on the right side of the 50/50 digital transformation divide.

How should a technology company set up a mentoring program? What is the difference between mentoring, coaching and training? Are there differences in how generations of workers approach the mentoring process? Catalyte's CTO Rob Mansell has established mentoring programs in multiple IT organizations throughout his career. He shares his insights into what works, who should be involved and how to measure the success of such programs.

How development teams are performing is a key metric any IT organization should know. But, as your IT organization grows, and teams adopt their own "flavor" of Agile, it can be hard to compare teams or get a full organizational perspective on performance. Companies can use organization assessments to look for opportunities to improve multiple teams simultaneously, save time and money while improving agility. Catalyte's Les Grove explains what goes into creating as assessment, what it should measure and who needs to be involved in the process.

Will artificial intelligence (AI) be a force for good or evil in 2019? Tom Iler, Catalyte's chief product officer, discusses the different paths AI could take and what we can do to make sure it helps, rather than hurts, society.

Keys, credit cards and resumes. What do they all have in common? They are outdated methods we still rely on to perform important roles in society. Technology is making keys and credit cards obsolete. It should do the same with resumes. We discuss with Tom Iler, Catalyte's chief product officer, how AI, machine learning and skills-based hiring can replace the resume and create a more productive/diverse workforce.

Catalyte software developer and trainer Mike Mountain is embarking on the ultimate MLB road trip. In just 35 days, he will drive to all 30 MLB ballparks. On his trip he will drive more than 16,000 miles. Find out how Mike developed an application to solve this logistical Mt. Everest, what parks he's most excited to see and why this diehard Oriole's fan decided to do this in the first place.

The modern internet as we know it didn't just appear fully formed. Many choices and disagreements went into creating and molding the World Wide Web. George Mauer, director of development at Surge (www.surgeforward.com), discusses the development of the modern web from its creation, how it was structured, designed and made usable and what the future holds.

Erin Flynn, board director of Portland's Innovation Quadrant and associate vice president for strategic partnerships at Portland State University discusses the newly launched Portland IQ initiative. She also examines higher education's changing role in relation to the private sector and how colleges and universities can help foster better, more inclusive technology innovation.

As rising healthcare costs push our economy to a breaking point, organizations are turning to technology as a way to ensure better, more cost-effective outcomes. Tony Trenkle, head of Catalyte's healthcare practice, discusses ways to use IT to reduce administrative and clinical costs, how to play catch up if you're a digital laggard and the consequences of implementing technology without a strategic plan.

Catalyte is supercharging its growth, enabling it to solve more client problems, put more Americans to work in IT and make the software development industry more diverse and inclusive. In this conversation, CEO Jacob Hsu discusses Catalyte's acquisition of Surge, its $27M funding round, the opening of new development centers, need for local teams/individuals and how all this positions Catalyte to take full advantage of the onshoring software development trend.

In 2000, Michael Rosenbaum founded Catalyte and created the Catalyte Talent Platform, a big data engine that removes the cultural biases from hiring and objectively selects candidates who have the innate potential to become great software developers. In this episode, Michael discusses the founding of Catalyte, the impact of the Talent Platform and how AI and machine learning can be put to use in skills-based hiring to create better software engineering outcomes.

Resumes are a poor predictor of job success. Evolving to a skill-based hiring process would allow better and more equal access to employment, decrease hiring costs and make businesses more innovative and resilient.

Interview with Chevonne Hall, the principal of the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women. A moving discussion that dives deeper into STEP's themes of community, perseverance, mentoring, importance of education and technology and how unleash the potential inside every person.

There are many similarities between farm-to-table restaurants and colocated software development teams: local teams working closely with clients to quickly adapt to new technologies and changing user demands.

Tech policy expert, New York Times best-selling author and Maryland gubernatorial candidate Alec Ross discusses preparing Maryland's workforce for the new digital economy, the importance of technical education for all and if the Orioles will make the playoffs this year.

There are many ways to practice Agile, both correctly and incorrectly. Here's how to identify if you're practicing "Faux Agile" and how to fix it.

Digital transformation places extra importance on finding the correct partner who can co-create the enterprise applications that fulfill customer expectations and meet critical business needs.

The difference between good and bad software development or project management is often how an organization implements patterns and anti-patterns. But there are ways to avoid falling into these destructive management traps. Here are seven project management anti-patterns and how to stop them from infecting your organization.

Developers are more crucial than ever to a company's business success. How do you keep them engaged, motivated and producing on the highest level? Grant English, Catalyte's director of technology, explains some easy ways to show your developers some love.

Catalyst DevWorks just became Catalyte. CEO Jacob Hsu talks about why this change was made, what it means for clients, how Catalyte differentiates itself in the market and how the company will expand from its core software engineering competency.