8y
Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback. To address a few points.
1)To speak to the lack of organization and leadership: over the past 12 months we've become much more focused and have continually worked to provide a clear direction for the organization. Becoming much more specialized, and removing services and offerings that do not align best with our capabilities or that do not provide value to our clients. We have weekly meetings (again, which we went a few months without doing) where we share where the business is going, how we're performing, new structure and processes, client wins and other key pieces of information.
2) To speak to the lack of leadership: the company having grown double digits in the past year has definitely grown beyond the ability of 1 person leading the organization. This is why we have promoted a Chief Operating Officer, Project Director, Dev Ops Lead, new Creative Director and have just hired a VP of Sales, all to work together collectively to continually grow the business and improve as a whole. Additionally we're exploring directors tied to small teams to ensure leadership and direction is being provided as we grow.
3) Speaking to frustrated clients around timelines: We're working hard here to improve all of the processes around our delivery side of the business. Better scoping on the sales side, better risk review processes to identify project risks earlier on, better development talent, better design collaboration with development. In general the majority of the timelines that are contracted are manageable and achievable. So if there is something within the project delivery process that is compressing the time of a single team because their work is starting later in the process that planned, 1) I'd love to grab a cup of coffee to learn where you feel we're missing this and 2) we're analyzing this everyday 3) part of this is related to our growth. We'll work to improve.
As for the comment of hiring people as "favors" or unqualified people, I'd love some feedback there. I will say we've missed on some hires and I own that. We have, in the past 8 months improved our hiring process so every hire has to go through 3 interviews by 3 leaders who all have to approve to move forward. Descriptions and candidate sourcing is pushed down to the director level. I'm just guessing here, but there have been a few hires in the past 3 years that I would call "culture hires". People hired because they were very hungry to learn the industry, but with little experience. 2-3 of those hires have turned into great employees and one is likely soon to be a Sr. Project Manager and has earned it through hard work and learning the job. I am a firm believer in always providing an opportunity for hard working, hungry, culturally aligned Jr. hires. That hasn't changed since day 1 at Accelerate and won't change moving forward.
I welcome direct feedback on how Accelerate can improve over a cup of coffee from past or current employees at all times. I'm trying to provide very specific feedback not knowing the situations or circumstances surrounding this specific review.
Brad McCrory - CEO