Sessions at SXSW Interactive 2012 of type Panel about Hiring and Team Building

View as grid

Sunday 11th March 2012

• Rockstars or Roadies: Who's the Better Employee?

  by Corey Reid, Daniel Ha, Heather Gold, Joe Stump and Patti Chan

  When building a team, what should you be looking for -- those talented, amazing people that can do it all, need no supervision, and will drive faster than you can keep up… OR those easy-to-get-along-with, everyone-loves-them, pulls-a-team-together types who just do the dirty work no one else wants to do, keep everything humming along, and DO WHAT THEY'RE TOLD?

  "Rockstars" -- the former -- command high salaries, need a constant stream of challenging problems, and are likely to fight for their solution over all others. They might throw tantrums, sulk or just quit if they don't think their (admittedly) incredible talents are being recognized. And sometimes they'll just go off and do whatever they think is a good idea, and not tell anyone.

  "Roadies" -- the latter -- might not get as much done in superheated stretches of productivity, but they can be counted on to stick to the plan, to finish tedious tasks, and to get along with their peers. Not as flashy, don't draw a crowd, but behind the scenes they quietly take care of the business that needs taking care of.

  Which should you go for? Should you alternate? Do you only need one rockstar? Is the whole distinction fatuous? Will any other panel include the word "fatuous" in its description?

  • Hiring
  • Team Building

  At 3:30pm to 4:30pm, Sunday 11th March

  In Brazos, Marriott Courtyard Austin Downtown/Convention Center

  Coverage audio clip