Benard Uy
Wall to Wall Studios, Inc.
1.
Please provide a brief description of your workplace culture.
Wall-to-Wall Studios (founded by fellow CMU alum James Nesbitt & myself in 1992) was created as an outlet for our collective artistic pursuits. My field of study (Computer Science & Graphic Design) and my partner's
(Fine Arts-Painting/Sculpture/Illustration) gave us an opportunity which seemed to have no place being together in a "serious" office. Our goal was to figure a way to blend these seemingly extreme interests and abilities into a business built on meeting somewhere "in the middle" of art & design. Therefore, our workplace culture is atypical of many design offices or artists' studios. Every Thursday is "clothing optional" day, and inter-office correpondence is facilitated by carrier pigeons. We value humor in the workplace. Actually, our office space (an open studio in a converted warehouse) is a blending of high-tech and low-tech, and tries hard not to hide our personalities. We want potential clients who walk through our doors to either say "...we're in the wrong place..." or "we MUST be in the RIGHT place." Saves time in the long run, actually. We have fun, but I'm also guessing we work just as hard (and as many hours) as our counterparts in other studios/offices/agencies. We are constantly adding/fixing procedures to help us operate more smoothly as a still-growing business. The week starts pretty "seriously" with our staff meeting Monday mornings. We allow ourselves that day to regroup and prepare for the week -- no client meetings are scheduled for Mondays. Same holds true for Friday afternoons, to close the week. Our second conference/presentation room doubles as a ping-pong arena. In it, the Wall-to-Wall gang does serious battle, whenever the need to blow off steam comes up. I guess the work culture reflects the nature of our own creative work. 50% serious, 50% fun, 50% sweat. (150%.) I know we still have plenty to learn. However, many of us here have brought clear ideas of what they DON'T want the workplace culture to be like, based on individual past experiences.

RECRUITING
2.
How do you recruit people? Where do you look? Where do you find your best people?
Luckily for us, many of our past/present employees (currently we are 9 full-time) have either been friends, former students or referred to us or have approached us with their portfolios. The only "active" recruitment has been through e-mail postings or via word-of-mouth. We look everywhere (friends, the local design community, universities - CMU primarily- and promotional doo-dads we receive) for talent. We also get invited to sit in on Student Portfolio Days as a CMU faculty member and as a Members of AIGA (American Institute for Graphic Arts).

3.
Do you have a recruiting process?
No. Not yet.

4.
What are the three most important characteristics you look for in a person? Creative thinking, ability to communicate effectively with James & myself, and the willingness to take risks. Not necessarily in that order.

INTERVIEWING
5.
Describe the interview process?
To cut down the amount of time we spend on it, we try to pre-qualify potential candidates as best as we can. Resumes go a long way in doing this. We also pay attention to cover letters that *seem* like they were written just for us. For designers/illustrators, we try to see samples of some sort, prior to meeting with someone in person (printed, on web, slides or even a portfolio drop-off). Recommendations from someone we know is a big plus. If we like the samples, we'll arrange for a meeting at our studio to see the work. We'll spend some time with the work but more time talking to the person about themselves. We figure, if we have to spend a million hours in our studio with them, we better like them. Sometimes, it takes several meetings.

6.
Do you have a standard list of interview questions? What are they? What do you hope to learn from each of these questions?
Unfortunately, no, we don't have standard questions. Unfortunately, that also sounds like a pretty damn good idea. One question I do ask: "Do you alphabetize your CDs at home?" I'm not sure what it says other than the obvious, but I do at home. My partner does not. Probably means nothing. Also, "Are you sure you want to live in Pittsburgh?"

7.
How do you determine the quality of a candidates work? What tools have helped you consistently find quality employees? Are these standard in your industry? (for example: a portfolio, personal websites, personality testing, storytelling, life themes, etc.)
We like unique individuals with matching unique talents and matching unique outfits. There are no rules or guidelines in our business, but James & I have strong personal definitions of quality work; perhaps it is merely artistic styles which are simpatico with our own tastes. The standard is to a least have a strong "book" or portfolio. We have had many interpretations of the book: different formats, styles, media - CD-ROM, web-sites, handmade books, you name it. Past experience with other firms is a big plus, but not required. Technical know-how can be determined in a few simple questions and looking at the skill/craftsmanship/production of the work in the portfolio. We tend to be impressed with the stuff we DON'T know how to do, quite honestly. I know of no true resource (on-line or otherwise) which facilitates this process. Our web sites helps us on the other side; selling our services/abilities/personality to potential clients.

HIRING
8.
Describe your dream candidate in terms of fitting into your company's culture.
The ideal candidate is committed to the work and is serious about the creativity. He/she does not take themselves too seriously, is fairly organized, has a similar sense of humor, is influenced by everything around them, is willing to work late (or early) if need be, and is technically very savvy. He/she has the confidence to present ideas without fear, either to James & myself, or to a client on our behalf. They can think on their feet after being on them all day and not take any creative criticism too personally. They are also definitely NOT in it for the money. (Or they would be in the wrong business, let alone wrong company*.) *On that note, they would also really believe in the quality of work and the type of clients on which James & I have built the business. They would see potential for growth and success without being too butt-kissingly optimistic.

9.
What is the most important influencer in deciding to hire someone? Is it their references, their resume, the reputation of their school?)
A combination of the above, plus all the stuff from question #4. Our work process & environment is not about any ONE thing, but more importantly, many, disparate things. Flexibility and the ability to adapt is key. Team player is an easy answer. One question James & I ask ourselves is "What can this person bring to the company (abilities, skills, perspective, experience, loads of cash) that we don't already have?" Our past design hires have gotten their foot in our door because their portfolios were very strong and unique. Finding out about The Person is the hardest part.

10.
How do you identify if someone's work style or work process is compatible with your corporate culture?
Sometimes, we get lucky and we are able to "test the waters" via a free-lance or part-time opportunity, before hiring someone on full-time. This allows both parties to *feel-out* the compatibility. Kind of like dating before marriage. Or living together. Overall we have been pretty lucky over the past 5 years.

11.
Can you tell me a brief story about a surprising interview?
Something unexpected that revealed important information about someone; an event, behavior or response that exceeded your expectations as an indicator of that persons traits and abilities; maybe something that has since changed your process of assessment. A former student of mine wrote a -long- letter to me while abroad during a student-exchange program. In the well-written "statement of intent" he managed to give us some insight to his influences, design abilities, sense of humor, technical prowess, self-deprecating style and asked us for a job all at the same time. This person got their foot in the door because of their personality. We interviewed him when we had no intent of hiring. It turned out to be really great work in his portfolio. After the interview, we felt we couldn't let this talented designer get away.He became an invaluable member of our team and helped shape the success of our then 2-yr old baby firm. Lesson learned: if someone seems like they have all the Right Stuff, take a look and meet with them. Even if you think you can't afford to hire anyone, you may find that you can't afford NOT to hire them.

Okay. Bye. Bernard Uy