From Resource Manager to Casting Director: Real-Time Data Makes It Possible
Team design is one of the most challenging tasks in modern organisations. Resource managers are skilled at balancing workloads and assembling teams, but they often face a fundamental problem: a lack of comprehensive data. As a result, decisions about who to allocate to a project are frequently influenced by availability rather than finding the ideal fit.
This is not due to a lack of strategy or insight, but simply because the data needed to make more informed choices is often out of reach. Real-time information about skills, performance, and team dynamics is typically fragmented or unavailable. Without access to deeper insights, availability becomes the default.
This can lead to several challenges:
Skills Mismatch: Without real-time visibility into team members’ skills, it is easy to allocate someone who is free but not 100% right.
Missed Hidden Skills: Individuals often possess lesser-known skills that could be critical for a project. These hidden talents are rarely documented or considered.
Team Dynamics Issues: Pairing the wrong individuals simply because they are free can create friction and slow progress.
Performance Blind Spots: Availability data does not reflect past performance or suitability for similar tasks.
What if there was a better way?
The Shift to Data-Driven Casting
Data-driven casting provides a solution by helping resource managers move beyond just availability. It is about giving them the real-time data needed to make strategic decisions.
Instead of asking "Who’s available?", data-driven casting focuses on "Who’s best for the project?". This approach leverages real-time data to answer questions like:
What skills are actually needed for this project?
Who has relevant experience and proven performance?
Are there hidden skills within the team, perhaps in a different office, that we have not considered?
How well will selected team members collaborate based on past dynamics?
Who is available without being overburdened by other tasks?
By taking these factors into account, resource managers can cast teams being data informed.
Why Trusting Real-Time Data Matters in Team Design
One of the biggest challenges resource managers face is the uncertainty around the data they use. Is it current? Is it complete? Is it trustworthy? With real-time data integrated into the casting process, these concerns fade away. Reliable data means:
Confidence in Decisions: Knowing that the data accurately reflects team members' current skills, availability, and performance.
Full Utilisation of Internal Resources: Making sure every employee's potential is recognised, reducing the risk of underutilising valuable skills no matter where they may be sat.
Maximising Impact: By identifying and leveraging hidden or secondary skills, teams become more dynamic and versatile.
Minimising Resource Waste: Assigning the right person to the right project from the start, rather than needing adjustments later.
According to a Deloitte report, organisations that adopt a skills-based approach are 63% more likely to achieve positive outcomes compared to those relying solely on traditional resource management methods.
How Genie Empowers Resource Managers
Genie understands the real challenge: resource managers want to build the best teams but often lack the data and visibility to do so effectively. Our AI-driven platform, Whodo provides real-time insights into skills, availability, and more. This allows for data-driven casting rather than guesswork.
By integrating the Moneyball philosophy into team design, Whodo gives resource managers the tools to make smarter decisions - just like a coach on the football pitch, choosing the best 11 from the wider squad. With comprehensive, up-to-date data at their fingertips, they can confidently cast the right team every time.
