Put a DBA in Your Pocket
UPDATE: We have created a new service based on the overwhelming positive feedback on this article! Dallas DBAs announces the Pocket DBA?
One of your two DBAs just gave 2 weeks notice.
Now what?
You have 2 weeks before your other DBA starts feeling the pressure of doing 80 hours of work in a 40 hour week.
Did you see this coming? Do you have a favorite recruiting firm on your vendor list? Do you know a guy that knows a guy?
Assuming that the budget exists to pay for a replacement, you are very likely 4 weeks out from actually getting a replacement in the door:
- 1 week for the recruiter to source candidates
- 1 to interview, if you are really on the ball and can “Agile” through the stack of resumes
- 2 weeks for the person you made an offer to so they can give proper notice
- At best.
- If you rush the process.
In reality, recruiters these days are handling 30+ openings and dozens of applicants per opening. That’s a lot on their plate.
You have Stuff To Do? as well, which limits your time to properly review resumes and get through the interview process. Hopefully your process isn’t 3 phone calls and 4 face to face on different days…
Great…so we’ve defined the problem. What is the solution?
Put a DBA in your pocket.
You likely already have a lawyer and accountant in there. Put a few critical technical people in there with them.
Set up a retainer agreement with an independent DBA to fill in for your existing crew when:
- Someone leaves
- Someone goes on a well-deserved vacation
- Someone goes on Parental/Family leave
- A new project comes in and you cannot let the care and feeding go by the wayside
This doesn’t even have to be an actual independent contractor…many qualified DBAs, SysAdmins, storage people, etc. that are working full-time jobs but can check on your systems on weekends and evenings.
If your systems are mission critical, and you are running skinny in certain areas…protect yourself by having someone you already know in your pocket, ready to call when the unexpected happens.
For my fellow DBAs...would you like to take a vacation without your laptop? Or go to a training class? Send this link to your manager if you are stretched so tight you can't breathe!
Dallas DBAs provides Remote DBA services at 'X' hours a week to clients all over the US. Contact us if this resonated with you.
Thanks for reading!
ORACLE DBA
6 年DBA needs everywhere
Senior ORACLE Principal Consultant - Database Performance & Availability
6 年Pay per need...I like the concept.
Senior Database Administrator at Las Vegas Valley W
6 年Pocket DBA. :D
Senior Support Account Manager @ Palo Alto Networks | Customer Experience Management
6 年Great concept that should be very well received by anyone that relies on their database and the folks that support it!??
SQL DBA
6 年This is amazing idea for the companies those who wants specific resources on a contract or on hourly basis so that they have enough resources available as per their customer needs without affecting their business.?