Many membership organisations face the challenge of delivering high-impact services to their members while operating with limited resources. We know that most must remain agile, innovative, and adaptable, all while managing functions such as event planning, member engagement, advocacy, and more.
To meet these demands, building effective, powerful teams is crucial. One effective approach is using the T-shaped expertise and experience model to recruit and develop teams capable of driving growth and success.
This article explores how membership organisations can leverage the T-shaped model, how Membership Bespoke can assist in this process, and the potential role of interim talent to create a flexible pathway toward building high-performing teams.
The T-shaped expertise model represents a combination of deep knowledge in one specific area (the vertical bar of the "T") and broader skills across multiple disciplines (the horizontal bar). This model, originating from industries like tech and creative fields, has gained traction as a powerful approach for organisations needing versatility and adaptability.
The vertical bar symbolises deep specialisation in a particular domain, such as marketing, data analysis, or event management. This depth allows individuals to excel in their core function, contributing high-level expertise to complex problems.
The horizontal bar represents broad knowledge across other areas, such as project management, finance, or technology. While these skills may not be as deep, they enable the individual to collaborate across teams, understand diverse perspectives, and tackle a variety of tasks.
For membership organisations, which often require staff to handle multiple roles, the T-shaped model helps create a versatile, nimble team. This is particularly important for organisations that have budget limitations preventing them hiring a specialist for every function - but still need deep expertise in key areas.
Building a fully T-shaped team doesn’t need to happen all at once. Membership organisations can work toward this goal incrementally by recruiting strategically over time. Membership Bespoke can play a critical role in this process, helping organisations plan their hiring strategy, attract the right talent, and develop teams that align with the T-shaped model.
Assess Organisational Needs: We can begin by conducting a thorough assessment of the organisation's current team and identifying where deep expertise and cross-functional skills are most needed. This helps define immediate staffing priorities and long-term growth plans. Working in partnership enables us to build teams, such as the events team we recruited for R3. We can set expectations on the availability of candidates with the combination of skills needed, so that time isn’t wasted looking for skills that don’t naturally co-exist.
Define a T-Shaped Profile for Each Role: We will help create job descriptions that emphasise both deep expertise and cross-functional skills, as well as advocating the values of the organisation we’re representing. They ensure that potential candidates understand the importance of adaptability and their ability to contribute beyond their primary role.
A job posting for a membership manager, for instance, might highlight experience in membership engagement, but also emphasise the need for broader skills in project management, digital tools, or event planning.
Recruit Incrementally to Build a Balanced Team: Rather than hiring multiple team members at once, we can help organisations recruit incrementally, filling roles based on the most urgent needs while keeping the long-term goal of building a T-shaped team in mind.
This approach allows membership organisations to bring on team members who fill immediate gaps but also possess the skills and flexibility to contribute more broadly. Over time, this leads to a balanced team where everyone has both deep and broad expertise.
Tailored Interview Process: We will design interview processes that assess not only a candidate’s deep expertise but also their ability to collaborate across functions. This may involve behavioural interview questions that ask candidates to describe how they’ve worked across different departments or adapted to new challenges in the past.
In many cases, membership organisations may not have the budget or resources to hire full-time employees for every critical role right away. This is where contract staff can play a valuable role in the incremental development of a T-shaped team. This one of the drivers behind our online Interim Talent Hub, which gives fast access to vetted qualified, interim candidates.
Filling Immediate Gaps: Contract staff can be brought in to fill short-term needs while the organisation is still recruiting full-time staff. For example, if the organisation needs deep expertise in event management but cannot yet afford to hire a permanent event manager, a contract staffer with event expertise can provide the necessary support while the team grows.
Testing for Long-Term Fit: Contract staff can be an effective way to test whether certain roles or expertise areas are essential for the long-term success of the organisation. For instance, if the organisation is unsure whether they need a full-time data analyst, they could first bring in a contractor to address immediate data needs. If the role proves critical, the organisation can eventually convert the position into a full-time one.
Supporting Cross-Functional Projects: Contract staff with T-shaped skill sets can also be brought in to support specific projects that require broad expertise across multiple functions. For example, if the organisation is launching a new digital membership platform, a contractor with a mix of project management, digital strategy, and marketing skills can help manage the transition while the permanent team focuses on their core functions.
Bridging the Gap While Building Internal Capacity: While the organisation is gradually recruiting T-shaped team members, contract staff can help bridge gaps in expertise and workload. This allows the organisation to maintain momentum without overburdening existing team members.
Once the T-shaped team is built, membership organisations should focus on sustaining and nurturing this model. This includes:
The T-shaped expertise and experience model is an ideal solution for membership organisations looking to build powerful teams. By combining deep expertise with broad adaptability, T-shaped teams can collaborate more effectively, respond to changing needs, and drive innovation.
We play a vital role in helping organisations define and recruit for these roles incrementally, while contract staff offer flexibility during the transition period. With a strategic approach to recruitment and team development, membership organisations can thrive with lean, high-impact teams capable of delivering exceptional value to their members.