{"id":56919,"date":"2024-07-18T05:57:51","date_gmt":"2024-07-18T05:57:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/five-for-the-future\/?post_type=handbook&#038;p=56919"},"modified":"2024-09-16T16:33:00","modified_gmt":"2024-09-16T16:33:00","slug":"pitch-five-for-the-future-to-your-employer","status":"publish","type":"handbook","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/five-for-the-future\/handbook\/organization-pledge-guide\/pitch-five-for-the-future-to-your-employer\/","title":{"rendered":"Pitch Five for the Future to Your Employer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Open source contributions are valuable, but they often require time and resources. One effective way to balance your contributions with your professional life is to seek sponsorship and support from your employer. The Five for the Future program can be a great way for your organization to support your contribution journey. The program encourages companies to contribute to the WordPress community, promoting a mutually beneficial relationship among the employee, the company, and the WordPress ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s a step-by-step guide for open source contributors on how to start a conversation with their employers to seek sponsorship for their contribution time as part of the WordPress Five for the Future program:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1: Understand Five for the Future and WordPress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before approaching your superior, familiarize yourself with the Five for the Future program. Various pages in this handbook could be helpful in helping you understand the program:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/five-for-the-future\/handbook\/about-five-for-the-future\/\">About Five for the Future<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/five-for-the-future\/handbook\/organization-pledge-guide\/\">Organization Guide<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/five-for-the-future\/handbook\/organization-pledge-guide\/benefits\/\" data-type=\"handbook\" data-id=\"49939\">Organization Benefits<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If your organization already uses WordPress, the following sections may not be relevant. However, gaining a strong understanding of the WordPress project and familiarizing yourself with open source principles could be valuable. The &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/five-for-the-future\/handbook\/organization-pledge-guide\/#Understanding\">Understanding Project Philosophy and Community Etiquette<\/a>&#8221; section in the Five for the Future handbook offers helpful guidelines. Additionally, <a href=\"https:\/\/learn.wordpress.org\/tutorial\/introduction-to-open-source\/\">Introduction to Open Source<\/a> tutorial could be useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2: Prepare Your Proposal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Consider including the following points as you prepare your Five for the Future proposal:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tone: Formal vs. Informal?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The tone of your proposal should be the first step in your mind. Tailor your proposal to your company&#8217;s culture. Prepare a formal document for more structured organizations (especially if you are working for a large organization with rigid systems and structures), while a casual conversation might suffice in others (for example, if you are working for a startup or an agency).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key Points to Include<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The &#8220;Why&#8221;:<\/strong> Explain your interest in contributing to WordPress and how it aligns with your professional development goals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Time Commitment:<\/strong> Be upfront about the hours per week you&#8217;d like to dedicate to contribution.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Team Choice:<\/strong> Identify specific WordPress teams that interest you. Highlight what you hope to learn from participating in these teams.<a href=\"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/contribute\/\"> Refer to our contribute page for more information.<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Skill Development:<\/strong> Clearly outline the hard and soft skills you expect to gain or enhance (e.g., coding, communication, project management).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Highlight Company Benefits from Contributing<\/strong>: Emphasize how your contributions benefit your employer. This could include skill enhancement, improved company image, recruitment advantages, etc. Read more about potential benefits on our <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/five-for-the-future\/handbook\/organization-pledge-guide\/benefits\/\" data-type=\"handbook\" data-id=\"49939\">Organization Benefits<\/a> page.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3: The Conversation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Once your proposal is ready, you can directly approach your superiors with the same. You can either consider creating and presenting slides, submit a document outlining your ideas, or even directly chat with your superiors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Start with Your Superior:<\/strong> Initiate the conversation with your reporting manager or lead. If applicable, loop in HR or training personnel at this stage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Focus on Value:<\/strong> Frame your proposal in terms of value for you and the organization. Make sure you include all the key points listed above in the proposal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Be Prepared to Answer Questions:<\/strong> Anticipate questions about the time commitment, specific tasks you&#8217;ll be doing, and the tangible benefits to the company. The more you prepare, the better your chance of your organization supporting your contributions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Some Conversation Tips<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If your company offers weekly or monthly 1:1 meetings with team leaders or superiors, use them to share your Five for the Future pitch and gauge the organization\u2019s interest. For example, while you may aim to join a technical team, the company might encourage you to develop your communication skills.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reference your company&#8217;s cultural pillars, such as feedback and ownership, and explain how your contributions align with these values.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 4: Expanding Contribution Scope<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you get a sense that your organization is open to these ideas, you could consider expanding your pitch to expand the scope of Five for the Future beyond you. This need not be done at the initial pitch stage, you can start contributing individually first and approach your organization later, for starters. However, if you feel confident enough seeing the response from your superiors, you can suggest expanding the scope at this stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Include Others: If your company is receptive, suggest expanding the program to include colleagues interested in other WordPress teams.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Highlight Variety: Emphasize the diversity of WordPress teams, including development, design, translation, marketing, documentation, and more. This opens the opportunity to colleagues with various skill sets. You could also highlight increased benefits for the organization with a deeper involvement in WordPress.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Additional Tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Don&#8217;t Limit Yourself to Coding:<\/strong> WordPress teams offer roles for various skill sets, so even non-developers can contribute. The <a href=\"https:\/\/make.wordpress.org\/contribute\/\">contribution wizard<\/a> can be of help.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Research Your Company:<\/strong> If your company already has a training budget or a commitment to employee development, leverage that information in your proposal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Be Enthusiastic:<\/strong> Your passion for contributing to WordPress can be contagious and could result in a positive outcome.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example Proposal Outline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Introduction\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Context of WordPress and its significance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Overview of the Five for the Future initiative.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Benefits for the Company\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Skill development and training for employees.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enhanced corporate image and attractiveness to potential hires.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Specific skills and experiences you will gain.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Commitment Details\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hours dedicated to contribution.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Teams you plan to join and your learning objectives.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Company-wide Participation\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Encourage involvement from other teams.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Highlight diverse contribution opportunities (development, design, etc.).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Conclusion\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Summarize the mutual benefits.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Next steps for implementation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Need help?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Got questions? Need help on your Five for the Future pitch?<a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/five-for-the-future\/contact\/\"> Reach out to us<\/a>! We can support your pitch and offer you suggestions and ideas on how to proceed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This page was co-written by <a href=\"https:\/\/profiles.wordpress.org\/matteoenna\/\">Matteo Enna<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14176638,"featured_media":56921,"parent":49933,"menu_order":6,"template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-56919","handbook","type-handbook","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/five-for-the-future\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/handbook\/56919","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/five-for-the-future\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/handbook"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/five-for-the-future\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/handbook"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/five-for-the-future\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14176638"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/five-for-the-future\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/handbook\/56919\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70163,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/five-for-the-future\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/handbook\/56919\/revisions\/70163"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/five-for-the-future\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/handbook\/49933"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/five-for-the-future\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56921"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/five-for-the-future\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56919"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}