Are you searching for the right IT person to fill a critical position at your organization? Although you might have some coding and development experience, more often the hiring process is managed by professionals with diverse skill sets that may not include the same technical skills desired in the person you’re looking for.
Perhaps you’ve identified growth area within your organization. Or, maybe you’re trying to fill a position left open after restructuring. Either way, we have some tips to help you start your search for the right tech professional to meet the high goals you have for your business.
To help, we’ve put together a basic technical support guide for anyone searching for new talent. Before you post a job opening and collect a pool of potential candidates, keep in mind the following steps to find the right person.
1) Know what your organization’s needs are. Decide if you’ll need an IT person with a highly specialized set of skills, or someone with more broad expertise. Are you looking for an entry-level candidate to grow with your organization and work with the team, or someone with years of experience to provide the know-how you need? If you’re not sure, consider investing in a fee-based consultation. The right tech expert can recommend solutions to any current challenges you’re facing and give you some ideas to develop a strategy to fill deficiencies.
2) Ask for samples and documentation of a candidate’s work. When you’ve determined what your needs are and have started searching for candidates, this is really the very best way to know the skill level and competency of a potential hire. Look at their portfolio, examples of projects completed for previous employers when possible, and outside projects completed on sites such as GitHub. Then make it a point to have your applicants explain how the project or system was built, the process involved and how it can be used.
3) Look for a person with good interpersonal skills. Experienced or not, any potential hire you make will need to be able to work well with your team. You need someone who can communicate clearly and effectively, and won’t mind answering tech questions for people in other departments. Good communication will be the bridge between their technical skills and your needs. A really talented coder or developer will be able to clearly explain what they’re doing and why.
4) Search for people with good problem solving skills – no matter their area of expertise. Creative problem solving should be second nature for good coders. But also find out how they’ll deal with unfamiliar systems, new coworkers and unforeseen problems from vendors or partners.
5) If you have absolutely no tech background, find someone to help you vet the candidate. As with everything having to do with your business, networking is critical. If you don’t have coding skills, you might not know the right questions to ask. Find someone that does. If necessary, you can approach friends or colleagues with tech skills. Ask for recommendations on the right questions to ask. If you don’t know anyone, consider turning to tech professionals for advice.
Bonus tip: Market Street Talent specializes in matching the right people with the best opportunities. Our talented staff is made up of IT professionals! We can help you find the right person for the position. We welcome you to get in touch with us by visiting at our website, and learn more about how we can help you during your search for the right candidate that will become a valued member of your team!