The measures and means by which people work are constantly changing. As time has progressed, more jobs have become computer-based.
Few industries are immune from digitisation either. The scale of the change has been rapid across multiple sectors, and firms resisting the evolution of things risk slipping into obscurity.
While the changes are exciting, caution is also required. More technology means more threats, from viruses to cybercriminals influencing matters from afar. Quality IT experts are required to ensure all is well within your business.
What should you keep in mind when hiring these individuals? How might you secure the best talent? Keep reading after the jump for some ideas.
Discover the Right Crowd
IT specialists don’t materialise out of the blue. They have to be looked for quite diligently by yourself.
For example, tech-savvy individuals can often be found at conferences, which can be attended in-person or virtually. Careers fairs may also yield promising results. It may be worth attending such an event to see what talent you come across. You may also find inspiration about what IT innovations you wish your company to perform.
Sometimes, ‘the right crowd’ can be before you. You may have promising network contacts who can put you in touch with an exciting talent for your IT roles. There is always the option of promoting staff internally for key IT roles, too, in time. Needless to say, you have many options before you.
Know the Particulars
When writing a job description or advert, specificity is key. ‘Working in IT’ is quite a broad and generic term, so you’ll need to narrow down what you’re looking for when filling IT roles in your company.
Try to define the services you require from your ideal IT expert more accurately. You can learn more about IT roles here, which should give you a better idea of what you need. You might need a development team to design and integrate new technologies, support personnel to provide and update cybersecurity or have hardware technicians oversee management and data collection.
Some people hire an IT expert but then stretch them too thin in their responsibilities. Depending on the size of your need and the context of your activities, it may be better to assemble a team of experts that can hone their focus on one aspect of the firm’s IT infrastructure. Alternatively, a freelance specialist could fill IT roles if computer problems are few.
Ask the Right Questions
Once you have candidates for an interview, it’s important to pose the right questions. You also need to act fast, as IT roles are in permanent demand by many firms today.
Effective questions to ask could be:
- What working knowledge do you possess of programming languages? E.g. SQL, JavaScript.
- Have they implemented any procedures to improve network security? If so, which ones?
- Which troubleshooting problems have you overcome, and how did you diagnose the problem?
- How have you improved the IT infrastructure of your last workplace? How did you pitch the idea and convince decision-makers that it was necessary?
Try to give your candidates the floor when it comes to discussing their skills and experiences. They should be able to demonstrate their technical knowledge in detail and demonstrate suitable initiative.