{"id":358,"date":"2017-04-27T12:55:26","date_gmt":"2017-04-27T17:55:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onlc.com\/blog\/?p=358"},"modified":"2022-07-06T15:39:34","modified_gmt":"2022-07-06T20:39:34","slug":"hiring-person-look","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onlc.com\/blog\/hiring-person-look\/","title":{"rendered":"Hiring an IT Person – What to Look For"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hiring an IT professional can be a daunting task. If you\u2019re not an IT specialist, it may hard to gauge the level of experience of an individual based on their r\u00e9sum\u00e9 alone. Let\u2019s discuss some strategies for hiring an IT person or a technical resource and some red flags to look for that will help ensure you hire the right candidate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Be Specific<\/span><\/h2>\n

Ambiguity can cause you more frustration than necessary. Before you ever post your job advertisement, it\u2019s key to know exactly what type of person you are looking for. Are you a startup company looking for a general IT person to handle all aspects of your network and hardware? Do you need a highly skilled network specialist with <\/span>skills in security<\/span><\/a>? Are you looking for a software developer who is fluent in a specific programming language such as VB.NET, C# or <\/span>Java<\/span><\/a>? <\/span><\/p>\n

Be specific about what you are looking for in the beginning so that you can narrow down the field of prospective employees. Also, try to define a list of specific skills that you want a potential applicant to possess.<\/p>\n

Find the Right Fit<\/span><\/h2>\n

Say you\u2019re a small software company and you need software developers. Going out and hiring three of the best computer science majors that you can find may or may not work out for you. You have to look for the right credentials, but you also have to try to judge if the applicant will fit into your company\u2019s culture. <\/span><\/p>\n

You might hire a programming genius, but if they are unwilling to collaborate or are extremely toxic to the work environment, then they aren\u2019t worth your time and money. It is important to evaluate the candidate as a person as well as by their credentials. Also, don\u2019t skip the background and reference checks. These are crucial elements to discovering more information about a candidate’s work history, character and successes\/failures.<\/p>\n

Experience<\/span><\/h2>\n

In the IT industry, experience is invaluable. You obviously want the applicant to have good credentials. However, if they can talk about their previous projects intelligently and answer specific questions about them, that is a good barometer of their level of experience. <\/span>Certifications<\/span><\/a> and awards are also things to look for on any prospective candidate\u2019s r\u00e9sum\u00e9. <\/span><\/p>\n

Consider this scenario. You\u2019re looking for someone to lead a team of IT professionals. You interview someone fresh out of college that has five different certifications and three prestigious scholar awards but doesn\u2019t have any previous project or team leading experience. This person might not be the right fit for this position based solely on the merit of their achievements. They could still be a valuable team member, but maybe not a leader just yet. At least not until they get some real-world experience.<\/p>\n

Red Flags<\/span><\/h2>\n

During the interview process, be cognizant of some red flags that might let you know this is not the person you are looking for.<\/span><\/p>\n