Building (or re-building) an IT team can be daunting. Hiring the right people is key. I’ve learned that technical skills alone don’t make a great IT professional.
Don’t get me wrong – technical prowess is crucial. But in today’s rapidly evolving tech landscape, there are certain traits that separate the good from the great.
Here are the five critical traits I look for in every IT hire, regardless of the specific role or level of seniority, along with methods to assess these traits during the hiring process.
1. Adaptability
Remember when we all thought COBOL was going the way of the dodo? Fast forward to 2020, and suddenly COBOL programmers were in high demand to update legacy systems for unemployment claims during the pandemic. The tech world is nothing if not unpredictable.
That’s why adaptability is my number one trait. I need team members who can pivot quickly, learn new technologies on the fly, and not get stuck in the “but we’ve always done it this way” mentality. The most successful IT professionals I’ve worked with are those who embrace change and see it as an opportunity to grow, not a threat to their expertise.
I had one rockstar programmer who learned a new programming language and created a mobile app with it over the weekend. This was for a major automobile maker and we had an aggressive deadline. That is adaptability.
Assessing Adaptability
To evaluate a candidate’s adaptability, consider the following methods:
- Ask about a time when they had to learn a new technology or methodology quickly. Listen to their approach to learning and how they applied the new knowledge.
- Present a hypothetical scenario where a project’s requirements change midway. Ask how they would handle it. Did they get flustered?
- Inquire about their experience with different programming languages, platforms, or methodologies. A diverse background often indicates adaptability.
Sample questions:
- “Tell me about a time when you had to adapt to a significant change in your work environment or project. How did you handle it?”
- “If we decided to switch from our current tech stack to a completely different one, how would you approach learning the new technologies?”
- “Have you ever been in a situation where you had to abandon a solution you were invested in for a better alternative? How did you handle that transition?”
2. Problem-Solving Skills
IT is essentially about solving problems. Whether it’s debugging code, optimizing network performance, or figuring out why the CEO’s email isn’t syncing to their new smartphone, problem-solving is at the heart of what we do.
I look for people who approach problems methodically but creatively. They should be able to break down complex issues into manageable parts, think critically about potential solutions, and not be afraid to try unconventional approaches when the usual methods don’t work.
Assessing Problem-Solving Skills
To evaluate a candidate’s problem-solving skills:
- Use technical puzzles or coding challenges that require logical thinking and creativity.
- Ask about a complex problem they solved in the past, focusing on their thought process and approach.
- Present a real-world scenario from your organization and ask how they would tackle it.
Sample questions:
- “Can you walk me through the most challenging technical problem you’ve solved? What was your approach?”
- “If you were tasked with reducing our application’s loading time by 50%, what steps would you take to diagnose and address the issue?”
- “How do you approach debugging when dealing with a problem in an unfamiliar part of a codebase?”
3. Communication Skills
Gone are the days when IT professionals could hide in a server room and grunt monosyllabic responses to their colleagues. In today’s collaborative work environments (especially Agile environments), clear communication is key.
I need team members who can explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders, write clear documentation, and effectively collaborate with their peers. Some of the best IT professionals I’ve hired were those who could bridge the gap between IT and other departments, fostering better understanding and cooperation across the organization.
Assessing Communication Skills
To evaluate a candidate’s communication skills:
- Pay attention to how clearly they explain their past experiences and technical concepts throughout the interview.
- Ask them to explain a complex technical concept to you as if you were a non-technical stakeholder.
- Request a short written explanation of a technical process, simulating documentation writing.
Sample questions:
- “Can you explain [complex technical concept] to me as if I were a non-technical CEO?”
- “Tell me about a time when you had to communicate a technical issue to a non-technical team. How did you approach it?”
- “If you had to create a quick guide for new team members on our main application’s architecture, what would you include and how would you structure it?”
4. Continuous Learning Mindset
The half-life of IT skills is shorter than ever. What’s cutting-edge today might be obsolete tomorrow. That’s why I always look for candidates who demonstrate a passion for continuous learning.
I’m not just talking about keeping up with the latest programming languages or cloud technologies (although that’s important too). I mean a genuine curiosity about technology and its impact on business and society. The best hires are often those who have side projects, contribute to open-source communities, or attend tech meetups in their free time.
Assessing Continuous Learning Mindset
To evaluate a candidate’s commitment to continuous learning:
- Ask about their recent learning experiences or any new skills they’ve acquired.
- Inquire about their favorite resources for staying updated with industry trends.
- Discuss any side projects, open-source contributions, or tech community involvement.
Sample questions:
- “What’s the most interesting new technology or methodology you’ve learned about recently? How did you go about learning it?”
- “How do you stay updated with the latest trends and advancements in your field?”
- “Can you tell me about any side projects or open-source contributions you’re working on or have completed?”
5. Emotional Intelligence
Last but certainly not least, emotional intelligence is a trait that’s often overlooked in IT hiring but is crucial for long-term success. IT doesn’t operate in a vacuum – we interact with people from all parts of the organization, often in high-stress situations.
Emotional intelligence encompasses self-awareness, empathy, and social skills. It’s what allows an IT professional to remain calm when systems go down, to understand and address the underlying concerns of a frustrated user, and to work effectively in a team.
I once hired a programmer who wasn’t the most technically skilled candidate but had exceptional emotional intelligence. Within a year, she had become the go-to person for our most difficult clients and was leading our most complex projects, simply because she could navigate the human aspects of IT so well.
A person with poor emotional intelligence may often get angry or stressed easily. That behavior tends to “infect” the better employees and bring them down as well.
Assessing Emotional Intelligence
To evaluate a candidate’s emotional intelligence:
- Ask about challenging interpersonal situations they’ve faced and how they handled them.
- Present scenarios that require empathy and observe their reactions.
- Pay attention to how they interact with different interviewers throughout the process.
Sample questions:
- “Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult colleague or client. How did you handle the situation?”
- “How do you typically react when a project you’re leading faces unexpected setbacks?”
- “Can you describe a situation where you had to deliver bad news to a stakeholder? How did you approach it?”
Scoring Method
To systematically evaluate candidates based on these five traits, you can use a simple scoring system:
- For each trait, rate the candidate on a scale of 1-5: 1 – Poor 2 – Below Average 3 – Average 4 – Good 5 – Excellent
- Assign a weight to each trait based on its importance for the specific role:
- Adaptability: 20%
- Problem-Solving Skills: 25%
- Communication Skills: 20%
- Continuous Learning Mindset: 15%
- Emotional Intelligence: 20%
- Calculate the weighted score for each trait and sum them up for a total score out of 5.
For example: Adaptability: 4 * 0.20 = 0.80 Problem-Solving Skills: 5 * 0.25 = 1.25 Communication Skills: 3 * 0.20 = 0.60 Continuous Learning Mindset: 4 * 0.15 = 0.60 Emotional Intelligence: 4 * 0.20 = 0.80
Total Score: 0.80 + 1.25 + 0.60 + 0.60 + 0.80 = 4.05 out of 5
This scoring method provides a quantitative way to compare candidates, but remember that it should be used in conjunction with your overall impression and the specific needs of your team and organization.
Conclusion
Technical skills can be taught, but these traits – adaptability, problem-solving skills, communication skills, a continuous learning mindset, and emotional intelligence – are the foundation of a truly exceptional IT professional.
When hiring, I always look beyond the certifications and years of experience. I dig deep to understand how candidates have demonstrated these traits in their past roles or personal projects. It’s not always easy to assess these qualities in an interview, but the effort is worth it.
By using the assessment methods and scoring system outlined above, you can more objectively evaluate candidates based on these critical traits. This approach, combined with technical skill assessment, can help you build a more resilient, innovative, and harmonious IT department. And in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing tech landscape, that’s exactly what we need to drive our organizations forward.
Be sure to check out how I only hire Software Engineering rockstars.
Good luck!
