Tips for Hiring IT Professionals

Technology is essential for most businesses to operate efficiently and stay competitive in their field, but any business that uses technology knows the pain of IT issues. When computers are down, systems are offline, data is missing, or an application stops working, your employees can't do their jobs, and your company is losing money by the minute. The right IT professional can keep systems up and running and solve problems quickly when they do occur. Assessing an IT professional’s skills during the hiring process can be difficult, however, especially for hiring managers who don’t have the technical expertise to understand every aspect of the position. While you want to employ someone who is knowledgeable about the latest technologies, you also need someone who is compatible with your company culture and who has the right experience to meet your hiring needs. How do you find the tech talent you’re looking for, and how do you know they have the skills to get the job done? By following these recruiting tips, you can find, interview, and hire skilled IT professionals, regardless of your company's size or industry.

Identify Your Needs

The first step in the it recruiting process is to identify exactly what you need from an IT professional. Start by taking a close look at your current systems and processes. Make a list of everything you rely on technology for, including mission-critical applications, data storage and backup, networks, security, email, websites, e-commerce, and so on. For each item, note any problems or pain points you experience. Do systems crash often? Is data security a concern? Are employees constantly complaining about the slow network speed?

Once you have a good understanding of your current situation, take a step back and look at where you want your business to be in the future. What new technologies or processes would you like to implement? How can technology help you achieve your business goals? For example, if you want to expand into new markets, you might need a better way to share data between locations or set up a secure e-commerce platform. Or, if you want to improve customer service, you might need a CRM system or a way to automate support tickets.

By taking the time to understand your current and future needs, you'll be able to identify the skillsets required of potential candidates.

Choose the Right Job Title

Before you post your job, you need to make sure you've chosen the right job title. The job title you use will determine who applies for the position, so it's important to choose one that accurately reflects the skills and experience you're looking for. For example, if you need someone with basic IT skills to handle help desk tickets, you might use the job title "IT Support Specialist." But, if you're looking for someone to manage your network and keep systems up and running, you might be looking for a "Systems Administrator" or a "Network Engineer." Using the right job title is crucial for attracting job candidates with the specific skills and experience you need.

Identifying the right job title can be confusing, especially if you're not familiar with the IT industry. If you're not sure what title to advertise, take the time to research potential job titles and their responsibilities. Consult with an IT recruiter or an IT professional and look for job postings that are similar to the position you're trying to fill. This will give you a good idea of the minimum requirements for the position as well as any preferred or desired skills. Once you know what you're looking for, familiarize yourself with the day-to-day responsibilities, required skills and experience, and the types of software, languages, and equipment used in the role. This will give you at least a basic understanding of the position and job requirements so you can effectively interview candidates, even if the job is outside your area of expertise.

If you are already familiar with the job description, you will still want to research similar job descriptions and job postings to identify relevant keywords and understand the competitive market salary range.

Determine Salary Range, Benefits, and Budget with Hiring Managers

Once you've done your research, you should have a realistic understanding of the market value of the position you're trying to fill. Research the typical salary range to determine a competitive rate. Determine what you can afford to pay and how much experience you want candidates to have, since more entry-level candidates may accept a lower salary than experienced professionals. Keep in mind that, in addition to salary, you may need to offer other incentives to appeal to the best candidates, such as a bonus, a strong benefits package, or perks such as hybrid or remote work options. If your budget is limited, these incentives can be key to attracting top talent who prioritize benefits like a supportive company culture, opportunities for growth, or a good work-life balance over salary. IT professionals are in high demand, so be prepared to negotiate with tech professionals who may be offered higher salaries by your competitors.

If you are hiring a new position or just starting your IT department, remember to factor in an IT budget. The new employee may need to purchase equipment, update existing systems, buy new software, or order other supplies to get your IT systems up-to-date and running efficiently. If you want them to be effective, you'll need to give them the budget to do their job.

Write a Compelling Job Description

Now that you've determined the scope of the position as well as the specific skills and qualifications you're looking for, it's time to write a job description. The job market for IT professionals is competitive, and you want your job posting to attract the best talent possible. Of course, you will need to include a brief overview of your company and explain the job details, responsibilities, and desired qualifications. Additionally, pay attention to the following:

• Be concise and straightforward

• Use headings and bullet points to make it easy to read

• Include keywords that are relevant to your position

• Sell the position by highlighting perks such as a great work culture, flexibility, work-life balance, remote work options, benefits, etc.

If you need inspiration, browse through job descriptions for similar positions on Indeed, LinkedIn, or other job boards, or work with an IT recruiter to create an optimized job posting that can attract the best talent.

Partner with an IT Recruiter

If you want to find the very best IT talent, partnering with an IT recruiter is the way to go. A good IT recruiter will have their finger on the pulse of the latest industry trends and can provide expert hiring advice and guidance. They know where to find top talent and have the technical knowledge and expertise to screen tech candidates and find the best match for your open position. In addition, they can provide insights into the job market and salary trends, so you can make sure you are offering a competitive salary and the benefits or perks that top candidates are looking for.

If you don't have the time, resources, or expertise to conduct a comprehensive search on your own, working with an IT recruiter is the best way to help you find the right person for the job. Partnering with a recruiter is both cost-effective and efficient, and they will take care of all the heavy lifting so you can save time and focus on your business.

Go Beyond the Job Board

When you're searching for IT talent, don't just rely on job boards. Indeed, LinkedIn, and other popular job sites can be useful resources, but they all have their drawbacks and will not always help you find the ideal candidate. Because recruiters have the expertise necessary to make the most of job boards and the networks needed to quickly connect with talented candidates who aren't actively looking for work, you can delegate the process of sourcing candidates to them and focus on other aspects of your business. If, on the other hand, you would rather find candidates yourself, don't assume that the job board will do all of the work for you. While job boards can potentially get you many applicants, if you want to find the best candidates, your recruitment strategy will need to include multiple components.

In addition to advertising your job on local, national, and IT job boards, ask your current and former employees for referrals. Your current employees are already familiar with your business and know what skill set is needed for an open role on their team. You can also reach out to your professional network and ask for recommendations or introductions to IT professionals who are open to new opportunities or know someone who is. And don’t forget to leverage your company's social media pages to post your job and connect with tech professionals.

Participating in job fairs is another great way to connect with local job seekers and even conduct on-the-spot interviews. Or if you need to fill a large number of roles at once, host your own career fair or open house. If you are willing to consider an entry-level candidate, you can also post your job on a college job board or sign up for a booth at a college career fair. Unfortunately, great candidates don't all gather in one place, so you'll need to put in some extra effort if you want to find quality tech talent.

Ask Effective Questions During the Interview Process

Once you have qualified candidates applying for the position, you'll need to assess their skills and experience through the interview process. In addition to the typical interview questions, ask questions that will give you insight into potential employees' technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and work style, as well as what certifications they have and what languages, software, tools, and equipment they are familiar with. If you are an HR manager who is less familiar with the role, make sure you understand the specific applications, tools, and skills that will be required so you can ask the right questions. Some potential questions may include:

• What experience do you have with _____?

• How would you go about _____?

• Can you give me an example of a time when you had to _____?

• What troubleshooting methods do you typically use when _____?

• What is your experience with managing ______?

• How familiar are you with our company's _____?

• What certifications do you hold?

• What is your process for troubleshooting IT issues?

• What programming languages have you used?

• What do you do to maintain your knowledge of new technologies and industry trends?

• What technical blogs, websites, or periodicals do you read?

• What was one of the most challenging IT projects you worked on, and what did you learn from it?

Use Skills Tests to Identify Tech Talent

Even if you know all the right questions to ask, it can be difficult to accurately assess a candidate's skill level if you're not familiar with the technical aspects of the role. Candidate resumes may overstate or misrepresent skills and experience, and some job seekers know the right things to say, but don't have the technical expertise to back up their claims. Consulting with an IT recruiter or having an IT professional participate in the interview is one way to avoid hiring someone who can use the right jargon, but lacks the skills to be successful. Additionally, going beyond the traditional interview format and incorporating skills tests or other interview methods into your assessment process can give you a more complete picture of the candidate's qualifications.

Look for Skills Beyond Technical Expertise

Of course, technical skills are important, but they aren't the only skills that make a great IT professional. It's also important to identify the soft skills that will make a candidate successful. When considering candidates, also look for qualities like attention to detail, analytical thinking, problem-solving skills, excellent communication, and the ability to work independently or as part of a team. While some of these skills can be difficult to assess in an interview, you can gain some insight by asking questions about the candidate's past experiences and projects.

For example, asking them to explain a complex technical topic in simple language will help you assess their communication skills in addition to their understanding of the topic. Since the ability to explain technical concepts to nontechnical support , train users, or help customers troubleshoot IT issues is often part of tech professionals' jobs, strong communication and interpersonal skills are invaluable.

Other important soft skills include effective time management skills and the ability to work well under pressure. Ask questions to assess whether the candidate is proactive and self-motivated, as well as how passionate they are about their career. The IT industry is continuously changing, so it's also important to identify candidates who are lifelong learners and who have a genuine interest in keeping up with new tech companies. You can assess this by asking about the candidate's continued education, certifications, relevant hobbies, or professional development courses they've taken outside of work.

Make a Strong Job Offer

The IT field is very competitive, so don't drag your feet when making hiring decisions. Once you've found a good candidate and done reference checks, it's critical to create a compelling offer. Research or talk to an IT recruiter about competitive salary ranges for your area, factoring in the skills and experience the candidate has to offer. Employee benefits and perks like good health insurance, an excellent work culture, additional PTO, a retirement savings plan, flexible working hours, and remote work options are more important to some professionals than salary, so be sure to include these in your negotiations, particularly if you are not able to offer a higher salary than your competitors. 

Support Your New Employees

Onboarding new employees is critical to their success, regardless of their industry. For IT professionals, it's especially important to provide adequate training and support so they can hit the ground running and be successful in their roles. New hires should feel like they have the resources they need to do their jobs well and feel confident in their abilities from day one. Make sure they have all of the equipment they need and access to all necessary databases, systems, and networks. If their role is new to your company or you have hired them to establish your IT department, be open-minded about any changes they want to make or any new equipment, software, licenses, or services they recommend. After all, they are the experts, so trust them to make changes that will help your company function more smoothly and efficiently.

Hiring IT professionals doesn't have to be stressful, even if your hiring managers are not familiar with the IT field. By taking the time to identify the skills and qualities that are the most important for success in your company, writing a clear job description, working with an IT recruiter, and asking targeted interview questions, you can locate candidates with the right mix of technical expertise and soft skills to help your business thrive. And when you find the perfect candidate, don't wait to make a strong job offer— the IT industry is competitive, so you'll need to put your best foot forward to land top talent. Finally, once you've hired your new IT employees, give them the support they need to succeed by providing adequate training and resources. By following these tips, you can confidently hire the IT professionals your business needs to stay ahead of the curve.

Article Author:

Ashley Meyer

Divisional Business Coordinator

Albany, NY