Technology helps every organization move forward and reach more customers. Companies try to accomplish several goals at once: create online services that attract customers and automate or optimize routines for in-house teams. Thus, the question of hiring tech professionals with the right technical skills has become pertinent for many businesses.
Tech professionals, however, deal with far more than just in-house computer maintenance; they have a much deeper sphere of expertise these days. A tech development team must find the right tech solutions from scratch, produce a minimal viable product, and also be able to improve it over time, with the goal of creating the best possible experience within the shortest possible time.
Why You Need Tech Professionals
Tech professionals assist in making your business stand out, so hiring tech professionals is a rewarding investment. Since so many services have been moved online, it’s often just a question of time as to when a startup will bump into the need of hiring tech professionals to develop a website, engineer a shipping system, or bring their warehouse to a new level. Online presence is a modern-day business requirement, and the range of remote features, along with the service level to match, is necessary to boost client databases.
There is no reason to expand your in-house team every time you need a tech solution, however. You can always consider hiring a remote team or a contract specialist with advanced knowledge of the necessary tools and methods you need, even if business old-timers usually judge the hybrid model.
Once you decide to introduce an internal software solution, the next step is to find tech professionals who can design it and bring it to life. The key is to find a skilled team to integrate technology into your business.
- They maintain equipment and manage hardware and software. They keep track of networks, operating systems, and security systems. They set up workstations and ensure employees have no issues with various tech tools that stop them from doing their job. They assist with bringing onboard new people in terms of software.
- They seek out and develop strategies for efficient workflows.
- They install and upgrade software and give employees access to prepaid software tools.
- They teach coworkers how to use company tools.
- They communicate with other teams and the client to define the scope of work for technical projects.
- They develop custom tech solutions by creating new software.
The list of responsibilities for tech professionals is far longer in reality than the list above, and it is flexible depending on the business’s needs and requests. It’s worth noting that no single person can handle all the tasks. It’s always better to hire a few professionals who can meticulously do the work in their niche.
Types of Tech Specialists
Tech is a broad concept with several branches. A rapidly growing industry requires specialists to have in-depth knowledge to perform well, which makes it impossible to find a “unicorn” hire; no one person will be able to do it all. Here are some of the most common types of tech professions:
- Cyber security. This role aims to ensure all data is secure by deploying the necessary tools, policies, etc.
- Tech support. This position helps employees solve issues with hardware and software. It’s a help desk for employees who struggle to find solutions themselves.
- Network engineer. This person sets up and maintains the networks a company needs to communicate. Other responsibilities of network engineers include making reserve copies of the files for emergency backup.
- Programmers. People in this job develop software (aka computer programs) from scratch to solve particular business problems. The software they develop may include database systems, games, special tools, etc.
- Web developer. These are tech professionals who build websites and web apps. They help create an outstanding online user experience.
- System analyst. People in this role understand how the tech environment works, the tools a company might use, and how to configure them.
The responsibilities of each role above are flexible, of course, and every job requires specific training and education, which makes for plenty of variations for each position. So, ensure your job description isn’t too blurred on the final job advert you’ve posted online.
Where to Find Tech Specialists
Tech specialists of different levels of expertise can be found on the web. They do not send resumes in the mail! To begin with, consider searching places like:
- Job boards (LinkedIn Jobs, Glassdoor, Indeed, Monster, Dice, etc.)
- Freelance platforms (Upwork, Freelancer, etc.)
You can also take a more direct role in finding tech specialists by:
- Creating a “Careers” page on your company website where candidates can leave their resumes
- Posting job opportunities on your company’s social media accounts
- Using the services of a tech recruitment company
In addition, it’s a good idea to consider starting with the following strategies as you begin to hire tech professionals:
- Internal search. Alert your coworkers about any open job opportunities. There may be someone inside the walls of your company who can jump into a new role or was just about to ask for a promotion.
- Networking. Feel free to ask around in your industry—you never know when the particular professional you need is working for your competitor but could be persuaded to make the switch to your company. Your colleagues might also know someone who will fit the open role well, so never ignore team needs and ideas. Attend tech-related events since there are also lots of chances to learn about great candidates for hiring in a conversational manner.
- Do not limit the weekly number of interviews. Do your best to streamline the process. It will help you find the right people faster by meeting as many candidates as you could possibly hire.
- Hire a tech recruitment partner. Specialized agencies save tons of time by conducting effective screening and assessing candidates’ tech skills efficiently, helping businesses find suitable candidates sooner.
Required Skills to Look For in Candidates While Tech Recruiting
Every workplace is unique and requires a certain skill set for new hires to ensure they are a fit with the company. Before starting to hire tech specialists, then, one should determine the key skills and qualifications to be sought after in the hiring process.
What are the essential skills you should look for?
- Operating system proficiency. The professional you are searching for should be proficient in at least one operating system and be able to fix any issues that arise.
- Knowledge of networks. They need the ability to configure devices and connect them to the network within your company, and they need to be someone who gets issues resolved quickly.
- Cyber security. Keeping data safe is vital for any business. Any data leaks might bring financial damage to the company. Ensure the candidate is aware of safe environment principles.
- Problem-solving skills. A candidate should be good at solving technical issues with hardware and software. Troubleshooting skills are important because they lead to fewer issues in the long term.
- Cloud management. A potential hire should be aware of cloud management principles and be able to set up enterprise backup schedules if needed.
- Database management. If the business deals with large amounts of information, hiring a professional with database knowledge and experience will be of much help. They also need to know database programming languages like SQL.
- High level of attention to detail. This will help with spotting the right solutions in time in almost every tech-related position.
How to Hire a Tech Professional
When you have a number of promising candidates, it’s important to conduct a technical interview to ensure the candidates you are about to hire have the level of expertise needed to do the job. Don’t forget to keep all interviews the same to make the evaluation fair and clear enough to spot the best candidate.
The hiring stages in brief are:
- Screening
- Initial interview with a hiring manager
- Technical interview
- Evaluation
- Final interview with CEO/CTO
- Offer
If you feel overwhelmed spending time hiring new candidates, you can involve an external team of recruiters to shorten the journey. Hiring agencies are also a winning deal since they work to help businesses reach candidates with the right skill set. Recruiting service providers also hold extensive databases, which helps to hire faster.
Key Interview Questions to Ask
Once you decide to conduct the hiring process, you’ll want to cover some of the major points of interest. Interview questions aim to check the candidate’s eligibility and get to know them better within a limited time frame. Strong candidates speak confidently, answering technical questions with ease, while the weak ones will hesitate a lot.
Possible topics to discuss with tech professionals include their:
- Industry specialization and employment history
- Education, including certifications and any other accomplishments
- Knowledge of trends and approaches in specific fields
- Proficiency in operating systems, programming languages, and frameworks
The questions should be general enough to determine whether the candidate has knowledge of the necessary tools, but it shouldn’t feel like an interrogation. Finally, don’t hesitate to hire those who learn quickly and are eager to grow professionally, even if they don’t meet every last requirement in the job listing.
In Conclusion
When considering how to hire tech professionals efficiently, it’s important to follow these common guidelines. First, write down a set of requirements you would like to see in your new hire. Kick-start the search by sharing the opportunity internally. Usually, networking helps to reach the best candidates. Do not underestimate the option of outsourcing specialists; they can also be great performers who bring equal value to your business. Before making a final decision on a hire, ensure you’ve reviewed all the parameters and treated all the candidates equally. If you don’t like running the whole process with your in-house team or don’t have one, however, you can always delegate it to a third-party partner.
At Careerist, we specialize in recruiting top-tier tech professionals to meet your specific needs. Our team of recruitment experts handles the complete hiring cycle - from identifying potential candidates to facilitating their onboarding into your team. We take the stress out of hiring, allowing you to focus on your business's core objectives. If you're looking for tech specialists, look no further. Contact Careerist today, and let us find the perfect fit for your team.