Few companies manage to keep up with technology’s seemingly breakneck pace. One way to ensure your business will learn and adapt to new technologies? Build an exceptional IT team.
IT employees are tasked with helping their organizations align with technological shifts, embrace automation, and take proactive steps to drive digital transformation. Many IT personnel also serve as data stewards for their companies. As business data is increasingly kept and managed in computer systems, the IT department is often best positioned to supervise the organization’s data, how it’s being used and how it relates to external processes.
In this article, we’ll look at the steps involved in building a proficient IT team. Regardless of your company’s size, both hands-on and technical expertise is important for your firm’s growth. Here are three ways you can hire for IT roles and attributes.
1. Advocate for IT in your business
Before you start recruiting technical staff, make sure there’s someone in your business with credibility and knowledge of the field. This is important because most IT experts want to work alongside other technologists. They want to collaborate as well as improve their skills and share ideas. While you don’t need a Chief Technologist with a double PhD, hiring a CFO from a technology company or a COO with significant experience can work well in your favor.
2. Invest in the right tools
You’re unlikely to attract high-quality talent if you don’t have the latest equipment in place. Most top specialists want access to the best and newest systems and tools available. Additionally, expect to regularly replace and update frameworks and systems as better tools are introduced and adopted by businesses. Allocate a reasonable amount of budget and time to assessing and upgrading your existing technological systems as you go. Efforts like these pay in the long run and serve as a real motivation for potential employees (not to mention, they provide you with a competitive edge of being a tech-first/tech-focused business).
3. Hire for relevant roles
From complicated software integrations to remote technical support, IT drives your company forward. But how do you know which roles are integral to your IT team? To stay competitive and ensure that technology is being woven into your organization, consider hiring for these roles.
- Chief Technology Officer
This is a C-suite position where the person in charge is responsible for creating, implementing and managing an organization’s technological infrastructure. CTOs also communicate the technology strategy to investors and partners, maintain information on compliance regulations, and identify potential areas of improvement. In software-focused companies, the CTO may also assist employees in delivering IT products to market.
- Director of IT Operations
The person working in this position develops and implements information technology procedures that enable risk-management proficiencies. The leadership position may also involve the exploration of new software and tools as appropriate. The Director of IT Operations helps establish security infrastructure and ensures that data and company information are protected and in compliance with the storage and security regulations of the company.
- DevOps Director
A DevOps Director (development and operations) oversees the build, design and management of highly scalable and secure software for the company and works to eliminate the presence of inefficiencies and bottlenecks in the IT department as a whole. Other responsibilities of the DevOps Director include endorsing, documenting, and implementing scalable architecture best practices. The IT leadership position may also require the person to develop tools that utilize productivity amplifiers such as schema repositories and code generators.
- Software Manager
These individuals liaise with managers or marketing personnel to determine the demand for new software. They then manage and coordinate the processes, resources and people required to upgrade existing software or build new products. Depending on the size of the company, a software manager may also take a hands-on role in the development process. However, the main tasks of a software manager revolve around project management, where they coordinate the tasks of other software developers.
- Cloud Engineer
Cloud Engineers manage all the technical responsibilities pertaining to cloud computing. They also know and implement secure processes for deploying software on the cloud. Other obligations of a cloud engineer include deploying cost-control strategies, monitoring and auditing systems, and creating blueprints of application design. Simply put, Cloud Engineers are responsible for everything and anything related to the cloud.
- Systems Engineer
Systems Engineers play an essential role in defining a stakeholder’s or customer’s needs in the initial phases of the software development cycle. They take a disciplined approach to realization, design, and technical management. You can also find Systems Engineers helping to test and give feedback on software design along the way for the best results.
- Network Engineer
This is a “Systems” role where the person in the position is responsible for creating and maintaining the operation of computer networks. Organizations rely on these networks for day- to-day communications and transfer of data. Typical networks include LAN (local area network), extranet, intranet, and WAN (wide area network).
- IT Help Desk Technician
The individual working in this role offers technical assistance or support related to computer software, hardware and systems. Support may be offered remotely, in person, or over the phone. A Help Desk Technician plays an essential role in maintaining the reputation of their company and troubleshooting issues before customers take them to social networks.
How PrincePerelson Can Help
PrincePerelson specializes in hiring talented individuals with the right qualifications for these and other technical roles. Our IT talent strategy team can sort through even the most specific needs to identify and evaluate prospective candidates on a granular level.
With a team of IT recruiters who average 20+ years in the industry and cultivate a highly talented and capable candidate pool, we can help you stay competitive in a cutthroat business landscape. Contact us today to learn more about our IT professional placement services.