The shortage of qualified talent in tech is an industry-wide issue affecting all sectors. Due to that shortage, many companies will snap up any candidate who has the right skills and experience listed on their resume. Unfortunately, a suitable candidate isn’t just a list of bullet points on a resume. Let’s dig into some other traits you should look for in your IT candidates.
1. Adaptability
Given the pace of change in the tech field, adaptability is a core requirement for professional survival. Good tech employees must be able to adopt new hardware or abandon old software frameworks very fast. They need the mental flexibility to roll with it when their manager tells them they must learn a new programming language. Lacking that adaptability means a candidate will routinely fall behind their peers.
Takeaway: Ask candidates about times they adapted to rapid change in previous jobs.
2. Commitment to Learning
That rapid pace of change in tech also means good candidates don’t believe learning ends when they get the job. They need a firm commitment to continued learning inside the field. Ask candidates what field-related they’re currently learning about or plan to learn about in the near future. A good candidate should be able to answer that question with minimal hesitation.
3. Curiosity
Tech is a field where curiosity often resides at the core of a business. After all, how many startups begin with a question like, “Can we make this technology do X?” Curiosity has benefits beyond naked innovation. Curious employees make fewer bad decisions based on faulty assumptions. Companies that encourage a curious mindset suffer less from group conflict.
Takeaway: Curious employees make better employees.
4. Attitude
Call it attitude. Call it culture fit. The right candidate is one who can mesh with existing social order at your company without causing more than a few ripples. That means you must dig into how they perceive their work and your company’s mission. Have a candidate who has all the right tech skills, but who seems shaky on attitude? Consider a temp-to-hire position to test them out.
5. Team Player
Tech is a team sport. While employees may go off to an office or cubicle to pound out some code on their own, they’ll still have to integrate that code with other people’s work. Candidates without a team player spirit will often create a somewhat toxic environment.
Takeaway: You can always train a candidate for tech skills. You’ll struggle to train anyone to play well with others.
The tech talent shortage may have you sweating the prospect of filling those key IT positions but don’t let that concern overshadow good hiring practices. A good candidate needs traits beyond a list of tech skills to make a good employee.
Timpl Will Help You Find the Right Set of Candidates
Finding it a challenge to secure qualified tech candidates? Let Timpl connect you with the right set of candidates for your open positions.
