Today’s SSWUG.org newsletter contained a great few paragraphs regarding what you look for in a new hire. As a hiring manager at various levels over my career, I have often asked myself, in self-reflection, such questions.
I believe that beyond the specific technical skill sets you are looking, there are some other specific characteristics you want to find. In particular I look for a candidate that shows the following characteristics:
- Firm grasp of the role and what will define “success” in the role. (This is incumbent upon you to properly explain the role, the needs and the goals for the role.)
- A fervent desire to learn and an aptitude to do so effectively
- Demonstrated effort to connect with and network with industry peers. (It is tough for maintain critical thinking in a silo.)
- Ability and willingness to teach others what they know. (Sometimes this is the best way to ensure learning sticks!)
- Positive, vibrant “heart”. (Yup, I know this is hard to make tangible, but it is a real factor. This is also part of determining how the candidate would “fit” with the organization.)
- Unquestionable honesty. (Tell me what you really know and tell me what you really don’t know but can learn. Lie to me and you’re done!)
Below is the content on this topic from the SSWUG.org newsletter today.
As a hiring manager, there have been times when I have had two very qualified DBA’s sitting in front of me. Both of them are looking for a position on a team and both of them know their stuff. How do you make a decision between the two?
As a hiring manager I have hired Jr. DBA positions as well. How do you make a decision on a role like a Jr. DBA that is really defined as someone who is starting to learn about being a database administrator and not a seasoned professional?
I have been in both of the above situations more than once. It is a difficult decision to make when you step back and realize that, if the DBA stays with the company for at least one year, you are trying to make a decision that will last 2,000 hours just based on a couple interviews and a resume. The people that I end up with in the long run have given me every reason to hire them. They have participated in a local user group and they are members of professional organizations. People that go out of their way to become better professionals are worth their weight in gold.
I cannot help but to remember that people can learn a number of technical skills but they have a harder time learning the desire to better themselves or to put in the extra hours to make sure something is just right. Consider this as an example:
About 5 years ago I received an e-mail that was sent to me when I was the local user group president. The person who sent me the email wanted to know how to get their first time DBA job. I had lunch with her and another friend of mine and she talked about how she had paid to go to a conference and how she had been studying at the same time she was going to school.
She became a regular at the user group meetings and today she is starting what I believe to be her 5th year as a DBA. She really put forth the effort to make sure she was learning and doing everything she could to become a better DBA.
Unfortunately it seems that all too often, even these less technical criteria are so very difficult to find in candidates. In most of the SMB environments I have been a part of, you need depth and breadth of skills in a single individual. However, so often your IT folks break into the industry in a larger organization and get pigeon holed in a very specific skill, making it difficult to hire for us. Conversely, the more seasoned veterans with depth and breadth of skills can’t work for the salary many SMB’s and non-profits can pay. This dichotomy is were we continue to find ourselves today.
What do you look for? Tell us by posting a comment below.
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