What Traits Should You Look for In an IT Candidate?

If you don’t know much about information technology skills and you’re trying to hire an IT candidate for your company, you may feel overwhelmed. How can you choose the appropriate person if you don’t share their technical skills? The good news is that the best IT workers have some common traits that makes it easier for them to get their jobs done, and these are easy to look for in a resume or an interview. Here’s what to keep an eye out for:

The ability to excel at interpersonal communication.

There’s a stereotype about information technology workers being awkward when it comes to social situations. Given the amount of communicating the average IT worker has to do in a day, not only is the stereotype not true, but you should stay away from anyone who seems happy to feed into it. Information technology jobs require interacting with users, which means translating technical speak into everyday language. It also means being able to communicate ideas to colleagues so that they can be implemented in the field. Make sure the person you pick can communicate effectively across a variety of media.

The ability to take what’s thrown at them.

IT is unpredictable, not just in the sense that it’s hard to imagine what the field will look like in the future, but also in terms of day-to-day work. If your technology fails, there’s not always a clear cut answer on how to fix it. It may take experimenting or creative thinking to fix it, even during a high pressure situation where every second counts. You need an IT worker who can take a deep breath, focus on the task at hand, ignore all the myriad distractions, and get it done.

The ability to work independently.

Much of information technology work can be a solitary pursuit. While programs are written in teams, it’s more of a collaborative effort from many people working on their own. Troubleshooting works best when one person can fixate on the problem, and ideas for projects may be hashed out by a group, but the spark often comes from one person’s idea. Someone who has a history of working on individual projects or someone who has a history of leadership within the industry is someone who will do great in IT.

Still need help narrowing down your information technology candidates? Or maybe you don’t have enough? At Contemporary Staffing Solutions, our IT specialists will help you find a top IT candidate in Florida, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, or beyond. Get in touch with us today so that we can find you the perfect new employee.