Written by Robbie Nolan, Senior ICT Recruitment Consultant
Hiring IT or Digital professionals? Hire for passion, potential and personality.
Passion I believe the best indicator of future performance is passion. People who are passionate about what they do go the extra mile in a number of ways. Take troubleshooting for example. I consistently come across examples of programmers who stay up late at night or spend time on weekends trying to solve a work related problem and then bringing a solution to the table born out of their own efforts, out of their own time. What about training & development?
Passionate people tend to be life learners and tech professionals are especially proficient in this area.
They know how to stay informed, abreast of the latest technologies shaping their industries and manage to stay ahead of the curve. They are hungry to learn and eager to showcase their new skills. Passionate people inspire others and galvanise teams. What I mean by this is how often do you see people trying out new sports or activities because of the infectious enthusiasm of someone they respect? When you hire passionate people they inspire others to believe in what they are doing and bring team members together to work towards mutual goals.
Potential If you hire someone to perform a role they can already perform what’s in it for them to stick around? Think about it; if there’s nothing for them to learn they will get bored. If there’s nothing to prove will they really push themselves? If an opportunity to learn and develop elsewhere presents itself they might leave. I’m aware of countless instances where Tech and Digital professionals have even taken a drop in salary to secure a role where there is more to learnt, be it a new industry, technologies, tools / skills etc. If you hire someone who can do 70-80% of the role they’ll have plenty of learning and proving themselves to do. Top performers need challenges so give it to them! Please bear this in mind when you are headhunting especially; it’s a big motivator for talented professionals to leave your competitors and come work for you.
Personality Mark Zuckerberg has said “I will only hire someone to work directly for me if I would work for that person. I think this rule has served me pretty well.” This sums up my point on this perfectly… if you don’t see something in someone which you can relate to, if you don’t believe in their journey and their poten tial and if you are not impressed or inspired by them in some way then DON’T HIRE THEM! Further to all of the above, look for a blend of strength, confidence, humour and humility. One of the questions worth asking in your mind of potential candidates is would I be happy to socialise with them outside of the work environment? Bear in mind what others who might report into them at some stage will see in them. Can they inspire others and what will they be like to spend a lot of time with?
To discuss the above or your IT & Digital recruitment needs, comment below or call the dedicated IT and Digital Recruitment professionals at Beacham Group in Perth, Western Australia on (08) 61435008.
