How to Hire Technical Roles

As your organization expands, it will become necessary to hire staff to complete complex techincal tasks in a timely manner. This guide gives you the tools you need to determine the types of skill sets you need, and how to hire the most qualified candidate.

What is it?

One of your first steps in determining you need technical help, is having a firm handle on what the role requires. This will help you to find candidates with the right skills.

When is it needed?‌‌

How soon would you like to have this person onboarded? Is it for a specific project or a full time, ongoing role?‌‌

Who should use it?‌‌

Managers when creating and posting technical job descriptions.‌‌

Recommendations‌‌

Database Skills‌‌

• Familiar with SQL. Accustomed to writing queries to extract and transform data, perform aggregations, join multiple tables, prepare data for reporting and analysis. (Mention preferred SQL flavors, e.g., Redshift, Oracle, Postgres, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL)‌‌
• Advanced querying skills: Familiar with common table expressions, window functions, analytic functions. Experience optimizing queries that are underperforming. Familiar with database maintenance tasks, such as creating new tables.‌‌
• Expert querying skills: Proven ability to optimize complex queries, adding keys or modifying tables as necessary. Comfortable with common database maintenance tasks such as creating new tables, writing efficient transform and load jobs. Familiar with data warehousing principles, star and snowflake designs, etc.‌‌
• Data engineer: Experience setting up and configuring databases, choosing and maintaining appropriate schema designs.‌‌Knowledge of data warehouse technical architecture, infrastructure components, ETL and reporting/analytic tools and environments‌‌

Data Analyst‌‌

• Experience in developing requirements and formulating business metrics for reporting, familiarity with data visualization tools, e.g. Tableau‌‌
• Ability to display complex quantitative data in a simple, intuitive format and to present findings in a clear and concise manner‌‌
• Knowledge of data mining and processing using SQL and at least one of SAS/R/Python‌‌
• Develop analytical tools: deep-dive tools, UIs, metrics, and dashboards‌‌
• Design and develop highly available dashboards and metrics using SQL and Tableau.‌‌
• Proven analytical and quantitative skills and an ability to use hard data and metrics to back up assumptions, develop business cases, and complete root cause/ analyses‌‌Experience in data visualization platforms (e.g., Tableau, PowerBI, Qlikview, Quicksight)‌‌
• Proven track record of successful communication of analytical outcomes through written communication, including an ability to effectively communicate with both business and technical teams‌‌
• Expertise in Excel, experience writing complex formulas, using pivot tables, preparing charts, formatting to make data presentable‌‌

General Skills‌‌

• Excellent organizational skills including prioritizing, scheduling, time management, and meeting deadlines‌‌
• Superior verbal and written communications skills are a must, as well as the ability to work effectively with multiple teams and external organizations‌‌