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When you’re trying to build a team of IT professionals, you want to choose the best. Your IT manager should have a number of traits to guarantee they’re capable of spearheading their team. Without an experienced, trained IT manager on your side, your company could suffer for it.
With information technology occupations expected to grow by 12% between 2018 and 2028, there are a lot of applicants to choose from.
How do you choose?
With this list of professional attributes, you can hire the best IT manager for your business. Start your search today with this list of professional traits to look for in your IT professionals.
1. A Love for Tech
First things first: find an IT professional who loves what they do. Employees are happy to work hard and dedicate themselves to a business if they love their work. IT professionals with a passion for technology will rub that passion off on the other people around them, too.
If you’re looking for the best professional attributes in an IT manager, make sure they love their field.
You’ll notice that excitement when they talk about their work. Then, their excitement will rub off on co-workers, customers, and everyone they engage with.
When people are excited about their work, they’re also likely to share that passion with others. Successful IT techs will share their skills and help their team. This, in turn, will build loyalty, strengthen their professional reputation, and benefit your business.
Someone who loves their job will also want to get better at it. This excitement and dedication will show in their quality of work. Passionate IT professionals are more likely to commit themselves to a task and take on even the most challenging assignments.
Choose someone who loves their job and they’ll show their dedication every day.
2. They Understand the Business
It can take 70% of a company’s IT budget just to keep up with business-critical systems. If you want to keep your business running efficiently, you need to choose IT professionals who understand your business.
We rely on technology a little more every day. Whether you’re running an app, developing software, or just need your computer to print, IT professionals understand the importance of their jobs. IT is becoming more and more aligned with the business it serves every day.
There are IT professionals in every industry, ranging from finance to food service and plenty in between. While it’s important for an IT professional to understand IT, they need to apply what they know to your company’s needs.
When searching for an IT manager, determine how much they know about your business and industry.
The better they understand what you do, the more likely they can anticipate what your business needs.
A strong IT professional will need to know their industry as well. If they really are passionate about their craft, they likely keep up-to-date with the latest technology trends. Ask them about the upcoming trends they’re most excited about.
If they understand your business and IT as an industry, the candidate will likely want to become more innovative on behalf of your business.
3. Know a Lot, Specialize in a Little
While it’s impossible for someone to know everything, finding IT professionals who know a lot is important. However, it’s sometimes more important to find an IT pro who has a specific specialty.
An IT professional who is the best in their field will have better success than a well-rounded pro with general knowledge.
For example, a data communications professional would focus on hardware and software that sends and receives data. A project manager, on the other hand, should have experience and skill leading projects and teams.
It’s still important for an IT pro to remain proficient in areas that relate to their day-to-day work. When hiring an IT manager, consider the responsibilities you’ll assign them. If they’ll need to do a lot of Java programming, find someone who has experience in that specialty.
You might need someone with experience with Macs over PCs, such as uninstalling apps. You can learn how to uninstall apps on a Mac OS here: http://setapp.com/how-to/how-to-uninstall-apps-on-macos.
If you’re looking for someone to solely work as a manager, find someone who already has experience leading.
4. They Love a Challenge
When exploring someone’s professional characteristics, make sure they love a good challenge.
Technology is complex and changes every day. That means your IT pro is likely to face unexpected challenges on a daily basis. They shouldn’t allow themselves to feel frazzled or frustrated.
Instead, look for IT professionals who can keep a level-head.
Rather than feel stressed in these situations, they should feel excited to face a new challenge. The possibilities are endless!
Knowing how to think on their feet and face these challenges will increase their skills, knowledge base, and problem-solving abilities.
It’s important to find someone who wants to keep learning. By keeping a level head, they can keep up with the IT industry’s rapid evolution by developing new skills every day.
A talented IT manager will know how to analyze a problem, identify the root of the issue, and focus on developing a resolution. Look for someone who enjoys puzzles, is a creative thinker, and eager to take on any task.
5. Flexibility
Computer issues pop up all the time—and often at the worst possible moment.
Your IT manager should feel prepared to handle these issues, even when they’re already busy. For some, that can mean working on holidays and weekends. For others, it means remaining available 24/7.
Search for an IT manager who is willing to remain flexible with their work schedule. While you might not request they work 24/7, 365 days out of the year, they should want to help their team as well as your customers. Look for someone who understands the importance of their job and can keep their doors open while balancing other tasks.
6. Communication Skills
Some IT professionals only speaking “techie.” However, it’s important to find someone who can communicate with like minds as well as your shareholders and customers. Otherwise, communication issues could impact productivity.
Look for someone who uses their listening skills to understand concerns and goals.
They can then use their critical-thinking skills to develop solutions for these problems.
They should have excellent verbal communication skills as well.
See if the candidate can explain complicated processes and potential solutions in laymen’s terms. Often, an IT pro will need to translate a complicated technical issue into simple terms for the end user’s sake.
The IT specialist should also have the ability to educate others. For that, they need to know how to communicate properly. This is especially important if the IT pro feels frustrated or stressed.
See how they communicate complicated processes before making your choice.
7. Detail-Oriented
Often enough, the biggest computer problems are a result of small, otherwise unremarkable errors. The best IT professionals know how to explore these issues with a keen eye. That attention to detail can ensure they find the problem and develop a smart, effective solution.
Spotting small errors or anomalies can feel like a tedious process. However, a professional who can spot these anomalies before an issue arises can save your business time and money.
When looking for an IT manager, make sure they pay attention to detail. They notice errors made by other IT professionals on the team before any projects are finalized. This can help prevent future issues down the road.
8. They’re Self-Motivated
As mentioned before, the IT industry changes constantly. The top IT professionals know to stay on top of the latest technology devices and software available on the market. Otherwise, they won’t know how to solve issues as a result of new hardware or software when they pop up.
Again, it’s important to find someone who has a passion for technology.
That passion will drive the IT pro. They’ll feel self-motivated and take initiative with every project. To remain at the top of their field, they’ll need to remain curious and learn continuously.
Hiring an IT expert based on these professional attributes will benefit your entire business.
Their curiosity and dedication to their specialty will help your company discover new opportunities. An IT expert who isn’t self-motivated, however, might slow you down. Their lack of curiosity could cause you to miss out on opportunities to expand your business.
9. Team Players
The number of IT professionals has increased tenfold since 1970. Instead of competing with one another the best professionals know how to work as a team.
Look for someone who knows and enjoys working with a team. A team player will look for ways to enhance their entire team, so they can work better together.
10. Ethical & Trustworthy
Lastly, look for ethics and trustworthiness. These professional attributes are essential. After all, you’re likely trusting the IT manager with sensitive information and data.
Anyone who abuses that trust doesn’t belong on your team.
Hire Only the Best: 10 Traits All IT Professionals Should Possess
Hire the best in the business to benefit your business. By looking for these 10 traits, you can find the best IT professionals to support your team. Then, you can work together to achieve long-term success.
Keep expanding your business. Explore our Business posts for more tips!
