{"id":999881374,"date":"2013-09-01T16:56:00","date_gmt":"2013-09-01T16:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dice.npgdev.com\/?p=999880418"},"modified":"2013-09-01T16:56:00","modified_gmt":"2013-09-01T16:56:00","slug":"tech-hiring-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dice.npgdev.com\/hiring\/recruitment\/tech-hiring-guide","title":{"rendered":"Tech Hiring Guide: 4 Steps to ‘Speak Geek’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recruiting for technical roles can feel like being in a strange place and not speaking the language; the acronyms and jargon can make it challenging to navigate a candidate\u2019s qualifications beyond matching buzzwords on their resume to a job description. This Technical Hiring Guide explains different tech roles and how they relate to one another in plain English. Before we get into specifics, let\u2019s take a top-down approach to the roles. Download a printable PDF of this article<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

Step 1: Understand Technical Departments<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

First, it helps to understand the departments within a company, as different divisions have different goals and responsibilities. Most technical hires fall into one of two camps: Building Software or Operations and Support. Building Software<\/strong> encompasses all the roles related to creating software. “Software” could mean desktop applications, mobile apps, websites, and other tools. Basically, the output or result from “writing code.” Operations and Support<\/strong> represents the logistics needed to keep things running. “Things” could be software, hardware, or processes in a business or organization. A great example is IT or tech support teams \u2013 their primary job is to keep things running smoothly, rather than writing code or building software. One big difference between these two categories is that Building Software often (though not always) generates products, features, or revenue, while Operations and Support is generally a cost center to a business. Both groups are essential, so it is important to know how their different goals fit into the overall organization.<\/p>\n\n

Step 2: Know the Team Tools<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Once you understand the technical areas of the business, the next step is to gain a deeper understanding of the team and the open position. Get a solid handle on the technologies in use and the desired skillset of any new hire. Since job descriptions don\u2019t always paint the whole picture, dig deeper into what the hiring manager is actually looking for in a new hire by asking key questions:<\/p>\n\n

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  1. What is their technology stack?<\/li>\n
  2. What skills are their team missing?<\/li>\n
  3. What technologies or tools will this new hire use on the job?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n