If you’re like most companies, you’ve probably been struggling to find qualified DevOps engineers. The demand for new services in the healthcare, financial, and manufacturing sectors has created a high demand for DevOps engineers, and the market is only going to get hotter. So how can you find the best talent?

What are DevOps Engineers

Before we dig into how we hire the best DevOps engineers, let’s start by defining what a DevOps engineer actually is. A DevOps engineer is responsible for automating workflows, creating better infrastructure, and increasing overall company performance.

They bridge the gap between development and operations teams and are essential to any company looking to adopt modern DevOps practices.

Why Hire a DevOps Engineer

If you’re looking to speed new applications to market or adopt modern DevOps practices, then you need a DevOps engineer on your team. They can help automate your workflows and build better infrastructure, which will save you time and money in the long run.

You hire a DevOps engineer to:

• Deploy software updates and fixes quickly and efficiently
• Integrate new applications into your existing infrastructure
• Ensure that critical systems are always available
• Monitor system performance and troubleshoot issues
• Optimize workflows for greater efficiency
• Develop scripts to automate visualization and reporting

DevOps Engineer Skills And Qualifications

Every organization has different needs, so you need to tailor your interview process to find the best DevOps engineer for your company. But there are some general skills and qualifications that all DevOps engineers should have:

– Soft Skills

DevOps engineers need to be able to work with other members of the team, so they should have strong communication and collaboration skills. They also need to be able to think on their feet and be proactive in finding solutions to problems.

Here are 5 essential soft skills every engineer should have:

1. Excellent problem solving and troubleshooting skills
2. Ability to communicate complex technical issues in a clear and concise way
3. Organization skill and the ability to work independently
4. Teamwork, the engineer is capable of collaborating effectively
5. Flexibility and Adaptability, ability to rapidly adapt to changes

– Technical Skills

In addition to the soft skills, DevOps engineers need to have strong technical skills. They should be able to work with code and scripts as well as understand how systems work from an architectural perspective.

Here are 15 essential technical skills every engineer should have:

1. Experience with Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) tools like Jenkins, Travis CI, and CircleCI
2. Knowledge of version control systems like Git or SVN (GitHub, GitLab)
3. Experience with scripting languages such as Bash, Python, PowerShell, or Perl
4. Familiarity with automation tools like Puppet, Chef, Salt, Octopus, and Ansible
5. Knowledge of cloud-based platforms such as AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure
6. Good understanding of networking concepts
7. Systems Administration Skills
8. Understanding of SDLC lifecycle
9. Experience in deploying and managing applications in the cloud
10. Knowledge of containerization technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes
11. Hands-on experience with operating systems such as Linux or Windows
12. Familiarity with big data platforms like Hadoop, Spark, Kafka, Storm, etc.
13. Familiarity with NoSQL databases such as MongoDB, Cassandra, and Elasticsearch
14. Good understanding of software security concepts
15. Whether it’s desktop, cloud-based, or mobile apps, DevOps engineers must have a solid understanding of front-end and back-end software development.

How To Hire DevOps Engineers

Assembling a team of DevOps engineers can be challenging, but not difficult. First, you need to identify what your organization needs in a DevOps engineer.

Do you need someone who is well-versed in scripting and automation? Or are you looking for an engineer with experience in cloud technologies?

Here are the steps to guide you through the hiring process:

Step 0 – Company Culture

One of the most important factors when hiring any employee, not just a DevOps engineer, is company culture. Do you prefer a candidate who is proactive and takes ownership of their work? Or do you want someone who follows directions well and works within predefined parameters? The best way to find out what type of culture your company has is by talking to current employees or reading reviews online.

Step 1 – Skill Requirements

The first step is to identify the skill requirements for the position. What languages does the engineer need to know? What automation tools are in use at your company? How comfortable is your team with scripting and coding? Once you have a good understanding of the skills required, you can start looking for candidates who fit that profile.

Step 2 – Skills Assessment

The first step in the hiring process is to assess the skills required for the role. What type of scripting languages does your company use? What coding languages are needed for the DevOps engineer’s day-to-day tasks? Do you require experience with a certain automation tool such as Puppet, Chef, or Ansible? If so, how comfortable is your team with scripting and coding? Once you have a good understanding of the skills required, you can start looking for candidates who fit that profile.

Step 3 – Job Description

Now that you know what you’re looking for, it’s time to write a job description. Make sure to list all of the required skills and give a good overview of the role. The job description is also a great place to highlight the company’s culture and how the engineer will be able to make an impact on the team.

Step 4 – Screening Questions

The screening questions are designed to help you assess whether or not a candidate has the skills required for the role. You can use coding challenges, whiteboarding exercises, or even a simple questionnaire. Remember, you’re looking for candidates who have both the technical skills and cultural fit for your company.

Step 5 – Interviews

Now it’s time for the interviews! Be prepared to ask questions that will help you understand how well a candidate knows their stuff. You’ll also want to get a sense of how they work and how they’ll fit into your team.

Step 6 – Reference Checks

Reference checks are essential for any role, but especially for a DevOps engineer. Make sure you speak to at least one current or former manager to get an idea of how the candidate performed in their previous roles. You can also ask about their cultural fit within the company.

Step 7 – Make The Offer

If all goes well, you should be ready to make an offer! Be prepared to discuss salary, benefits, and relocation (if necessary) with the candidate. Congratulations on finding your new DevOps engineer!

Where To Find DevOps Engineers

Recruiting managers must use every resource at their disposal to expand their networks, including going to meet-ups (offline or online), which may provide useful information about who’s in the market or who they should keep an eye out for down the road.

Host a Hackathon

Hackathons are a great way to assess how candidates think and how they might work with your team. They also demonstrate the candidate’s coding ability, collaboration skills, and creativity.

Post Job Ads on Relevant Job Board

Publish job advertisements on relevant job board sites (Dice, AuthenticJobs) or tech media publications that have job boards, such as TechCrunch, GeekWire, and the like.

Join Developer Forum/Community

Joining a developer forum or community is another way to find qualified candidates. In addition, these online communities are a great place to learn more about how DevOps is practiced and how it can benefit your company.

Attend Tech Events and Meetups

Attending tech events is a great way to not only find potential candidates but to assess their skills and see how they might fit in with your company culture. You can also use this opportunity to network with other professionals in the industry.

Recruiting Agency

Use recruiting firms that specialize in the placement of DevOps engineers

Recruiting firms that specialize in the placement of DevOps engineers have already done the hard work for you by vetting potential candidates and pre-screening them for technical ability, cultural fit, and more.

Personal Networks

If you don’t have time to conduct an exhaustive search for a DevOps engineer, ask your friends, colleagues, or other professionals if they know anyone who would be a good fit for the role. Someone you know may have just what you’re looking for.

Social Media Recruiting

Social media recruiting is a great way to find potential candidates for your DevOps engineer role. Sites like Twitter and LinkedIn are full of professionals with the skills you’re looking for, and it’s easy to connect with them directly.

Final Thoughts

Now that we’ve defined what a DevOps Engineer does and how to hire one, it’s time to put it into action and discover the ideal match for your business. It may appear daunting at first, but with careful planning and execution, you’ll be able to identify the right candidate in no time!

As always, if you need help or connect to a recruiter who specializes in finding top DevOps talent, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re more than happy to assist!