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Forbes Technology Council

Hiring the right person to fill the open position within your tech team may feel like a reoccurring responsibility. If you are unable to retain an employee long enough to train them and have them settle into their technology role, you may be choosing the wrong traits in a candidate to add to your IT department.

According to U.S. statistics from late 2017, job openings are outstripping hiring rates. This means that finding the right person can be a real challenge for a technology manager who is looking to develop a strong team with skills that will benefit the company.

Below, six members of Forbes Technology Council shared some of the traits you need to look when making a key hire for your tech team, in order to help you decide who gets an offer and why.

1. Thirst For Learning

Additions to my team must demonstrate a thirst and capacity to learn. Today’s technology is tomorrow’s History Channel special, literally. The shelf-life of tech is increasingly perishable. I do not want a tradesman working for me. I want a creative problem solver who is always looking for how to apply that which is available and demonstrate the art of the possible. – David Espinosa, ITS Logistics

2. Communication And Leadership Skills

Can they communicate clearly with engineers and business people alike? Can they roll up their sleeves and do whatever it takes to get it done? I’m hiring leaders, and I also expect them to be able to fill in the gaps when needed. Are they good people leaders — clearly getting ideas and inspiration across teams, bringing the different sides to the table and generating alignment? – Maria Alegre, Chartboost

3. Passion For The Product

Passion for our product is the most important trait we are looking for. We’ve seen passionate individuals outperform very qualified people at almost every chance they get. – Eric Fogg, MachineMetrics, Inc.

4. Collaboration And Personal Responsibility

We specifically look for tendencies toward collaboration and a relentless focus on personal responsibility to colleagues. We produce value for our customers by thinking tangentially, challenging them and ourselves to construct solutions that haven’t been attempted before. This demands an environment that deliberately creates conflict and nurtures it through the trust between each team member. Anything that inhibits that process creates weaknesses in our teams, stultifies our ability to deliver, and threatens the success of our company. – Dave Cassidy, TCG, Inc.

5. Honesty And Authenticity

One trait that I value above all others when looking for new employees is honesty. We want employees who not only look great on paper, but also are authentic both in how they present themselves and in their work. If employees are honest and authentic in the work environment, it creates a culture, both internally and externally, that is smooth and highly productive. – Gene Banman, DriveScale

6. Commitment To Continuous Innovation

The key trait I look for is passion for continuously creating better technology and products than the ones that exist currently. The pace of innovation and new product creation has accelerated. Being satisfied with the existing technology and products leads to companies and people fading away, as that technology and those products become irrelevant soon. – Abhijit Thatte, Aricent, Inc.