Leadership Skills to Consider When Hiring for a Tech Company

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Successfully hiring an IT professional is not just about reviewing their tech work; it is also not about the lines of written computer codes; it is about positive behavior and empowering leadership.

Leadership is key. However, it is one of the most misunderstood skills in the world of technology. Leadership is not about rank in authority, which most people think it is, and it may not solely be about being in charge. A leader is a person who brings out the best in their colleague and out of the company. 

These are specific traits that make a tech hire stand out as a leader, and you should consider them the next time you are hiring for your tech start-up.

Teamwork Capabilities

While recruiting for tech, the best approach is to look for capable and willing people to work hand-in-hand. These qualities can be seen right from the onset, as these people demonstrate their collaborative behavior. Apart from updating and improving their own skills, a leader will seek to help others in their projects and guide their colleagues on complicated tasks while stirring their team towards collaborative success.

  1. Mindset

A leader in tech is someone passionate about their job. If the interview process is enabling, you will instantly see their enthusiasm spring out. You will see signs that they definitely love their work, and you can see right then that their desire to work doesn’t revolve solely around the paycheque.

  1. Adaptability and the ability to adjust

A great leader in tech must certainly, out of all things, be open to new points of view, new ideas that would challenge and contraindicate their own thought process. As a recruiter, you have to touch on the topic of feedback; you can know who is open to ideas from the team and who is not.

A tech recruit with leadership skills will not mind the prospect of change in the direction when required. A leader must be someone who can look at a problem and uniquely solve them, not caring if it is out of balance with their dreams.

  1. A leader is not always right

A good leader needs to always forge the right way forward, but this might not always be the case – and that is okay – he needs to accept when he is wrong. This, among many things, will ensure he is not under undue pressure to be correct all the time.

As a recruiter, a quality you should look for in a leader is their openness to help from another person; he is an expert, but is he willing to accept help from another person? How does he handle constructive criticism?

The right candidate will be open-minded, willing to work with others and take in their ideas.

Probe your interview candidates ask them thought-provoking questions, and this could help you decide whether they are ready for change, eager to collaborate, and willing to admit when they are wrong. Flexibility with discipline is the hallmark of a true leader.

As you hire, don’t forget to:

  1. Emphasize cultural fit: A candidate who doesn’t fit culturally with the rest of the team is a ticking time bomb, and it is only a matter of time before they hinder the progress of the team. A recruit must have a sense of belonging, which is a key trait of a future leader.
  1. Ask for their Short-term goals: This allows you as the recruiter to assess a recruit’s current problem-solving capabilities, and it gives you insight into key qualities that you may find in a leader.
  1. Regular follow-up: It is paramount to stay engaged and get genuinely involved and interested in the vision of a potential candidate. Doing this will help you understand the depth of their decision-making process, the extent of their management skills, and how well they can prioritize tasks.

We should understand that companies and businesses thrive when their workforce is equipped with competent leaders. They motivate and instill a spirit of togetherness that makes it easier for their team to collaborate, and this gives a sterling result in the company’s output and productivity.