What Makes DevOps Hiring So Different From Any other IT Project

To say that we live in a world that’s markedly different from the one just a couple of years ago would be a colossal understatement. DevOps, Agile, Scrum, BYOD, etc which were experimental methods became mainstream, allowing organizations to leverage their resources in creative and highly efficient new ways. Each offers advantages however, DevOps has become one of the most successful in its class, thanks to its flexibility.

So, what should you look out for when you’re trying to hire DevOps engineers? DevOps is neither a programming language nor a framework that can be adopted by using SOP templates. Rather it encompasses a wide range of skills, and techniques that are constantly being updated. Here’s what you need to look for when you’re trying to hire a remote DevOps consultant.

It’s best to think of DevOps as a management philosophy rather than a cast-in-stone method. At its core, DevOps tries to bring Kaizen, which means continuous improvement into software development. It does so by combining both development and operations into one cohesive whole via automation, fast collaboration, feedback, and iterative improvements.

In effect, DevOps builds on Agile principles and de-silos an organization by allowing all the stakeholders involved in a software development project to seamlessly collaborate and share insights as well as actionable data fast.

Because DevOps constitutes such a broad range of practices, skills, and tools, there’s no one right way to implement it and all organizations have to find a combination that works for them. The uniqueness of each DevOps implementation is also why it’s so challenging to hire remote DevOps engineers. Not only must the DevOps consultant be a good coder and be familiar with what DevOps is, but (s) he should also fit in culturally.

Even though a DevOps implementation is unique, there are some common skills you can start your hunt with. Since a DevOps team will include people with a diverse range of skills, each person should at the very least demonstrate good proficiency in their specific trade.

To hire remote DevOps engineers, you also consider potential testing candidates for:

Experience in a production environment: Most coders are comfortable with working in development. But when moving to DevOps, they need to work with their production teams, they need to understand how a production environment works. While development environments can have multiple versions of software, a production environment has the final client-facing product.

Can identify and constructively deconstruct silos: Removing silos can be tricky business as it means pushing people out of their comfort zones. A DevOps engineer should be able to offer constructive ways to remove silos via collaboration and communication.