5 Interview Questions to Ask When Hiring IT Managers

Your business needs help to run your IT systems. Security, backups, connectivity – they need to be managed. So you decide to employ someone, but do you know anything about hiring IT managers? The average IT manager’s salary is $87,849 per year. Roles vary from network administrators to project management. But what separates the good from the bad? This article outlines 5 questions you should ask a candidate in an interview.

From their previous experience to how they would work in your company, you need to know if they’re the right fit. Get it right and they’ll be productive. Get it wrong and you’ll regret hiring them.

1. What Is Your Technical Background?

Most IT managers progress from technicians to admins to the role of managers. You need to know if they understand all levels of IT, not just the managerial side. Make a list of specific areas you need them to manage. For example, Software as a Service (SaaS) is popular for customer relationship management apps. But not many managers have experience with IT at this level. Ask for a full resume of their technical capabilities and match them with your own requirements. Do they only work in a Windows environment or can they use Macs and Linux? Make sure their portfolio encapsulates everything you need.

2. How Do You Track Performance?

The manager needs hands-on experience with analytics software. They should produce reports to demonstrate their work rate over the month and give projections for the following year. They should communicate the performance of each team member and the team as a whole to upper management. Ask them for examples from their previous jobs and match these with your expectations.

3. How Do You Manage Group Projects?

Do they have a history of managing group projects? Do they understand milestones and the life-cycles of development? Are they good as team leaders and if so what is their leadership style? As group projects bring together a range of voices how will they handle that? Are they good motivators and can they get results on time?

4. How Would You Train New Employees?

Training new employees requires patience, time, and lots of communication. When you interview the candidate do those qualities show? Ask them how they would implement a training pack, starting from when a new employee is hired. See if they ask you about your company’s employment policies and best practices. This demonstrates humility and knowledge to integrate with your existing guidelines.

5. Should Everything Be Handled In-House?

If they’re quick to answer ‘Yes’ then be warned. IT covers a wide spectrum. Most businesses outsource many tasks to let their tech department focus on a specific role. If the candidate blindly believes they can do it all then they are mistaken.

Why Have the Hassle of Hiring IT Managers?

Hiring IT managers takes time, money, and resources. As an employee, they’re entitled to benefits, vacation leave, and statutory sick pay. If only there was a way to employ an IT manager without having to hire one. Why not outsource your IT requirements to a trusted partner? iSTAM offers a complete tech service for your business. From managed support to building a web presence, we handle the headaches so you don’t have to. When hire us to help manage you’ll increase productivity and lower long-term expenses. Services like our enhanced antivirus solutions keep your network and data safe. Contact us today to see how we can help. Claim your free guide to saving previous time using technology by visiting our homepage.

When hiring becomes a hassle outsource to iSTAM.