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Kristiina Aksberg

How to Hire the Right People for Critical Tech Roles: 5 Key Points

When it comes to hiring for tech roles, companies often come to us with a very specific request: they want to grow their team with individuals who bring both deep technical expertise and the right mindset to contribute from day one. While potential is always important, hard skills and professional experience are just as critical. So, how do you strike the perfect balance between experience and attitude when hiring for key positions?


Here are five key points to focus on when hiring for those critical roles:



1. Look for Passion Over Perfection


In tech, skills can be taught, but passion for technology should come naturally. When hiring, it’s important to look for candidates who are genuinely excited about what your company is building and the impact they can have. Passionate candidates often go above and beyond their core responsibilities because they care about the work they’re doing.


While some candidates might showcase their enthusiasm through personal projects on GitHub, blog or side hustles (like running Kubernetes clusters in their basement), it’s not always so obvious. Passionate candidates may not always share their work online, but you can spot it through the enthusiasm they exhibit when discussing technology or something they’ve recently learned.

For example, I once spoke to a DevOps Engineer who gave me a video sneak peek of his servers in his basement, explaining his cloud and DevOps work with genuine excitement. Knowing the client, their culture and mentality, I could immediately tell to mylself: He’s hired. Two years later, he’s still building innovative DevOps solutions for the same client.



2. Pay Attention to Team Chemistry


A great team isn’t just about having a group of great individual performers—it’s about collaboration. The best teams are built on mutual respect, effective communication, and a shared passion to create something great. Look for candidates who can complement your existing team and, hopefully, add something new to your culture.


You can get a sense of how a candidate will fit in by setting up group interviews or pair programming tasks, where your current team gets a feel for how they collaborate with the candidate in real-time. Another way to assess team fit is by asking behavioral questions like: “Tell me about a time you disagreed with a team member. How did you handle it?” This helps you understand how they approach conflict resolution and teamwork.



3. Align with Your Mission and Strategy


People don’t just want a job—they want to feel they’re part of something meaningful. When your team believes in the team and/or company’s mission, they show up with energy, passion, and a shared sense of purpose.


Even if your solution isn’t life-saving, it’s crucial that your team knows their work matters. So, when hiring, focus on finding people who are motivated by more than just a salary. Ask candidates questions that reveal how they approach challenges, like: “What motivates you in your work?” or “Is there anything you tend to bring into a new team or project?”

These questions will give you a sense of whether the candidate’s values and ambitions will evolve to align with your company’s mission over time. Keep in mind, you don’t need them to have a deep understanding of your vision right away, but you want to find someone who is open to it and will grow into the role with a shared sense of purpose.


One of my favorite questions to ask clients is: “What skill or personality trait would you like to add to your team?” Another one is: “What future goals could this hire help you achieve?” These questions can help you think beyond the immediate need and find candidates who will grow with your company.



4. Look for Curiosity and Initiative


Technology is constantly evolving, which means your team needs to be equally adaptable. Curiosity is key. Candidates who are naturally curious and motivated to learn will keep developing their skills and help solve new, complex problems.


During interviews, look for candidates who are eager to tackle challenges head-on, even if they don’t have all the answers right away. Ask about what they’ve learned recently, or what challenges they’ve solved. A candidate with a strong sense of initiative will often show enthusiasm for learning new things, both when it comes to their professional and personal selves.



5. Look beyond CV's


Many candidates don’t know how to tailor their CVs to your specific job requirements. More often than not, a CV is just a list of previous roles, basic qualifications, and tasks. While it’s tempting to look for specific keywords or impressive accomplishments, the context behind their experience is far more important.


In fact, I’ve placed many senior-level candidates who, when initially contacted, had no or minimal CVs - and some near-empty LinkedIn profiles. As a leader or recruiter in your field, you probably know the companies and their tech stacks or the services they offer. If a candidate has experience in a similar environment or with the tools you're looking for, don’t dismiss them just because their CV or professional social media profile doesn’t tick all the boxes. Sometimes, this is the moment where assumption can be your ally—though, as a rule, I wouldn’t encourage assuming in recruitment unless you know the candidate’s field inside and out. So give them a call and find out! After all, you're not hiring a CV, you're hiring a person.



Conclusion


Hiring the right person for a key tech role isn’t about resumes and lists of achievements. It’s about finding someone who has the technical expertise, the mindset to grow, and the passion to contribute to your team’s success. Focus on experience, but don’t overlook the attitude and drive that make the best candidates truly stand out.





Need help hiring the right people for your tech business? Get in touch and let's discuss how Aarrio can help you find the missing piece for your business.

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