5 Characteristics Of A Great IT Employee — And None Of Them Are Technical Skills

By Jack Lawrence, Senior Content Writer, Mindmatrix

My underlying principle about recruitment is that specific skills and training are important, but they shouldn’t be your primary concern during the hiring process. Job skills are necessary, of course, but you should look beyond skills and consider the behavioral characteristics that spell success in your company. My belief has always been that I can teach you to do your job better, but I can’t change who you are. Behavioral skills are much harder to teach and to change. People skills, management, leadership, creativity, ability to deal with adversity: these are of more value in the long term than any specific “job” skill. In the end, those are what we need.

With that in mind, these are the top four things I look for when recruiting:

1. Collaborative. Are they willing to work and achieve success with others? How much do they view success a something they achieve individually? Individuals who view success as something that is fundamentally channeled through their own efforts can damage a culture that is based on a team culture. No matter how sincere and non-aggrandizing their intentions might be, people who believe success comes primarily from their work alone are probably going to miss something. They don’t gain the additional perspectives that can add depth to any initiative. Too much of the modern workplace depends on groups and willingness to work as a team.

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