| | SEPTEMBER 20168CIOReviewIn My OpinionDiving into the Depths of DevOps et's assume you have completed a Culture Session and the team is aligned behind the culture you want. Now you need to hire new engineers to help grow this DevOps culture. A question that often comes up, and while there is no single answer for everyone, is, "What should I be looking for?" This article will share one proven approach for Hiring DevOps talent. I have been building teams for over 15 years. In that time, those teams have always been DevOps teams, even before they were called DevOps. In reality the focus was on building teams that communicated well, supported each other and allowed room for mistakes. These have always been good habits of a high performing team. Now that we are hiring Developers and Operations engineers to grow a DevOps culture, we find ourselves looking for the same traits. Solve complex problems without a clear answerDevOps is new and still figuring out its way in the world. It's the gangly 13-year-old whose body grew faster than it's maturity. Many of the issues that we are leveraging DevOps to fix don't have clearly defined answers. These teams require explorers (and leaders) that are not afraid to take the road less travelled. Present a complex problem (one with multiple solutions) to solve and observe which path is taken by the candidate and why. Are they considering long term implications (a solution) or short term gains only (a temporary fix). Self-managedDevOps seeks to push decision making toward where the work is being performed. This new level of autonomy requires engineers that can manage their tasks, workflow and communication. Micromanaging has no place in the workforce and this is especially true in DevOps. This does not, however, mean that you work alone. You need engineers that manage their own work, while being part of the team. A clear sense of ownership and accountabilityWith the culture of asking people to make more responsible decisions, there is the need for ownership and accountability. You make the choice, you set the direction and you are accountable for your actions. This does not mean that you punish someone for taking a risk and that risk not paying off. It means that the individual that leads that decision sticks with their choice and sees it through. They receive backing and support from leadership even in the face of disaster. SalesmanshipIn the interview I ask the person to tell me about something they are passionate about. Anything. Now try to convince me to be as passionate about it as you are. [[By Pauly Comtois, VP DevOps, Hearst Business MediaIt's DevOps! It's DevOps! It's DevOps!
< Page 7 | Page 9 >