Beyond Technical Abilities: Evaluating Soft Skills

Yet as much attention -- if not more -- should be paid to the "soft" skills that are less easy to quantify when evaluating candidates.

Often, the key to a successful hire is how well the individual fits in with the team and company. The way someone interacts with others, explains technical information and relates to broader business issues, for instance, can make all the difference in his or her effectiveness on the job.

What follows are some of the "ideal" qualities you should look for when recruiting IT staff and tips for assessing these abilities during the screening process:

Communication Skills

Few IT professionals work entirely on their own. Rather, most are active participants in designing, implementing, managing and supporting technology projects, which means they frequently interact with other employees, clients and outside vendors.

As a result, strong written and verbal communication skills are critical to successfully completing their responsibilities.

A candidate's cover letter and resume can give you an idea of his or her writing abilities. Watch for typos, grammatical errors and misspellings, as these can indicate problems that could arise in documents at work.

To assess verbal skills during interviews, try to use open-ended questions that require detailed explanation, such as, "Describe a situation which you …" or, "Can you explain … ."

Business Acumen

The role technology plays in a company's success is growing, so those driving and supporting IT must understand its role within the organization as a whole.

IT professionals don't need to be experts in healthcare, for instance, but they should know how technology can benefit your firm's dealings in that industry and contribute to business growth.

These questions that can help you gauge business knowledge during an interview include: