How to Hire the Right Cloud Computing Team

When your business starts to grow, you may find yourself in need of additional cloud computing resources. This can be a difficult process — how do you know who to trust with your team’s network? And how can you be sure that they will be the right fit for your company?

In this article, we will provide tips for hiring the right cloud computing team. We'll help you understand what to look for, and how to make sure that your new team will be able to help your business reach its goals.

Why do I need a cloud computing team?

The first step in hiring a cloud computing team is to identify your internal information technology needs. Do you need someone to manage your company’s data? Do you need help with migrating your infrastructure to the cloud, or with creating a network that can sustain a safe number of users?

Do you need someone who can help you develop and deploy new applications?

If you're expanding your business, you might need a team that can do all of the above. And if you’re not sure where to turn for your cloud computing needs, you might need a cloud partner that can help you diagnose your IT needs before satisfying them.

Understanding your cloud computing needs will help you identify the right candidates for the job.

How do I form the right cloud computing team?

Let's talk about how to form a cloud workforce.

When determining which type of cloud computing team you’re building, there are a few important factors to keep in mind. Let’s dive into some of those factors right now.

1. Identify your cloud computing needs

Before you begin assembling your cloud computing team, it’s important that your entire organization understands its cloud computing needs. For example, small organizations might not need an entire cloud infrastructure. Instead, a concise network with online storage might do the trick.

Take the time to connect with your team and identify the preferred scope of your cloud computing needs. This is also a conversation you can have with prospective cloud providers, to help gauge your own needs and their aptitude for the project.

Once you've identified your needs, you can start putting together your team.

2. Identify the cloud computing skills you’re looking for

The next step is to identify the skills your team will need. Speak with your IT team to identify the specific skills to look for in one or more members of a cloud computing team.

Some of the skills your team might need include:

• Cloud architecture;
• Cloud security;
• Cloud storage;
• Cloud networking;
• Cloud computing platforms.

Once you understand the skillsets your project will require, you can begin assessing how many staff members you’ll need to recruit. 

3. Identify the size of the team your need

The size of the cloud computing team you need will depend on the scope of your project. If you have a smaller cloud computing need, or you only need help creating or maintaining a cloud infrastructure, you might only need a team of two or three specialists.

However, if you're migrating your entire infrastructure to the cloud, you might need a larger team to complete the work within a reasonable timeframe. 

When assembling your cloud computing team, it’s also important to ensure that all important cloud computing skills are accounted for. In other words, you’ll want to make sure that the cloud computing team you assemble is capable of a wide range of cloud functions, to satisfy your cloud computing needs whatever they might be.

For example, you'll need someone who's an expert in cloud architecture, someone who's an expert in cloud security and someone who's an expert in cloud operations. You might also need a developer or two if you're planning on integrating any custom developments into your cloud structure. These individuals will also need to understand how to effectively work together to execute efficient cloud processes, without compromising your productivity.

How do I find the right cloud candidates?

It’s time to start looking for cloud computing candidates. Sometimes, the right place to begin your search is your own workforce. See if there are any employees on your team who have the skills you're looking for. If not, you can begin looking for candidates outside of your company.

Here are a few places where you might find high-quality cloud computing candidates:

• Online job boards;
• Cloud computing conferences;
• Recruiting firms;
• Professional social media platforms.

Once you've found a few cloud team candidates, consider asking them a few questions to better determine their aptitude for your cloud computing team.

These questions might include:

• What experience do you have with cloud computing?
• What cloud computing platforms are you familiar with?
• What cloud projects have you worked on in the past?
• How would you approach a project that uses cloud computing?
• What do you think are the benefits of cloud computing?
• How might you approach a new cloud computing project for an organization?

After asking these questions, you should have a good idea as to whether or not the candidate is right for the job. Remember, it's important to find someone who is not only qualified, but also a good fit for your company and your existing IT team.

How to avoid hiring the wrong cloud computing team

Now that you know how to hire the right cloud computing team, let's take a look at how you can avoid hiring the wrong one.

There are a few things to watch out for when interviewing candidates:

• Make sure candidates are familiar with the cloud platform you're using. If they're not, they'll likely need to be trained, which can be costly and time-consuming.
• Find out if candidates have any industry experience. While cloud computing is a relatively new field, it's still important to find someone who knows what they're doing.
• Ask about a candidate’s availability. If they're only available for a limited number of hours, or if they're already working on another project, they might not be the best fit for your needs.
• Finally, make sure you're comfortable with a candidate’s communication style. You'll be working with them closely, so it's important that you're able to communicate effectively.

Asking the right questions in an interview is as important as the candidates you choose to interview in the first place. The required skills can be assessed from a résumé, but an effective interview is critical to understanding if a potential hire will fit effectively into your company culture.

How the right cloud computing bootcamp can solve your cloud problems

A targeted cloud computing bootcamp can provide you and your team with the cloud skills you need without having to go through the hassle of finding, vetting and paying a traditional cloud computing employee.

Our Cloud Engineering Bootcamp familiarizes students with cornerstone, must-have cloud computing skills — including any tools you might need to pass a cloud certification exam.

Connect with our Admissions department today, to learn how you can leverage cloud computing for your team today!