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How to Hire a Linux Administrator
Skapare writes "Hiring a good system administrator can be difficult. Hiring one while converting to Linux may take someone with special skills. Tom Adelstein is exploring just what is needed, and what should be avoided, in an article at Linux Journal about Linux System Administrators. I say hire more than just one."
Our Policy is not to hire dyslexic third world despots for IT positions.
Don't forget to look for personality.
Too many geeks spend so much time in front of the computer they forget how to deal with people.
I'd rather hire a less-technical person with good person skills then a more-technical person who cannot hold a converation. Since the Linux admin is basically a internal support person for the business, a good personality, decent communication skills, and the ability to turn a low-level human concepts to create a technical solution are always very important. The ability to chat over a coffee or beer is essential in any workplace.
Many technical skills can be learned very quickly. Personality is learned in a lifetime.
Don't wait until he signs the contract to ask him what his funny nickname means and how he got it. I'm serious about this. Under no circumstances should you EVER hire an admin who answers to the name of "jizz". Truse me.
Fascism trolls keeping me up every night. When I starts a preachin', he HITS ME WITH HIS REICH!
First, look over your potential new sysadmin from a distance of a few feet. What you're looking for are any major defects.
Contrary to popular belief, a good sysadmin isn't just skinny or fat. Any body shape will do fine, so don't spend a lot of time here. Just feel him or her in his midsection and verify that the flesh is soft and supple. Firmness in the stomach area is a sign that this sysadmin has been exercising rather than reading product manuals.
Count the legs and arms: a good sysadmin should have two arms (with hands with five fingers each: sysadmins do a lot of typing), and two legs. However, if your sysadmin has less than two legs and comes with a set of wheels, he will do just fine. Two arms are absolutely necessary though!
Next, come in a little closer. If you detect the aroma of old floppy disks, throw this one out, it's not fresh. What you want is an aroma of unwashed armpits mixed with the smell of microwaved CD-R fumes.
Look your sysadmin in the eyes. If he or she looks at the floor, that means the reflexes are sharp.
Finally, take an alphanumeric pager and wave it in front of the sysadmin. He or she should instinctively take the pager and strap it to his or her belt. If the pager is rejected, a firm "NO" will usually suffice, however a salary increase and/or further training is sometimes necessary.
Once you've selected your new sysadmin, take him or her to your server room and let him roam freely. Be sure he has a clean box to put empty Mountain Dew cans in.
If you have sysadmins already, you may want to keep them in separate cubes for a few days. Then, put them in the same room for a few hours each day to rub scent glands and discussion Gentoo USE flags. In some rare situations, disgreement over which boot loader to use may result in fights, be prepared to separate them.
Congratulations on your new sysadmin! He or she should bring you several months of smoothly running systems, until burnout or employee turnover sets in.