6 Questions to Help Hire for the IT Collaboration Revolution

This is the third blog in our ‘soft skills hiring practices’ series.  If you missed the first two blogs, you can view them here.

I recently attended a conference focused on the future of the workforce.  The keynote speaker focused on the different work revolutions that have redefined the very nature of the workforce.  The speaker reviewed the issues of the industrial revolution and followed through to the technology and internet revolution. 

Today, the speaker talked about how we are now entering the next workforce revolution – the collaboration revolution.  The nature of organizations is changing and companies are embracing strategic partnerships and alliances, working virtually across geographies with new organizational structures that will perform and behave in vastly different ways.

The word collaboration has its root in Latin meaning to co labor – work together.  Collaboration is defined as:

The action of working with someone to produce or create something

To work together, especially in a joint intellectual venture

So what does this mean for IT hiring?  In tomorrow’s IT organizations, collaboration will be a key skill.   The very nature of IT requires significant collaboration.  IT employees work:

• in matrix organizations - across internal departments
• with contractors – outside the organizational hierarchy
• with vendors and outsourced organizations
   

It’s no secret that hiring people who are able to work well with others is essential to having a productive and happy team.  Why is this important?  Because 97% of employees and executives believe that a lack of collaboration and team alignment can directly impact the outcome of a task or project. 

Top 6 Collaboration Questions

1. Give an example of when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along with. How did you handle interactions with that person?
   
   
2. Tell me about a time when you were communicating with someone and they did not understand you. What did you do?  What was the issue?  What did you learn? 
   
   
3. Tell me about one of your favorite experiences working with a team and your contribution.
   
   
4. Describe the best partner or supervisor with whom you’ve worked. What part of their managing or work style appealed to you?  Why?
   
   
5. Describe the worst partner or supervisor with whom you’ve worked. What part of their managing or work style was difficult for you?  What did you do about it?
   
   
6. Can you share an experience where a project dramatically shifted directions at the last minute? What was the outcome?  What did you learn from the experience?

Are you looking to build the IT department of the future? Download the IT Competency Checklist to help you determine if your IT Department is ready to perform at sustainable peak levels for all necessary business skills in your organization. We also invite you to schedule a complimentary assessment with a member of our team.