RE: Designing a DBA interview process to validly measure candidate abilities.
- From: "Freeman CTR Donald" <donald.freeman.ctr@xxxxxxxx>
- To: <fmhabash@xxxxxxxxx>, <oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 14 May 2013 11:21:28 -0400
Nearly my favorite topic. The way I think about is that the two
counterbalancing traits are initiative vs. caution. I think in an interview
you could describe some scenarios and try to determine which way the candidate
leans. You don't want somebody who is so reckless as to bring disaster on the
data center or somebody who is paralyzed and afraid to act. The good news is
that experience tempers both traits.
What I really hate is somebody says, "Nobody told me to do that." DBA work is
no place for somebody that passive. I think a good DBA is more likely to be
abrasive and questioning in conduct rather than the more quiet accommodating
behavior appreciated in development teams. I'd rather a DBA tell me, "That
won't work" than serenely observe impending disaster. I can tolerate an
occasional, "I told you so!" because that means that the DBA isn't afraid of
conflict and confrontation for the good of the enterprise.
I always ask a DBA where he gets his or her information. Whose books do you
own? Which do you rely on? A good check to see how connected a prospective
DBA is to see if they are on this list. I Google their name to see where they
have been posting. One of my DBA's "complained" to me one time that every time
he researched a question that he would find a post out there with my name on
it. If they have a track record like that then they have initiative.
I'm pretty sure with some skillful questioning you can elicit exactly the
information you are looking for.
-----Original Message-----
From: oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of fmh
Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2013 10:15
To: oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Designing a DBA interview process to validly measure candidate
abilities.
It is rather easy to measure a candidate's technical knowledge. However,
having interviewed many many DBA's, I'm finding it difficult and less
reliable to measure these 2 traits ...
1) Being self-driven and initiative to learn on his/her own.
2) Owning work and progressing to completion to best of his/her ability.
After being hired, inefficiencies on these 2 areas appear as the most
common.
How do you validate these 2 traits in the interview process?
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Thank you.
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