While investing in technologies to improve and grow data centers is essential, investing in the workforce behind it is equally important. Data center technicians play a pivotal role in the day-to-day running of such facilities, and finding the right fit isn’t all that simple.
From configuring devices to running cables, these technicians perform various duties requiring technical skills, attention to detail, and often around-the-clock availability. Any enterprise hiring a data center technician or engineer has to ensure they’re reliable.
In this article, we will provide the following:
- An explanation of a data center technician’s role.
- Helpful tips to ensure you find the right talent.
- Solutions for enterprises that are pressed for hardware engineers for their data centers.
Understanding a Data Center Technician’s Role
Data center technicians are skilled professionals who undertake various duties to keep servers and other hardware and software running smoothly.
Specific functions may vary from person to person. Generally, a data center technician or engineer may be tasked with conducting preventative maintenance, overseeing physical and data security, checking utilities, and troubleshooting issues with equipment.
(Data: source)
Some technician roles may require specialized knowledge or skills particular to a domain of operations or technology, for example, security or networking equipment. It’s a hands-on job that often requires on-site presence to perform the tasks.
In addition, they’re also responsible for maintaining the optimal environment for the equipment, so they monitor and manage heating/cooling. They may also ensure backup power is on standby and additional power is available if needed.
In short, data center technicians have a multi-disciplinary role crucial for the operations and security of the assets and the facility as a whole.
Why Is It Hard to Find Reliable Data Center Engineers?
If you compare data center technician roles with other roles in the tech center, you’ll see the former requires diverse skills.
A typical technician needs the knowledge and skills to handle hardware and software. On top of that, they require skills to oversee other systems, such as the cooling systems found in most data centers.
The need for various skills makes it difficult to find engineers for data centers.
Another factor that makes hiring full-time data center engineers challenging is the very nature of the work. Mostly, it’s an on-site job that sometimes requires long shifts (data centers never really sleep).
As the work dynamic is shifting, more talent is seeking jobs that are entirely remote or hybrid. A recent survey found that most American workers prefer a four-day workweek, hybrid, or remote work.
The Curse of the Talent Shortage
It also doesn’t help that the tech industry is in a talent shortage. Despite overwhelming innovation and investment, many tech companies struggle to find the needed talent. And it’s hampering companies' ability to catch up with technological changes (over half of them).
More importantly, there’s a shortage of high-skill workers that IT enterprises, including those with large data centers, need. For instance, a company's leadership told Deloitte that system architects, a high-skill role, were the toughest to find. Similarly, cybersecurity professionals are also challenging to hire.
There’s simply not enough talent available to adopt rapidly developing technologies. This is also a problem for data centers looking for highly skilled technicians.
(Data: source)
Tips on Hiring Data Center Technicians
As hiring data center technicians can be a challenging endeavor, the following tips can help you find the right fit for your requirements:
Look for Skills, Not Degrees
A data center engineer’s job is highly technical and requires skills and experience. Many candidates may possess those skills but not an undergraduate degree. Requiring a degree for this job will drive such candidates out of the pool. Besides, there aren’t any programs directly designed for data center management.
More importantly, tech recruiters realize the importance of skills over formal degrees. Many companies are abandoning the requirement of degrees over skill and experience.
Given the multi-disciplinary nature of the job, it’s best to look at skills than education.
Consider Certifications
Instead of a bachelor's degree, you may want to look for certifications related to data center operations. Again, don’t necessitate certifications but encourage them so you can get candidates with specific education and training in the skills you require.
Some of the most popular data center certifications include Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), CNet’s Certified Data Center Technician Professional (CDCTP), VMware Data Center Virtualization Certification, and Schneider’s Data Center Certified Associate (DCCA).
Certifications shouldn’t be made a requirement because not all candidates may possess all the certifications.
Offer Flexibility
A data center technician’s job isn’t all that flexible, especially compared to other tech jobs, such as developers or quality assurance specialists, who often have the luxury of working remotely. Data center workers mostly have to work on-site and sometimes work long hours.
Offering some level of flexibility in shift scheduling can attract more talent. Jobseekers today want positions that enable a healthy work-life balance.
Allow the technicians to choose their work hours in the week and, where possible, remotely. Ensure that any overtime is compensated with extra pay or paid time off.
Don’t Rule Out Talent Development
While you ideally want someone with hands-on experience with the equipment and software you use in your data center, don’t make years of experience a condition. You can hire inexperienced talent and invest in their development with training and certifications.
Remember that the data technician role is typically a stepping stone for talent to move toward advanced skill, higher paying jobs. At the same time, developing talent can be a way to retain them for longer. Research shows that employees are likelier to stay at a company that invests in their development.
Be Clear of the Job Requirements
It’s essential to be transparent about the exact job requirements, whether the required skills, duties, or compensation. Whether you’re hiring a mid-level or higher-level skilled candidate, you want to ensure that they understand fully what’s required of them.
To prevent downtime and ensure operations run smoothly, you need reliable staff at the site. Ensure that the candidates understand the importance of their role.
Soft skills like communication, punctuality, and initiative should also be valued, as when push comes to shove, such skills will help the personnel do what’s needed of them.
An Alternative Solution – SmartHands
Amidst the talent shortage and budget cuts, enterprises with data centers may find themselves between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, they can’t find the data center technicians they need; on the other hand, they may not have the resources to have full-time engineers on payroll.
PivIIT’s SmartHands professional service may save the day for such a situation. It’s an on-demand engineering talent service that provides on-site and remote engineers globally.
Gain access to engineers around the globe to locally access your infrastructure without ever leaving your desk when you are tackling complex projects, pressing deadlines, staffing shortages, and emergency situations.
See how PivIT’s professional services, including SmartHands, helped a client stage and implement equipment in their evergrowing IT footprint with acquisitions.