Vervoe

Database Administrator

Complete with job descriptions, skill profiles, and interview templates. Use this Database Administrator hiring guide to help you make the right decisions, fast.

HOW TO HIRE A DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR

What does a Database Administrator do?

Database administrators are an extremely valuable asset for a company as they make sure all the databases are running efficiently and data is going to the right databases. They are responsible for making sure that information is easily accessible by users in an organization and backing up database information. They do this by using specialized tools and software which allows for a standardized way to facilitate data analysis.

Database administrators are also responsible for the security of the data to ensure confidentiality is maintained.

Day to day tasks of a Database Administrator

  • Creating and managing databases
  • Preventing data loss
  • Prevent unauthorized access to confidential data
  • Management of database software including installing patches
  • Schema updates
Recruitment guide role overview illustration

DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR DEFINITION

A database administrator is a technician who ensures that the organisation's database is operational and successfully stores internal and customer data in the correct space which allows for easy extraction by the relevant stakeholders when needed.

Role definition illustration

HIRING PROCESS

Database Administrator Hiring Process

STEP 1

Build the Ideal Candidate Profile​

To find the best person for the role, you need to understand what the role involves. You can complete this with the hiring manager to define the role, its contribution, and the skills needed.

STEP 2

Write A Job Description Based On Skills

Once you understand the requirements for the role, you’ll need to understand the skills for success. You can then write an effective job description to promote your role.

STEP 3

Selecting The Ideal Candidate

See which applicants have the right skills for the role. Send all your applicants a Vervoe skills assessment from the expert library, or customize one for your organization.

STEP 4

Interview Top Performers

Your skills assessment results will identify top performers. Focus your time on interviewing those that have met or exceeded your requirements. Assessment results will also help guide which skill areas to focus on in the interview.

STEP 5

Making An Offer

Once you assess your candidates against these skills, you’re ready to offer the top performer(s). You should base your offer on the value that the candidate would bring to your team and your business as a whole. It is also important to ensure your compensation and benefits packages are competitive in the industry and help you attract and retain the top talent.

BUILD THE IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE

Skills needed for a Database Administrator

A Database Administrator should be an organised individual who is able to grasp data from a raw technical standpoint and what this data means for the organisation. This will help the management of data because this will help couple the right pieces of data within the database such that it adds value to the business when a data analyst reviews it.

  • Communication
  • SQL
  • Databases

WRITE A JOB DESCRIPTION BASED ON SKILLS

How to write a Database Administrator job description

Once you’ve determined the skills required for the role, you can write the job description to advertise for your position. Here’s what to include in your Database Administrator job description:

Job Title
What position are you hiring for?
Summary
What makes your company unique? What would it be like to work for you?
Responsibilities
An overview of the role’s day-to-day activities, and how the position contributes to the organization
Requirements
Skills a candidate must have to perform the job successfully
Benefits
Details of compensation, benefits, and any perks on offer
Use our sample Database Administrator job description
Job description checklist illustration

SELECTING THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

Sample skill tests for a Database Administrator

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Question 1

Attention to Detail

Question Type: Number

You need to create a table where you will have to use multiple clustered indexes. How many clustered indexes will you be able to create?

Question 2

Customer Centricity

Question Type: Multiple Choice

In your database, you have a table 'Outstanding'. It has a column "TimeOutstanding" with a DATETIME type. Column 'TimeOutstanding' stores the date and time for each outstanding order. The 'TimeOutstanding' column contains a nonclustered index. You need to display the number of total outstanding orders for a day(current day). What will be the most optimized T-SQL query that returns the correct result?

Question 3

Resilience

Question Type: Audio

Your non-technical CEO suggests running a test on the live database. In a brief voice note, please record your answer as to why this might be a bad idea.

INTERVIEW TOP PERFORMERS

How to interview a Database Administrator

Once your Vervoe skills assessment has surfaced the most qualified people for your open role, you can focus on interviewing these candidates. The interview should focus on any skills that require development that were highlighted from the skills assessment.

Now you know that candidates can do the job, the interview becomes more of a relationship building exercise where you can get to know the candidate on a more personal level, understand their motivations, and how they would fit in with the team.

MAKING AN OFFER

How much does it cost to hire a Database Administrator?

The average base salary reported by Payscale.com for a database administrator is $73,372, with up to ninety percent of salaries being up to $110,000. Whereas, the average reported on Glassdoor.com is $80,770 and $94,919 on Indeed.com.

United States

Database administrator salaries in the United States range from $47,000 - $110,000 (USD). Database administrator salaries in the U.S vary a lot depending on the location of the company and what industry they focus on.

Source: Source: Payscale USA - Database Administrator Salaries

United Kingdom

Database administrator salaries in the United Kingdom range from £21,000 - £49,000 (GBP). Database administrator salaries in the UK vary largely based on the location and industry of the company.

Source: Source: Glassdoor UK - Database Administrator Salaries

Australia

Database administrators salaries in Australia range from $60,000 - $138,000 (AUD). Database administrators salaries usually depend on the seniority of the position as well as the industry of the company.

Source: Source: Glassdoor AU - Database Administrator Salaries