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
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.
HIRING PROCESS
Database Administrator Hiring Process
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
Pro Tip
Ensure you clearly outline the technical intricacies of your organisations database, especially in regards to what software the database uses. It will also be beneficial if you inform candidates of the type of data they will be handling and from what countries, as this will impact how a database administrator is able to perform their job.
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
Pro Tip
In building your candidate profile, remember you’ve already identified what skills are needed to succeed in the role. Here’s where to list your “must-have” skills and maybe a couple of “nice-to-have” skills. For example, a Database Administrator must keep up to date with the latest security conventions in order to protect their organisations data from being corrupted and/or stolen.
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.
Database Administrator Salary 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.
Database Administrator Salary 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.
Database Administrator Salary 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.
