How To Hire a DevOps Engineer
Complete with job descriptions, skill profiles, and interview templates. Use this DevOps Engineer hiring guide to help you make the right decisions, fast.
DevOps Engineer Recruitment Guide
What does a DevOps Engineer do?
A DevOps Engineer plays a very important role in an organisation because they connect the dots between elements of code such as libraries and integrating databases or messaging tools. They do this by using a plethora of tools and methodologies to implement different pieces of infrastructure to manage the software development lifecycle. DevOps Engineers are masters at CI/CD which nowadays is a necessity rather than a luxury.
Day to day tasks of a DevOps Engineer
- Writing documentation of pipelines
- Creating CI/CD pipelines
- Monitoring of CI/CD pipeline runners
- Cloud infrastructure deployments
- Stakeholder management
DevOps Engineer definition
A DevOps Engineer's primary responsibility is to embrace the methodology of combining software development and IT operations lifecycle to work in unison. In practicing this methodology it enhances the developers ability to produce bug free and high quality code in a manner which does not hinder any party involved.
HIRING PROCESS
DevOps Engineer Hiring Process
Build the ideal candidate profile
Skills needed for a DevOps Engineer
A DevOps Engineer must have excellent knowledge of programming, be able to communicate with a range of stakeholders and have the customer/consumer in mind when designing and developing software.
- Docker
- DevOps
- Customer Experience
- Communication
Pro Tip
DevOps Engineers should have excellent time management as they will be required to work on multiple projects at the same time as well as various parts of the same project.
WRITE A JOB DESCRIPTION BASED ON SKILLS
How to write a DevOps Engineer 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 DevOps Engineer 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 DevOps Engineer should be highly experienced in a program like Jenkins.
SELECTING THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
Sample skill tests for a DevOps Engineer
Create a free account today to access the full assessment and more from our library
Question 1
DevOps
Question Type: Multiple Choice
A server administrator paused an instance of a docker image called hello-world. He now wants to resume the container which he had paused earlier, however, he is unaware of the details of the container except for its image name. Which of the following commands must he use to find the details of the required container and then unpause it?
Question 2
Docker
Question Type: Audio
A server administrator is using the command ‘docker ps’ to view all the containers that have been installed on the current server. However, he finds that a few images that he installed and ran earlier on the server are not listed. What is the reason for this and is there a way to view all the containers currently available on the server?
Question 3
Communication
Question Type: Text
What are the key metrics you measure to determine the success of a project?
INTERVIEW TOP PERFORMERS
How to interview a DevOps Engineer
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 DevOps Engineer?
In the USA the average for a DevOps Engineer according to Glassdoor.com is $101,524, whereas Indeed.com has the average base salary as $122,110 with a cash bonus of $6,863. Whereas on Payscale.com it has the ninety percent of DevOps Engineers earning $133,000 and the lowest ten percent at only $66,000.
DevOps Engineer Salary United States
DevOps Engineers based in the USA will receive a salary from $66,000 – $133,000 (USD). This might be influenced by bonuses for performing their job to a high standard and the location of the organisation.
DevOps Engineer Salary United Kingdom
A DevOps Engineer in the United Kingdom has a salary range between £30,000 and £74,000 (GBP). This will often depend on the location and industry of the organisation they’re working for.
DevOps Engineer Salary Australia
In Australia a DevOps Engineer can expect a salary between $72,000 – $135,000 (AUD). This salary will be heavily dependent on the environment they’re managing and the seniority of the position.
