Hiring cloud engineers

Today’s cloud industry is driven by a handful of major players. Whether introducing cloud technology or migrating from one service to another, cloud engineers should familiarize themselves with the technical components and scalability potential of each platform. By doing so, they can make informed decisions about the services that best meet your needs.

Within cloud computing, “designing for failure” is essential: unlike traditional IT models, cloud-based systems take on unpredictable traffic on a complex network of servers, making the occasional outage a foregone conclusion. By taking proper risk management measures, cloud engineers can provide a positive user experience with minimal disruptions. This question reveals the candidate’s approach.

Cloud migration presents many security challenges, including potential data loss and malware attacks. To address these vulnerabilities, cloud engineers might improve identity and access management systems, perform breach and attack simulations, and work with other teams to develop new policies and best practices.

When dealing with complex security threats or system outages, cloud engineers may need to quickly absorb new knowledge to effectively address the issues at hand. On other occasions, they might need to adapt to sudden workflow changes — new software, for example — as well as embrace the industry’s latest technological developments.

Occasionally, cloud engineers will encounter problems that require cross-functional collaboration. As cloud computing is driven by highly technical processes, engineers should be able to simplify esoteric concepts without omitting any critical information. By doing so, they can improve communication with other teams, devise effective solutions, and drive overall productivity.

Because cloud-based systems can be unpredictable, cloud engineers should be able to tackle several issues at the same time. By breaking down the problems at hand, they can determine which require immediate attention — threats to user data or server uptime, for example — and respond decisively, requesting assistance when necessary.

Every now and then, cloud engineers will encounter projects they find tedious or unexciting. Because cloud-based systems involve many high-stakes components, such as security protocols and regulatory compliance requirements, engineers must devote their full attention to their assigned tasks — including some they might prefer to skip.

Whether they involve a fellow team member or a supervisor, workplace disputes are inevitable. As many cloud projects require teamwork, cloud engineers should be prepared to smooth over any potential conflicts, compromising when necessary. By turning disagreements into learning opportunities, they can devise even stronger solutions informed by multiple perspectives.

Every cloud engineer defines success in their own unique way. How a candidate answers this question will provide insight into their work ethic, ambitions, and the value they can bring to your organization — as well as their long-term growth potential. Their answer may also reveal their capacity to thrive in a fast-paced environment — especially one driven by constant technological innovation.