How to assess DevOps skills

At its most basic level, DevOps is a hybrid of development and operations teams. DevOps professionals create, deploy, maintain, and improve IT and software. 

This merging eliminates the need for a development team to build a product and a separate operations team to deploy it. DevOps professionals also increase productivity in a product’s life cycle by being able to instantly identify and troubleshoot issues that can go wrong during deployment.

A person working in a DevOps role should not only possess IT skills such as cloud systems administration but also soft skills like communication, critical thinking, and attention to detail. Pre-employment testing can help you assess these abilities and ensure you’re hiring the right people for your team. 

In this article, we show you how to effectively assess DevOp skills and explain how to leverage TestGorilla’s extensive test library during your hiring process.

What is a DevOps skills assessment?

A DevOps skills assessment is a carefully designed screening tool to measure a candidate’s DevOps skills.

Every company has different requirements for DevOps, and these professionals possess a wide skill set. IT knowledge in areas such as scripting and coding is important, but so are soft skills such as strong communication and customer service skills. 

Thus, the best DevOps skills assessments test for a range of hard and soft skills such as coding, project management, cloud computing, customer service, and communication.   

Assessments should take into account that a DevOps professional should be equally talented at performing technical tasks as well as listening, collaborating, and leading.

Why are DevOps skills important?

Great communication and collaboration

Good DevOps technicians possess strong communication and collaboration skills. Technicians frequently work across many teams, so it’s necessary for them to be able to communicate effectively with a wide range of colleagues with different personalities.  

Their ability to establish rapport, mediate disagreements, and keep everyone on the same page contributes to stronger teamwork and increased productivity.

This mix of technical know-how and interpersonal savvy sets the tone for how projects will unfold. Further, it ensures that all stakeholders are understood and satisfied.

Strong customer service

Part of DevOps is about making sure customers’ requirements are heard and implemented. 

A good DevOps technician will actively listen to customers and understand their wants and needs. They’ll gain customers’ trust and ensure their satisfaction by understanding their pain points and sharing solutions in terms customers can easily grasp. This all builds an open and accommodating relationship. 

Additionally, in high-pressure and challenging situations, a good technician will be able to think quickly and course-correct without derailing any progress that has already been made. In this way, DevOps professionals can help the team keep customers’ needs centralized. They’ll expertly navigate challenges to ensure projects stay on track and customers remain satisfied.

Technical support and maintenance

In any business where IT is vital, strong technical support and maintenance are everything. The ability to troubleshoot, diagnose, and resolve problems as they arise strengthens trust and rapport with customers. 

Skilled technicians understand that service disruptions and downtime affect the company’s bottom line. Ensuring that systems are monitored and supported and that any issues are immediately addressed translates into measurable cost savings.

Technicians also realize that possessing knowledge of the latest hardware and software advancements is crucial. New technology could help resolve old, persistent issues and lead to less downtime. This ultimately leads to ‌customer growth and business profitability.

Internal testing  

A proficient DevOps team specializes in the reduction of incidents. This means that they’re continuously testing to ensure new code doesn’t introduce any bugs. 

Every company uses software to complete essential daily tasks. Good technicians realize that all systems work together and take this into consideration before deploying new software, scripts, or code. 

Thorough behind-the-scenes testing of code, scripts, or software updates guarantees that customers won’t have to worry about impacted services. This also ensures code and updates are seamlessly released after they’ve been tested, so customers can rely on stability.

This builds confidence and assurance that the DevOps team is knowledgeable and proficient in what they’re doing.

Version management, security, and compliance

The ability to manage and keep track of software code revisions is essential for a DevOps technician. Capable DevOps professionals possess knowledge of version management tools.  

In addition, DevOps teams can automate processes that can monitor and detect any security threats or compliance issues through continuous monitoring and provisioning.

For example, the introduction of GDPR several years ago changed how companies access, handle, and store data internationally. DevOps was at the core of this, reviewing and updating existing and any new software, technology, and code to make sure it adhered to new laws. 

This act of balancing diverse needs and demands helps keep everyone involved in the project satisfied – and ensures businesses stay compliant.

What skills and traits are important for DevOps employees?

Active listening 

DevOps technicians work across various teams, so the ability to actively listen is just as important as the ability to perform technical tasks. Technicians must be able to take an interest in what others are expressing, ask thoughtful questions, and understand expectations and requirements.

In doing this, they ensure that company and customer needs are always front and center and that they grasp all concerns, issues, questions, and motivations. 

Security skills

DevOps technicians, like all IT professionals, need to have strong security knowledge. Possessing this knowledge means technicians can ensure all systems and data are protected from external threats.

Encryption, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems are all examples of security measures that DevOps engineers should be comfortable implementing.  

Coding and scripting 

Having to manage various server configurations is a major source of frustration for DevOps technicians. A great technician should be able to write configuration management code and scripts using programming languages like Python, Java, Ruby, and PHP to mitigate this. 

In addition, it may be helpful for technicians to have strong Windows and Linux backgrounds so they can effectively deploy and manage servers.

Cloud skills 

DevOps technicians need to have good cloud skills in order to configure and maintain cloud-based infrastructures.  

Cloud services and DevOps are intertwined, as the performance of one depends on the other. For continuous monitoring to run more efficiently, a shift to the cloud is required. Cloud computing provides the necessary platform for testing, deployment, and code releases, all of which are central to DevOps.

Any good DevOps technician should know their way around the resources offered by the most common cloud providers, such as AWS and Azure, and be able to integrate them within existing frameworks.  

Automation 

At the heart of DevOps is automation.

Automation simply means that some script, code, or configuration is created to replace a process that was once done manually. Even the simplest automation that shaves mere seconds off processes adds up to huge savings on billable hours and productivity over time.

For this reason, technicians should know how to automate a DevOps pipeline. They must know and understand infrastructure and configurations, app performance monitoring, CI/CD (continuous integration and continuous delivery) cycles, and much more. 

Skills and traits tests for DevOps candidates

DevOps test

Understanding DevOps concepts and practices is central to being a great DevOps technician.

TestGorilla’s DevOps test evaluates candidates’ DevOps knowledge and ability to apply principles and practices to boost infrastructure, shorten time to market, and reduce new release failure rates.  

Using this test in your hiring process can help you identify top talent among DevOps technicians.

Cloud System Administration test

DevOps technicians must possess the ability to configure, deploy, and maintain cloud-based systems.

The Cloud System Administration test from TestGorilla provides insight into a candidate’s ability to install, configure, and maintain cloud solutions.

Candidates who pass this test demonstrate knowledge and experience in Windows and Linux, networking, and the cloud-based systems AWS and Azure.

Customer Service test

DevOps isn’t just about coding, scripting, and automation. It’s also about understanding and managing customer needs and expectations.

The Customer Service test assesses a candidate’s ability to appropriately respond to customer issues, determine and implement solutions efficiently, and improve customer satisfaction.

This test will help you hire candidates who can interact with customers using appropriate language and understand their inquiries.

Project Management test

An effective DevOps technician must be able to manage projects effectively in order to meet objectives. TestGorilla’s Project Management test assesses candidates’ ability to manage and deliver top-notch work, meet customer requirements and expectations, and communicate effectively throughout a project’s duration.

Using this test, you can identify candidates who possess strong communication skills and who are able to balance various needs to keep all parties pleased.

Python test

DevOps professionals will often find themselves in situations in which coding and scripting are required. A good DevOps technician will need to know several coding languages, including Python. 

TestGorilla’s Python (Coding): Entry-level Algorithms test measures a candidate’s ability to complete a coding task by using algorithms. The test is robust and intuitive, providing live direction to the candidate so they know if their coding is going in the right direction.

TestGorilla offers other Python tests intended for intermediate and advanced candidates, as well as a test intended to assess applicants’ ability to debug.

By incorporating this test into your hiring process, you can ensure your DevOps team is equipped with coders who are well-versed in Python and can translate their knowledge to a real-world scenario.

Attention to Detail test

In the DevOps world, small problems can become big issues, which can prove harmful to your business.  One line of incorrect code, for example, can take hours or days to identify and fix. This directly affects productivity and project budgets. 

For this reason, a good DevOps technician needs to possess strong attention to detail.

TestGorilla’s Attention to Detail (Textual) test assesses candidates’ ability to focus on minuscule details. It presents scenarios that require test-takers to match and filter data, compare information, and check items for consistency.  

This test helps you ensure the technician you’re hiring is thorough and meticulous in their work. They’ll take time to review the smallest and seemingly insignificant bits of information for accuracy and correctness, which is a trait you want any DevOps technician to possess.

Critical Thinking test

DevOps technicians often encounter situations where information is unclear, vague, or confusing. A good technician needs to analyze this information carefully and objectively so they can make informed decisions and judgments. 

TestGorilla’s Critical Thinking test evaluates a candidate’s ability to reason logically, analytically, and independently to solve challenging problems and come up with novel solutions.  

Incorporating this test into the hiring process will guarantee that you have people on your team who can think critically and efficiently handle challenging situations.

How TestGorilla can help you find the best DevOps candidates 

In an industry where reliable technology is key, a well-rounded DevOps technician is essential. The ability to think critically, solve problems, communicate effectively, and code is absolutely necessary to ensure your team operates efficiently.

By taking the time to properly evaluate candidates’ DevOps skills, you can increase the likelihood that your company will be able to manage computing projects of any magnitude.

TestGorilla’s test library serves as a complete toolkit for evaluating essential DevOps abilities. Assess their communication, critical thinking, security skills, and more in the context of project management, cloud computing, and leadership. You can pair this with an interview process that includes several Linux DevOps interview questions or SRE interview questions.

With TestGorilla, you can be confident that you’re selecting only the most talented candidates for your DevOps roles.

Want to transform your hiring process? Sign up for a free 30-minute live demo or get started with our free plan today.