How to Hire a Senior DBA

There were more than 108,000 database administrators in 2009 in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. DBAs are in charge of the data management functions of an organization. These include purchasing and installing database products, managing development projects, data security, back-up and recovery, and planning for future database requirements. A senior DBA, or database administrator, would most likely report to the Chief Information Officer of the company, and be in charge of the database management operations. Given the central role of data management in most businesses, hiring the right person for this job is a critical undertaking.

• 1

  Prepare a hiring schedule. The new hire is probably going to take over from someone who is moving to another job or retiring. Working back from that departure date, allow for at least eight weeks to complete the hiring process. This would include two to three weeks for advertising the job; two to three weeks for the short-listing and interviewing process; and another week or two to complete the background checks.

• 2

  Organize a selection committee. Most members of this committee should be from a technical background and be well-versed in database administration concepts.

• 3

  Prepare a job description. Understand the technical needs. If your company uses an Oracle database product, your ideal candidate will have worked as an Oracle DBA. However, be flexible. A candidate who has managed in a Microsoft database server environment is not necessarily unqualified. It just means that there will be a ramp-up period for her to get used to the new technology. The underlying concepts of database administration is roughly the same across different vendor platforms.

• 4

  Advertise the position. If you have started the hiring process, the chances are that senior management has concluded that there are no qualified internal candidates for the role. Still, it is important to advertise both internally and externally. If you have an existing relationship with a recruitment firm that specializes in information technology, involve them in the job advertising process.

• 5

  Track the resumes received in response to your advertisement. Prepare a short list of no more than four or five of the most qualified candidates.

• 6

  Discuss the interview process with the selection committee, and decide on a general list of areas to explore with the short-listed candidates. Conduct the interviews.

• 7

  Ask for a list of references and request permission to conduct background checks. Conduct these checks.

• 8

  Offer the job to your top choice. In most cases, this involves sending an offer letter and requesting an accept or decline indication. There may be some negotiations on salaries, stock options and the start date.

• 9

  Conduct an orientation session by first introducing the new senior DBA to the other database team members. This is especially important if it is an external hire, because you would need to allow for a transition period for the new member to get acquainted with his peers and the company operations.