Hiring I.T. technicians can be daunting for most people because the technology is complex. They don’t have the knowledge to know if they’re being told the truth - or even what questions to ask.

Interviewing a tech service company or an I.T. worker when you don’t understand the job can make you feel vulnerable and rightly so. But don’t let that stop you from asking questions and really digging into their experience. Because you don’t have their in-depth knowledge means you need to dig deeper and not be shy.

When evaluating an I.T. team start with communication. Whether the I.T. experts you hire are able to communicate effectively in a way that makes you feel comfortable is one of the most important things. They should be making a real effort to help demystify what they do, and to make you feel heard, and a part of the process. If they are able to communicate well it also shows the kind of confidence that usually comes from experience.

Here are some other initial questions to ask:

1. How long has your company been in business?

If a business has only been operating for a couple of years, be wary. Of course, every business needs to start somewhere, but in our industry stability and experience mean a great deal. Not only do you want to have knowledgeable I.T. professionals, but you want to know they’ll likely be around for the long term to get to know you and your network.

2. How often do you do what you’re doing for me?

You want to match the right skill to the job. As I mentioned above, we have several different I.T. specialists to consult on different kinds of problems. And don’t just take their word for it - ask for names of clients they’ve helped and feel free to contact them. If everything went well, they’ll be glad to give you that information.

3. Are your technician resumes online?

Most technical professionals have a LinkedIn page. Consulting these pages and see how they describe themselves and what their experience. You’ll get to see where they’ve worked, and for how long and just comparing between profiles can be instructive.

More Specific I.T. Questions

Once you have a general sense for the I.T. team or consultant, don’t stop there. You need to be able to discuss the project and how they treat clients in details. For example, feel free to ask how long something takes. They might not be able to answer on the spot (which in itself can be a good sign) but this should lead the conversation around to the kind of detailed information that will help them to understand the situation better.