If you want somebody to talk to your computers you employ somebody who can do that. If you need somebody who can deal with customers, then you employ somebody to do that. You can find a happy medium for many roles. But for a lot your better of seperating them. This is why you have sales people and marketing people and HR and line managers. Your tech people dealing with your computers need to be able to do that, anything else upto and including personal hygiene is a bonus. Computer room cooling units aint just to cool the computers down, for many there air showers.
The real question should be, are companies asking the right types of tech questions in there interview process. The tech skill should be relevant to what you have experienced and asking question about how they would deal with a situation you recently had and seeing how there mind responds knowing how you eventualy solved it will give you an insight. It also tells you, if we had this chap then would we of solved that problem quicker and if it's yes then that person nomatter what is sombody of value to your company, thats the easiest way in an interview on how to measure there tech skills. You can ask more detailed questions during the thought process as you already have the answears as you experienced it. Remember there is a probabtion period as well so you have a safty net nomatter what and remember that works both ways. So don't overpromise either, be honest and open. Works both ways. Somebody who knows there limitations is also important. Some people have no limitations, but they can take a while, as long as they know that again that can be fine. You as the manager should also have somebody who you can communicate with, even if you have to interpret geek to managment, anything else is a bonus if they can do the job in a way that add's value, everybody is happy.
The real question should be, are companies asking the right types of tech questions in there interview process. The tech skill should be relevant to what you have experienced and asking question about how they would deal with a situation you recently had and seeing how there mind responds knowing how you eventualy solved it will give you an insight. It also tells you, if we had this chap then would we of solved that problem quicker and if it's yes then that person nomatter what is sombody of value to your company, thats the easiest way in an interview on how to measure there tech skills. You can ask more detailed questions during the thought process as you already have the answears as you experienced it. Remember there is a probabtion period as well so you have a safty net nomatter what and remember that works both ways. So don't overpromise either, be honest and open. Works both ways. Somebody who knows there limitations is also important. Some people have no limitations, but they can take a while, as long as they know that again that can be fine. You as the manager should also have somebody who you can communicate with, even if you have to interpret geek to managment, anything else is a bonus if they can do the job in a way that add's value, everybody is happy.