At Revolt BI, recruiting new data engineers is key to the success of our team working with different types of data. Being a fairly large role, it all starts with the right definition of requirements on our end. We need to establish what skills and qualifications will be required for the data engineer role. And it is these criteria that are most influenced by the type of projects that a given data engineer will be tackling.

In order to make sure that all interested candidates know about the position, we put together an advertisement that clearly describes all the information about the position, the skill requirements, the expected experience, and of course, what all the company will offer. We then post the advert both internally and externally on websites, job portals, social media and other professional sites.

And then it’s on to meeting the candidates. During the first candidate meeting, which usually lasts about an hour, we try to get a better understanding of the candidate’s skills, experience and motivation. At Revolt, it is very important to us if the candidate fits in with the company culture. It’s also for the sake of the candidates themselves, as we believe that if a person is happy in their job on a human level, the work itself is much more enjoyable and fulfilling.

In other technical interviews, we then look to identify specific practical skills related to data engineering, such as knowledge of Python, databases and working with them, such as SQL. An integral part of this is then assessing skills in designing and optimising database schemas and knowledge of tools and frameworks such as Apache Hadoop or Apache Spark or Kafka.

Markéta Kaňka is the HR lead at Revolt BI, which recruited most of the employees. Based on her experience with hundreds of candidates, she has written a practical guide on how to start a career in data and data analytics.

Candidates will also find it useful if they have experience with data processing and transformation in ETL processes or system architecture. For some types of projects, it is essential to know how to use cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure or Google Cloud, of which we have become a certified partner.

After these two rounds, we usually already give a concrete offer to the candidate, discussing the start date and other details so that the onboarding process itself is already as smooth and comfortable as possible for the new employee.

Overall, it is very important that the whole recruitment process is as transparent as possible and respects the interests of both parties. Thus, even if we don’t agree to work with some candidates for the first time, you will always receive constructive feedback from us. Your opinion on the whole recruitment process is very valuable to us, as it is the only way we can move forward.