How to get the pick of the litter

With more résumés flooding in, how do you zoom in on the best IT job applicants? Here's advice from those with hiring experience:

1. Watch them while they work.

Chris Vecchiolla, manager of TNG Unicenter development for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, says throughout the interviewing process he'll have candidates show exactly what they can do. Either by using Microsoft's NetMeeting or in person, Vecchiolla gives candidates tasks to complete and watches while they work.

"The key is weeding through the weak candidates or 'paper MCSEs' and then spending time on the real prospects," he says.

2. Make sure the skills fit the job.

Gerry Bonnar, director of technical services for Metamor, an IT contracting placement firm, says the best way he's found to place candidates in the right technical position is to have them meet with the person currently performing the job or someone with similar job duties. He says the person doing the job will be in the best position to judge whether the candidate can perform the job as well.

3. Read between the lines.

Bonnar also notes that it may be a warning sign when potential candidates - even those with certifications - have several different positions listed on their résumés in a relatively short time period. "That says to me that they weren't able to perform as expected, but in the booming market it didn't matter too much and they were rehired elsewhere," he says.

4. Change isn't always good.

Richard Glasburg, director of data communications for the commonwealth of Massachusetts, says his radar for a potentially bad hire goes off when the candidate is willing to change his career significantly, such as "going from being a straight engineer to a help desk person." He understands everyone wants to be employed, but the compromises people say they are willing to make may not stand the test of time.

5. Exhaust all options.

Don't wait for the qualified candidate to come to you. Explore every avenue to find a potential staff member: Comb university and college campuses; exploit the Internet and all the job sites available; enlist current employees to refer candidates; and look for people with the skills you need who are employed at other companies.