Which IT Personality Are You? [Quiz]

Building the best team for your IT department takes patience and expertise. With demand for skills greatly outpacing the supply of talent, it can sometimes be tricky to secure people who not only have the knowledge and experience you need, but who will fit into your company's culture.

In the IT department, it's not just about knowing the right programming languages, or understanding how your infrastructure works. Personalities play a big role in making sure your team works successfully.

A good department needs a varied mix of personalities and opinions to work effectively - and we don't just mean when it comes to getting along and working together without conflict. A good IT team also needs people that can look at problems from different angles, won't be afraid to provide their own opinions, but are always working towards a common goal.

With this in mind, here are four personality types that no IT department should be without.

The Analyst

In a world so heavily reliant of data, it should be no surprise that someone with keen analytical skills will be a valuable addition to an IT team. But this doesn't necessarily have to be someone whose specialty lies in areas such as big data analytics. Instead, anyone who's able to evaluate a problem, take in information and details from multiple sources, and put together a big picture is invaluable, as these individuals typically have great problem-solving skills and will quickly be able to identify where your team's efforts should be focused.

The Socializer

Every department needs someone who can communicate well and get people working as a team, and the IT department is no exception. Indeed, the socializer is particularly useful in areas where it can sometimes feel as though work is a solo task. A good socializer knows when to bring people out of their individual zones and come together. Importantly, however, they should also know when someone is best left alone to complete their task.

The Skeptic

No-one really likes having negative energy around, but sometimes it pays to have someone on hand who can cast a critical eye over things and quickly spot any potential stumbling blocks or issues that will need to be addressed before a new technology is implemented. As long as it is done in the right way (ie, by ensuring they offer constructive suggestions rather than just criticism of an idea), having a skeptic on your team is essential in ensuring your feet are kept on the ground. Call them the devil's advocate, call them the pessimist - just make sure they're doing more than moaning.

The Enthusiast

If the job of the skeptic is to identify the weaknesses in any project or technology, then it's the enthusiast's job to counter this by advocating the benefits. But more than that, the role of the enthusiast is to be the cheerleader of your team - not just within the department, but when it comes to promoting what you do to the board and to other departments. Their passion for their topic should help get everyone else excited about what the IT team is doing, and how it can make their working lives better.