5 Qualities of a Good Systems Administrator

From large corporations to start-ups, many businesses benefit from using an ERP system that uses a group of applications to maximize their full potential. However, like any system, it requires maintenance, upgrades, and troubleshooting, which are tasks performed by systems administrators. While these duties might seem doable by anyone from the IT department, they actually require someone with certain skills and qualifications to be able to complete them satisfactorily. 

If your company is in the process of looking for a systems administrator, here are five qualities to keep an eye out when searching for one. 

Sufficient Technical Skills and Experience

A systems administrator has to have the technical skills and knowledge to handle their job. Ensure that they have experience and understanding of the software used by your company. You can do this by asking them to explain how a specific software works or the processes involved in a program. 

Aside from familiarity with your software systems, experience and knowledge on hardware, advancement of technologies, and other processes can be beneficial. Those who are up-to-date with these kinds of information will often be able to contribute more to your current system software, enabling them to operate and even upgrade it to accommodate your company’s growing needs. 

Good Communication Skills

As an administrative position, systems administrators work with different kinds of people from various departments. They not only work and collaborate with their team, but they also negotiate with managers and discuss problems with end-users. More often than not, people outside of the IT department have little knowledge of IT-specific terms, and talking to them as if they do can end in an argument or misunderstanding. 

A good systems administrator can discuss problems or their software processes in layman’s terms, so end-users and managers easily absorb the information. This also ensures that end-users can utilize programs properly and avoid mistakes when using the software.

This skill is also helpful for end-users who are confrontational and might have complaints when encountering problems with the system. Administrators might have to deal with these kinds of people, and knowing how to talk to them or calm them down can help both the administrator and user resolve any issues. 

Collaborates Well with Others

Aside from working with people from different departments, systems administrators also work with people in their team and department. Good collaboration ensures that your team delivers the work required of them within the given deadline. It also allows for a good workflow and working environment that lessens the stress of dealing with unexpected situations or problems. 

Collaboration is also helpful when communicating the needs and complaints of end-users to your team. As they have an idea for what kind of problems the software might have, putting it into words and delivering the needed solutions or other suggestions to programmers is an advantage.

Willingness to Learn and Improve

Systems administrators should have a desire to better themselves, not only for the benefit of the company, but for themselves as well. Just as technology is ever-evolving, so should your systems administrators. 

New technologies mean improvements for programs and the development of new frameworks, which can help efficiency within the workplace. Your systems administrator should be knowledgeable of these new technologies and know how to implement them into your existing system.

Aside from learning about technological advancements, enriching themselves with knowledge from other disciplines can help them develop problem-solving and other interpersonal skills. While these traits might not be related to IT, they prove advantageous when working in corporations where they encounter all kinds of people, as these people are typically their end-users.

Excellent Analytical and Troubleshooting Skills

Solving bugs or other technical issues within the system is one of the most important jobs of a systems administrator. Besides this, they have to troubleshoot software while ensuring that end-users will not be disturbed or the network security won’t be compromised. 

Their skills and technical knowledge will come in handy during these times, and their ability to solve it quickly can only come from experience and expertise. A good eye for detail can help them spot problems in the code or software immediately. This skill also aids in troubleshooting and guarantees a quick turnaround time. 

With these five qualities in mind, your company shouldn’t have any problems finding a good systems administrator. These traits can also be found in the people behind ANSI, a business software solutions provider that’s catered to your business needs. With their team of highly skilled engineers and programmers, they can provide a long-lasting partnership that helps you maintain, upgrade, and troubleshoot ERP systems and more. Contact ANSI today to get an efficient yet powerful system for your corporation.