How to Hire a Cloud Engineer in 2026

Recruitment is a chaotic process, which is now being simplified by technology. There are skill assessment tools, websites, job portals and many other things to assist the hiring process. The purpose of using technology for assessment and the interview process is to obtain useful information from the applications and find the perfect candidate for a job. Especially in cloud computing which is all about use of hardware and software to deliver services over network.

According to a study by indeed.com, cloud engineering is among the top 10 most in-demand jobs. Almost all businesses have migrated their workload to cloud and require employees that can handle this transformation. So how do we find a cloud engineer best suitable for your company?

Candidates who are seeking a job as a cloud engineer invests a lot in their careers. Starting from getting a job to enhancing their skills and getting ahead of the competition, a cloud engineer has a lot to do. During the hiring process, a candidate is exposed to many aspects of recruitment. Hence, candidate experience is thing to be highly focused upon for better recruitment. Here are few things a recruiter needs to think of while creating cloud computing tests.

Who is a good cloud engineer?

In order to hire a good cloud engineer, you need to have a fair idea about the cloud computing skills that are required in your organization. Cloud engineers, just like software engineers, know how to design software applications, and they should also know how to make use of cloud infrastructure, services, and tools available at their disposal.

Cloud engineers know how to make the best use of cloud service to build a specific software. They write and design code that works best with cloud components.

Roles of cloud engineers

The work of a cloud engineer is a mix of software, architecture, designing, and operations. Hence, while hiring cloud experts, recruiters want to ensure that their candidates have the right combination of skills. Some of these skills include:

1. Programming Skills

‍Developers play an important role in building a software, which is why having good programming skills is a must. Developers build, launch, and manage software. Therefore, cloud engineers need to be well-versed with programming languages, such as SQL, Python, XML, java, and .net.

2. Storage

Cloud services are essentially used for storage purposes. Cloud-based storage does not only keep the records but maintains it and makes them easy to access. Depending on the company requirements, the storage used can vary.

3. Cloud Service Providers

‍The essential step in cloud computing recruitment is to see if the candidate understands how cloud providers work. The two popular cloud service providers are AWS and Azure. Almost all services in cloud computing are provided by these providers, making this skill essential skill for cloud engineers.

4. Containers

‍Containers are a reliable method of moving software from one cloud computing environment to another. Having a sound knowledge of how container-based applications work is also a skill a recruiter must look for.

5. DevOps

AWS DevOps is an important skill to have for a cloud engineer who works as both a software and operations engineer and wants to deliver quick solutions. Hence, AWS DevOps skill can be used as one of the parameters to check the efficiency of a candidate.

6. Web Services And API

The architecture of any cloud services is based on web services and APIs.

7. Security and Disaster Recovery

‍Cloud security is the most crucial aspect of cloud services, so a candidate must be well versed with maintaining security and implementing protective measures against malware attacks. The purpose of cloud security is to protect data, applications, and the cloud infrastructure.

This skill is crucial for a cloud engineer as the understanding the concepts of security and disaster recovery would be one of the basic things a recruiter would expect.

8. Linux, Virtualization

‍Linux provides features like easy customization, open source, and security making the life of programmers easy. Many servers that power Azure alone are Linux based and Linux is widely adopted in cloud-based platforms. Designing and maintaining Linux servers is another skill often assessed by recruiters.

9. Networking

‍Cloud networking has observed a high demand as customers are looking for easier ways to access networks using cloud-based services. A cloud engineer’s role is to design automatic adjustment procedures so that the network is responsive to the expectations of a user. Therefore, a cloud engineer needs a good understanding of the fundamentals of networking.

Steps in cloud computing recruitment

1. Assessment

In the recruitment of any cloud engineer or cloud computing expert, the first step is to conduct an effective assessment. A professional with experience is always preferred as they bring with them expertise and efficiency, which is required for vital roles like cloud computing.

To conduct an assessment, the best solution for a recruiter is to use an online skill assessment platform like iMocha. It has one of the largest skill library and recruiters can customize their own tests using the skill tests that are available or by adding your own set of questions.

Image and video proctoring help in remote assessment and recruiters can get a systematic and detailed statistical analysis of the assessment, which aids in the decision-making process.

Another concern that many recruiters are facing is of addressing the cloud skills gap. This can be best resolved with skill assessment tools. The skill tests also have an option wherein a recruiter can decide the level of difficulty. Not all candidates can easily answer difficult questions, and this makes it easy for recruiters to see if the candidate can adjust with the demanding nature and the pace of digitalization.

2. Interview questions to hire cloud experts

The next step in recruitment is the interview. Although skill assessment gives a fair idea of the candidature, it is important to conduct an interview to validate the assessment and assess other important but non-technical aspects of the role. Here are few questions that interviewers normally ask a cloud computing professional:

• What are the types of data used in cloud computing?
• What are some open source cloud platform databases?
• How can the organization benefit from cloud computing?
• What are the different service models used for cloud computing?
• How can you secure the data and transport it in cloud?
• Name some security measures and features implemented in cloud.

Cloud computing can be tailored for different verticals, work-flow processes, and other structural components of any organization. It is necessary to keep the goals ambitious so you’re able to achieve the best out the process.

3. Final Selection and Decision Making

Once assessments and interviews are completed, the next stage is evaluating all candidate insights. This includes technical test scores, interview performance, cultural alignment, and the candidate's ability to work with your existing cloud infrastructure.

Recruiters and hiring managers should collaborate to review detailed reports from the assessment platform, compare candidates objectively, and decide who best fits the job requirements. Tools like iMocha make this step efficient by offering consolidated analytics, benchmark comparisons, and candidate scorecards that simplify the selection process.

4. Onboarding Cloud Engineers

After selecting the right cloud engineer, a clear onboarding plan ensures faster productivity. Introduce them to your cloud architecture, security protocols, documentation, version control systems, and collaboration tools.

Cloud engineers also benefit from sandbox access to test systems, shadowing opportunities, and early involvement in small-scale cloud migration or maintenance tasks. Proper onboarding reduces time to productivity and ensures engineers understand organizational standards from day one.

Why using iMocha elevates cloud engineering recruitment

Hiring cloud engineers can be challenging due to the rapid evolution of technologies and the depth of skills required.

iMocha helps overcome this by offering:

• Comprehensive skill tests for AWS, Azure, GCP, DevOps, Linux, networking, and security
• Hands-on labs, coding simulators, and scenario-based challenges
• AI powered proctoring and advanced analytics to ensure hiring accuracy
• Custom assessments tailored to your tech stack, tools, and workflows

By using a data driven approach, organizations significantly reduce hiring time, improve quality of hire, and ensure the selected candidates are fully capable of handling modern cloud infrastructures.

Conclusion

Recruitment in cloud computing demands precision, clarity, and the right evaluation tools. As cloud becomes the backbone of digital transformation, hiring the right cloud engineer is critical.

By focusing on essential skills, designing effective assessments, conducting meaningful interviews, and using platforms like iMocha, organizations can select candidates who are not only technically strong but aligned with long term business goals. A structured approach helps companies stay competitive and build scalable, secure, and innovative cloud solutions for the future.