India, July 2 -- Many IT managers describe their staff as a team. When things are going well, such managers are likely to declare they're on "a winning streak." Similarly, a staff member who communicates well and completes tasks reliably and without complaint is said to be "a team player."

The staff-as-a-team metaphor also comes into play when screening IT job candidates. Talent identification and development hold many similarities whether we are talking about athletics, academics or technology teams, observes Ryan Sutton, a district president for human resources consulting firm Robert Half Technology. "Recruiting for an open position is just like recruiting for any team sport -- you are both looking to acquire a specialized skill and st...