Why Is Hiring Ops Talent So Hard? Real Stories from the Frontline

Why Operations (Ops) Roles Are Hard to Recruit

Multiple Zhihu contributors describe systemic factors that make Ops positions difficult to fill:

Low perceived value: Ops work does not generate direct revenue, so management often treats it as a cost center and under‑invests.

Broad, complex skill set: Ops engineers must be proficient in many scripting languages (bash, perl, python, java), Linux package management (RPM, DEB, Red Hat, SuSE), systemd, networking, SNMP, distributed storage, virtualization, cloud platforms, Windows domain controllers, backup solutions (Acronis, hyper‑converged storage), and hardware troubleshooting. The diversity of tools makes it hard to find specialists.

Inconsistent job definitions: Companies label the role variously as help‑desk, network admin, or full‑stack Ops, leading to mismatched expectations during recruitment.

Poor compensation and career growth: Salaries for 1‑3 year Ops staff typically range from 4 k–8 k RMB, while developers with similar experience earn 10 k RMB or more. This drives talent toward development or SRE roles.

Limited involvement in planning: Ops staff often inherit poorly designed infrastructure (e.g., RAID‑0 databases) without influence on system architecture.

Heavy workload and on‑call duties: Unexpected incidents—power outages, hardware failures, backup issues, security patches—require rapid, multidisciplinary response, adding stress.

Company culture: In some firms Ops is treated as low‑status, with additional unrelated tasks (e.g., dormitory management, sales) that further reduce job attractiveness.

Typical Operational Scenarios Illustrating the Challenges

Examples from respondents include:

Switching between scripting languages (bash → perl → python → java) while maintaining legacy systems that lack basic tools like vim.

Managing both RPM‑based and DEB‑based Linux distributions, each with distinct version‑specific changes (e.g., RHEL 4‑9, systemd migration).

Handling Windows domain controller failures and SQL Server quirks that require manual restarts.

Configuring SNMP monitoring, setting up distributed storage, and troubleshooting network routing and firewall issues.

Responding to power failures: coordinating with utilities, manually shutting down servers, and restoring services after backup restoration via Acronis and hyper‑converged platforms.

Dealing with legacy FTP services (serv‑u) and outdated client software, requiring ad‑hoc replacements such as FileZilla.

Coordinating with multiple internal teams (development, finance, facilities) while under time pressure to resolve incidents.

Conclusion

The difficulty in hiring Ops staff stems not from a lack of talent but from systemic issues: low compensation, excessive responsibilities, unclear role definitions, and insufficient recognition of Ops value. Addressing these factors—by aligning salary with skill demands, clarifying job scopes, and involving Ops in system design—could improve recruitment and retention.