In the workplace, and especially among tech companies, there’s a strong focus on employees’ skills. Those with strong coding abilities, relevant certifications and professional licenses are often the most sought-after employees. But in recent years, employers have begun paying more attention to soft skills like time management, empathy and kindness.
In this article, we’ll discuss what soft skills are and how they can help you become the best employee you can be.
What Are Soft Skills?
Soft skills are attributes that allow you to interact well and effectively with others. Given that definition, it’s easy to see why these skills are just as important as hard skills like coding, mathematics and project management.
Why Do Employers Care About Soft Skills?
Most of the time spent in a tech role occurs within teams. Even computer programmers, who often work alone, must be able to work in teams to accomplish certain goals. This is one major reason why employers are valuing soft skills more when hiring new employees.
Soft skills allow employees to effectively share knowledge with their teams, mentor inexperienced colleagues and tackle difficult issues with a positive attitude. Critical soft skills include compassion for others, resourcefulness and patience.
Do Soft Skills Matter in Tech Jobs?
As long as people are working in tech jobs, soft skills matter. Company culture has become increasingly important as more companies attempt to build diverse, inclusive and kind workplaces for all. Soft skills are a vital part of this initiative across all industries, including tech.
The Best Soft Skills for Tech Workers to Have
Below, we’ll take a look at some of the best soft skills for tech workers to have. You’ll need some or most of these tech soft skills to thrive in the competitive, fast-paced industry.
Communication
To be a successful tech professional, you must communicate with more than your computer. You’ll also need to communicate with people on your team and others in the company.
Both verbal and written communication skills are necessary for just about any workplace. Meetings, emails and even blog posts are all settings where you can practice and hone these skills.
Critical Thinking
Analytical thinking is vital to any tech position. As a tech professional, you will have to tackle difficult problems with clever, innovative solutions. If this doesn’t come naturally to you, you’re in luck—anyone can train themselves to think more critically.
Critical thinking helps you think outside the box and approach problems from a creative angle. If you’re strong in this area, you might be more in tune with trends and patterns, or you might notice things that others don’t notice.
Empathy
Empathy can enhance every job and career path. This crucial soft skill allows you to understand issues and problems from other people’s points of view. If you aspire to work in management or mentor more junior employees, empathy is a critical tech soft skill.
Organization
Lack of organization can tank a project just as quickly as a lack of experience. Without the ability to keep tasks, information and deadlines straight, important details can fall through the cracks. Strong organizational skills lead to more efficient and productive teams.
Problem Solving
This skill goes hand in hand with critical thinking. The ability to solve problems is helpful in any industry, and it’s one of the best soft skills for tech, as employees typically encounter emerging problems in the field. The ability to look at issues in a different light or from a different angle can come in handy in any tech job.
Resourcefulness
Resourcefulness allows you to overcome challenges in quick, creative ways. Employers appreciate workers who can solve problems independently, efficiently and with the resources at their disposal. Reading and self-study at home are good ways to learn more about your chosen industry and become a more resourceful employee.
Time Management
“Time management” is a buzz phrase you’ve probably been hearing since grade school, and for better or worse, it’s relevant in the workplace as well. High-tech industries often operate under tight deadlines without much flexibility. When given a deadline, employees may have to work backward to figure out the best way to manage their time given their other responsibilities.
How to Improve Your Soft Skills
Above, you’ve learned about some of the best soft skills for tech jobs. If you’re lacking in any of the areas we mentioned, it might be time to put some time into strengthening those skills. Below are some of our recommendations for building tech soft skills.
- Find a mentor. A mentor can be anyone you choose: a co-worker, your boss or simply someone senior to you in your workplace. If you seek out a mentor at work, choose someone who’s willing to take on the task. An absent mentor or one who’s only willing to meet for a few minutes each month can’t help you increase your skill set as much as a mentor who’s engaged and regularly available.
- Read a helpful book. Some of today’s top titles for developing soft skills in the workplace are Soft Skills: The Software Developer’s Life Manual by John Sonmez and The Softer Side of Leadership by Dr. Eugene Habecker.
- Take a course. There are plenty of online options through platforms like Udemy and Team Treehouse.
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