The Value of Soft Skills in a High Tech World
The days of hiding in a cubicle, only to trot out periodically with a good line of code, are over. Today, IT managers have a place at the strategy table, and programmers collaborate across departments to solve business problems. That makes soft skills like communication and leadership just as important as knowing where to place a curly bracket.
Here’s why soft skills are so crucial in the digital era.
Interpersonal Skills Matter
Far from being relegated to a basement server room, IT is now front and center in your business. For many companies, IT is the business, which means developers can’t hide anymore behind their computer screens. End users and business lines intersect right at the technology expert’s desk, so interpersonal skills are crucial to working in today’s Agile environments.
Udemy lists the soft skills that matter the most today, whether you’re DevOps or a department head, project manager, or programmer:
- Change management skills. These are termed “growth mindset,” but the result is the same. People exhibiting these soft skills can meet the complex and ever-changing workplace challenges.
- Creativity is one of those skills that the layperson doesn’t think exists in the developer world. But creativity and innovation are essential and responsible for some of the hottest words in tech today, such as “blockchain” or “AI.”
- Ability to focus. Our digital world clamors all around us. The email dings, we’re on a deadline, Slack is pinging, and your boss just walked in. The best soft skill to master in today’s hectic work world is the ability to singularly focus on the task at hand.
- Communication is huge. If you can’t communicate, you won’t succeed today. Miscommunication costs companies $420,000 to $62 million every year. Automation can handle mundane tasks, but nothing takes the place of a verbal or written communication to move a meeting or a task forward.
Hiring teams look for technical resources that can translate the needs of the business into a technical solution. These new technology roles are, in fact, hybrids, combining the best soft skills with a high level of technical understanding.
Today, these soft skills are imperatives for landing a job in technology. The days of the surly computer curmudgeon are gone, having been replaced by a cadre of smart, effective technical collaborators intensely focused on changing their corner of the world.
Searching for Top Talent?
The Custom Group of Companies has a robust pipeline of technical talent with plenty of soft skills to help your organization and projects succeed. Talk to our team about this new type of resource and how we can help.
