Add some soft skills to your tech stack smarts

Voice of Verve insight by Germaine Samuels | Verve Technology Specialist

Being ‘techy’ is a valuable skillset. But when it comes to hiring, soft skills like emotional intelligence, communication, adaptability and creative problem solving are increasingly sought after, says our tech specialist Germaine Samuels.

The demand for soft skills when hiring is nothing new. It’s a trend we’ve been seeing for years now, not just in tech but across every industry.

But the increasingly complex, fast-evolving and deeply collaborative nature of tech workspaces has pushed soft skills further up the value ladder. They’re no longer just a nice-to-have—employers are now using them as a tiebreaker.

Culture contributors, not just task-doers

This is the message I’m getting from many hiring managers in the tech space.

They’re now focusing more on hiring people who aren’t only skilled and quickly able to adapt and grow their technical skills but who have strong soft skills and can contribute positively to the company culture.

They want people who bring a human touch to their work—not just ‘task-doers’. So, if you feel your soft skills could use some growth, it’s definitely worth investing time and effort to improve them.

Soft skills sought in every role

Here are some examples of why soft skills matter more than ever in tech:

• A software developer working on a health app needs strong communication and teamwork skills to successfully collaborate with healthcare professionals, UX designers and project managers to ensure the solution aligns with user needs.
• A cloud engineer quickly needs to learn and implement a new platform to meet a client’s evolving requirements while also training colleagues on the change.
• A product manager at a fintech company must apply empathy and active listening to understand user frustrations and build the right tools.
• A senior DevOps engineer mentoring junior team members in different time zones has to combine technical guidance with patience and cultural sensitivity.
• A data analyst has to apply creative thinking to identify unconventional data sources, leading to unique insights that drive business growth.

In all instances, the value of soft skills for tech professionals of all levels is undeniable. They enhance effectiveness in every role.

Let’s have a conversation

If you’re looking for talented techies with exceptional soft skills, reach out to Germaine today for a chat about how we can support you in securing them. Candidates, let’s talk about how we can develop those soft skills!