How to Choose the Right Staffing Solutions for Your Company
As businesses head into 2018, many are thinking of how they'll bring on new hires in the new year. ...
Gary Johnson, COO
Oct 1, 2021 10:55:00 AM
Considering that almost every aspect of our lives is getting tech-enabled, it shouldn’t be surprising that software developers are one of the most wanted professionals in the business world. While IT firms have well-defined skillsets that they want in software developers, most overlook the soft skills that are equally crucial.
Like all other functions, software development doesn’t work in isolation. Software developers need soft skills that will help them engage with their clients, supervisors, and the technical team, if any, at the client’s end. If your organization is looking to hire software developers, it will help you ensure that they have these five essential soft skills.
5 soft skills to look for in a Software Developer
Communication
While communication is mostly defined as the ability to articulate one’s ideas, the willingness to listen to and respect others’ opinions is also a crucial element. Although it’s a highly individual task, software developers will have to interact with their supervisors and managers to get feedback.
You should ensure that the individual you hire can value a contradictory opinion without getting offended or aggrieved. This is especially significant when workers are remotely placed and reviews happen through video conferences and feedback is given through emails and texts which may look transactional.
People skills
Software development is a team effort. This means that the developer should be able to work with teams in your office and those on the client’s side. So, the software developer you hire should be able to get along with people.
They should be comfortable meeting people, remember their names, be genuinely interested in what others have to say, and not be afraid to engage in conversations. Importantly, they should be able to see things from the other individual’s point of view. In other words, people should look forward to meeting your software developer.
Open-mindedness
Unless they’re receptive to others’ ideas, software development will take longer, and the eventual product will be suboptimal. Being open-minded isn’t just about listening to someone else’s opinion. It’s valuing that feedback while acknowledging that your product will be better when others participate in its creation.
It’s also about being open to new approaches, some of which may be contradictory to what they would’ve been trained in. In other words, open-mindedness is what leads to agility.
Time management
As they say, shipping beats perfection. Software development is always within a deadline and requires several reviews, time for iterations, and eventual internal approval. While this has always been a challenge, remote work has made it exceedingly difficult.
Your candidate should be able to independently give deadlines and honor them without the need for constant reminders. If they need additional time, they should alert others in advance.
Patience
Any creative task - and software development is one - requires patience. Others may not immediately understand what you’re trying to do simply because it’s new. You may have to repeatedly explain and answer what may seem like rudimentary queries.
The candidate you choose should be able to do that. They should be patient with their team members and the client if their feedback process takes longer than expected. They should understand that everyone’s on the same boat and that it takes time for a product to get final approvals.
Seek expert help
Hiring top talent in IT and technology can be easy and seamless when you work with the seasoned experts at Bear Staffing. We’ve successfully placed software developers and other IT professionals in organizations that have immensely benefited from their services. Contact us to know how we can help you get the right software developers for your team.