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What are soft skills and their importance in the IT industry
The role of soft skills continues to grow in work and during recruitment. Companies notice that behind the success of their employees' work is not only outstanding knowledge of programming or computer tools but also communication skills or the ability to work in a team. Find out why this is the case.
Intro
Soft and hard skills are words that often come up in the world of recruitment. We observe that the demand for soft skills increases every year. These are important data indicating how crucial interpersonal skills are.
Improving these skills contributes to achieving professional and personal success. Since so much is said about them, let's establish what exactly soft skills are? Why are they so important (even in IT)? We will try to answer these questions in our article. We invite you to read on.
What you will learn in this article
Soft skills include communication skills, ability to cooperate, team management, empathy and creativity.
They are important not only at work. They help to communicate better and manage conflicts.
They also improve the quality of relationships with people outside of work.
Employers now highly value these skills. They see in them the ability to innovate and flexibility.
There are many opportunities to develop these competencies, from training to working with a mentor.
What are soft skills?
Soft skills are attributes crucial for good communication and cooperation. They are inestimable, can be included in a CV, but to verify them, they need to be checked in action. They differ from hard skills, which are based on specific knowledge.
Soft skills can be called psychosocial abilities. They cover many aspects, for example: creativity, communication skills, and assertiveness. They are important both at work and for private life.
The role of soft skills in professional life
Soft skills help employees communicate better and motivate teams. This is reflected in increased productivity.
Employers are also paying more attention to them. You can teach an employee new things, but it's difficult to develop soft skills. That's why as many as 82% of job offers require these skills.
Why are soft skills important?
There are many reasons why the role of soft skills in the job market is becoming increasingly significant. Soft skills are crucial because they facilitate contacts with other employees. They allow being more effective, easier to develop, or talk to clients.
Importance in the workplace
Research shows that recruiters look for people who can solve problems (62%) and adapt to new situations (49%). Managerial soft skills are important for 48% of employers. This emphasizes the importance of these skills in various positions. Problem-solving skills are invaluable in the workplace.
Impact on personal development
Soft skills are irreplaceable in the context of personal development. The ability to adapt and flexibility help to learn new things. Developing these skills affects stress management and increases self-confidence.
| Soft skills | Share of recruiters (%) |
|---|---|
| Problem solving | 62 |
| Ability to adapt | 49 |
| Time management | 48 |
Examples of soft skills
At work, soft skills that help in effective communication and building relationships are important. They can be divided into different categories important for a good atmosphere in the company.
Interpersonal communication
Communication is the foundation of success in every field. Research shows that recruiters particularly value the ability to express thoughts precisely – often even more than specialized knowledge.
Through skillful communication, we can better understand the expectations of our colleagues and clients, which translates into more effective cooperation and job satisfaction.
Empathy and understanding
Empathy, or the ability to put oneself in other people's situations, plays a key role in shaping a positive atmosphere in the workplace and effectively managing differences.
By supporting our colleagues, we build a cohesive and harmonious team, which directly translates into achieving common goals and the success of our work.
Teamwork
The ability to work in a team is very important. This means the ability to cooperate with colleagues to achieve common goals.
Close cooperation helps to diagnose and solve problems faster, improves knowledge flow, and minimizes the number of errors.
Creativity in problem-solving
Creativity opens new possibilities at work. It's not just art, but also creative thinking in problem-solving. This helps in adapting to changes and company development.
| Soft Skill | Description | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Effective communication | Ability to clearly and professionally convey information | Better understanding of needs and expectations |
| Empathy at work | Ability to empathize with other people's situations | Building positive relationships and better conflict management |
| Group work | Ability to cooperate and coordinate actions | Achieving common goals and increasing team effectiveness |
| Creativity in problem-solving | Generating new ideas and improvements | Company development and better handling of challenges |
Soft skills vs. hard skills
For career development, we need both soft and hard skills. These two groups of skills complement each other. It's worth knowing the differences between them and how they work together.
Differences between hard and soft skills
Hard skills are specific knowledge and abilities. They can be measured and also confirmed by certificates. Examples include knowledge of foreign languages or programming languages. Soft skills, on the other hand, are things like communication or stress management. They are more difficult to measure.
What skills are considered hard?
We learned hard skills in schools and universities. They include, for example, programming or excellence in a given industry. Here are a few examples:
Knowledge of foreign languages
Programming and software operation
Industry knowledge (e.g., financial, medical)
Driving license
Professional certificates
Synergy of hard and soft skills
Working as a programmer almost always involves collaboration with other members of the development team, business, product owners, scrum masters, and so on. Excellent technical skills are not enough to effectively perform your job.
At this point, I would like to cite an example from my life as a programmer. I once worked in a team where one person stood out with an unprecedented knowledge of the technologies in which the project was created. The rest of the team was initially under a huge (without exaggeration) impression of the knowledge and accuracy of the solutions proposed by this person.
However, after a few months, the place of admiration and respect was replaced by emotions such as irritation and reluctance. This resulted, of course, in arguments, errors, and maliciousness such as dragging out the acceptance of Pull Requests indefinitely. What happened? This person was absolutely unsuitable for teamwork. Omnipresent arrogance, pride, and showing superiority towards other people destroyed the entire team. After a few months, 2 out of 5 people were no longer working on this project, and 1 left the company.
The above example shows how crucial soft skills of employees are for IT projects. Improving hard skills requires work and training. Developing soft skills is more complex.
Companies should help employees develop both types of skills. Investing in training increases the synergy of skills at work. This is a benefit for both employees and companies.
Soft skills in IT
Based on the example cited in the previous section, one can already conclude that the requirement for soft skills in IT is not caused by some invention. The previous situation shows a deficit of these skills. There are also opposite cases. Such as when, thanks to developed soft skills, we can get out of a difficult situation.
Role in technical teams
IT teams are rarely perfectly balanced in terms of technical skills. Often this is even undesirable! Both in terms of technological diversity but also the level of advancement of team members in given fields. It's obvious that people with less experience must learn from those more experienced.
However, there are situations where someone manages to 'slip through' the recruitment for a given position without having the appropriate skills. Soft skills may turn out to be the only rescue. Then it is extremely important to understand the relationships in the team and build your own as quickly as possible. Convince others to yourself with your openness, ability to adapt, or accept feedback, especially negative.
Besides, all the previously discussed components that make up soft skills are of course also applicable in IT and are extremely valued.
IT project management
IT project management is more than just technique. It's about managing people and processes. Managers must have this type of competence particularly well developed. Without it, the project and team are doomed to inevitable disaster. Undoubtedly, the ability to resolve conflicts and delegate tasks is important here, but that's just the beginning.
Again, I'll use an example from my professional experience. In one company, I worked on two projects. In each of them, I had different Product Owners (also acting as Project Managers).
The first one, let's call him Jakub, was completely unsuitable for this role. He couldn't gather any reasonably specific requirements and needs from the business. He also couldn't be assertive, say 'no, we can't do this right now' to the business or his direct superior. He was submissive and eternally indecisive. He sent out invitations to meetings that no one knew what they were for. He himself didn't know (really). He didn't understand and didn't try to understand the organizational order in which the development team works. He most often came to the programmers with one question. Our conversation usually looked like this:
"Listen, we need to estimate this"
this is a part of the project so large that it could take even 3 months. And there are no requirements. Only one sentence saying what this part should be.
"We can't estimate this because it's impossible."
"You have to do it. We need to tell the business something."
"Okay. We'll do it in 12 months."
"You can't say that."
Curtain.
The second manager, let's call him Paweł, was a completely different person. Firm yet understanding. Aware of not only technical problems but also purely human ones such as holidays. Painfully specific, always coming with a ready set of requirements and able to explain them in simple words. Eager to help and escalate technical problems to other teams if someone asks him to. He was a man who appreciated and respected the work of others. Able to openly admit his mistakes.
One of them was promoted after a few months. Then again. Everyone respects his opinion and treats working with him as pure pleasure. Which one do you think I'm writing about now?
Solving technical problems
More and more often during coding, companies practice 'pair programming'. I was skeptical of such a solution for a long time. However, the day came (rather sooner than later) when I had a problem that I couldn't solve. A few hours passed and no progress. I called a colleague from the team with similar work experience. In an hour, maybe two, we managed to solve the problem together. Discussing, showing our screens, and looking for solutions on the internet. Communication, coordination of actions by two people, and twice as many ideas as before brought the expected effect.
Pair programming is becoming more and more popular even in job offer descriptions. Working this way on a daily basis would probably be cumbersome, but nevertheless, it's worth giving this approach a chance.
Benefits for the company from employees with developed soft skills
Research shows that in 2030, as many as 66% of professions will require soft skills. This makes such skills crucial in the future.
Higher efficiency
The ability to communicate is fundamental in teamwork. Clear and effective communication helps people better understand their tasks. This, in turn, reduces errors made by misunderstandings and accelerates project development.
Better conflict management
Conflict resolution is an important part of teamwork. Employees who handle difficult situations well help maintain a good team climate. Regular communication training is important, which helps in developing these skills.
Increased innovation
Innovation in the company shapes creative thinking and openness to new ideas. Creative employees provide new solutions and ideas. Support for these skills includes training and integrations, which can improve innovation in the company.
Increased adaptation to changes
The business environment is constantly changing. Flexible employees are able to adapt more quickly. Change management is easier for teams with high soft skills.
In summary, developing soft skills brings benefits. This includes better communication, conflict management, innovation, and adaptation to change. Investing in these skills is key to success and a friendly workplace.
Examples of companies appreciating soft skills
Companies are increasingly seeing the value of soft skills. They integrate them into recruitment, which improves the atmosphere and motivation of employees.
DISC - Google
Google uses DISC D3 tests, which allow them to better understand their employees' behavioral styles, enabling them to better match them to teams, more accurately meet their needs, and develop their skills.
Training - Microsoft
Microsoft organizes training in communication and leadership. They want to improve teamwork and relationships within the company.
Soft skills assessment - Deloitte
Deloitte regularly assesses interpersonal skills, including during recruitment. Deloitte uses a special test to check the candidate's personality and their ability to cope in various situations.
| Company | Practice | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Using DISC D3 | Understanding employees, better matching | |
| Microsoft | Training programs in communication and leadership | Development of competencies and team relationships |
| Deloitte | Regular soft skills assessments | Better matching of employees to teams |
Soft skills and customer satisfaction
Soft skills are very important in customer contact. They affect how customers feel they are being served. They also influence whether customers return to a given company.
I know a programmer who openly mocked a client's ideas during a meeting. He made unpleasant comments and asked many sarcastic rhetorical questions. After this conversation, the client demanded that the company remove the programmer from the project, and after completing work on the application, they never returned to this company.
The importance of empathy in customer service
Empathy is a key skill for those who interact with customers. Empathetic people can better tailor service to customer needs. Research shows that 90% of customers feel well-served if the employee is empathetic. In comparison, without empathy, it's only 60%.
| Skill | Customer satisfaction | Customer loyalty | Repeat purchases |
|---|---|---|---|
| Without empathy | 60% | 50% | 40% |
| With empathy | 90% | 85% | 80% |
Brand image
Soft skills also affect how others see us. Services like Glassdoor collect opinions from employees about the companies they work/worked for. Negative opinions can deter (and they do) job candidates. Moreover, a bad company reputation will sooner or later affect the number of customers.
How to measure soft skills?
Measuring soft skills can be difficult due to their subjective perception. There are many methods that help assess these skills. Example methods include behavioral and situational interviews.
It starts with describing the job position and soft skills requirements. Then, various assessment methods are used, such as interviews or work samples. There are also advanced forms like Assessment Centers. The entire process from creating the test to conducting it takes some time.
Tools such as FinxS Sales Assessment (FSA) and Extended DISC are used to assess soft skills. FSA analyzes sales competencies, while Extended DISC focuses on communication styles. Although assessment methods differ, their goal is to identify and develop key soft skills. This is important for both employees and companies.
FAQ
What are soft skills?
Soft skills are a set of social skills. They allow for better communication with people. They include empathy, ability to work in a team, and creativity, among others.
What role do soft skills play in professional life?
They are very important at work. They enable effective cooperation and easier conflict resolution. They also help to better adapt to changing situations. For managers, they facilitate supervising team work and motivating team members.
What are examples of psychosocial skills?
Psychosocial skills include communication, empathy, and ability to work in a team. Additionally, there's a creative approach to problem-solving.
How do soft skills affect personal development?
Developing them increases our attractiveness in the job market, helps in going through the recruitment process, and consequently - getting better job offers. Besides, they directly affect improving comfort in the workplace.
How do soft skills differ from hard skills?
Hard skills are technical, like knowledge of computer programs. Soft skills are social skills, e.g., communication with others.
How to develop soft skills?
This can be done through training, reading books, or meetings with mentors. Practicing these skills in everyday situations is also important.
What role do soft skills play in IT?
They help us avoid unnecessary mistakes and misunderstandings. They facilitate the entire software development process, from gathering requirements to releasing code to production.
What benefits does a company gain from employees' developed soft skills?
The most important is certainly the atmosphere in the company and individual teams. Further: innovation, cooperation between teams and team members, good management, positive attitude towards work, efficiency, ability to deal with problems, etc.
Which companies appreciate soft skills?
Currently, these are most often corporations that are not afraid to include soft skills requirements in job offers. However, I wouldn't want to generalize too much. You can see that this trend is also entering smaller organizations.
What impact do soft skills have on customer satisfaction?
A big one. In customer relations, it's the key to success that builds a positive company image. The effects will be long-term and will attract new customers to the company, which will undoubtedly give it an advantage in the market.
How to measure soft skills?
It's a challenge, it's difficult to check objectively. You can use tools like DISC D3 surveys or other behavioral/situational/personality tests. They help assess these skills.