Hard Skills vs Soft Skills
Why you need both to succeed in the Tech world!
The Tech industry is the most competitive and fast-growing industry yet. Even though the demand for skilled developers, designers, project managers, marketers, etc. is still growing, the industry only picks the most skilled.
And when we talk about skills, what kind of skills are we referring to?
Defining skills
Hard skills are technical knowledge or training that you have gained through any life experience, including in your career or education. They are practical and often relate to mechanical, information technology, mathematical, or scientific tasks. Some examples include knowledge of programming languages, design programs, mechanical equipment, or tools.
Soft skills are personality traits and behaviors. Unlike hard (technical) skills soft skills are not about the knowledge you possess but rather the behaviors, you display in different situations. They are a complex combination of people skills, social skills, communication skills, character or personality traits, attitudes, mindsets, career attributes, social intelligence, emotional intelligence, etc.
Developing skills
Developing hard skills is through education and on-the-job practice while developing soft skills is through various, life-long professional and personal experiences.
Improving your hard skills or acquiring new ones is a great way to increase your value to a company. With so many online resources today, improving your hard skills and receiving technical training is much easier than it was a decade ago.
Developing hard skills takes time, practice, and real-life application. It’d be difficult to become proficient in a hard skill until you’ve actually used it for a project or to solve problems. So, roll out your hard skills in small doses or do personal projects where the stakes aren’t as high. Once you’ve thoroughly practiced your newly acquired skills, begin showing them off with confidence.
Assessing your soft skills will take some introspection as well as reaching out to peers for some honest feedback. Why is this? You may think of yourself as a “collaborative leader,” but until you ask around, you only have a limited view of your most prominent soft skills.
There are also technological solutions for assessing soft skills today. Free online personality tests like will give you an overview of your strongest and weakest interpersonal traits.
As well as the hard skills, soft skills can be thought and trained. Online courses, books, mentoring seasons, and even talking with your friends can help you learn or improve some of your soft skills.
Measuring skills
Hard skills are measurable and can be described using numerical or yes/no criteria. On the other hand, soft skills are often intangible or hard to quantify and are usually described with qualitative scales. It can be hard to prove proficiency in soft skills, but they are necessary to create a positive and functional work environment. Soft skills are also mostly transferrable between jobs or industries.
Skills for the future of work
Skills are core strengths and the key not only for building effective tech professionals but for thriving in the constantly evolving workplace.
Soft skills and hard skills go hand in hand. There is no question or hesitation. There should be no debate on which is more important.
For instance, imagine you’re looking for a job as a developer, hard skills are necessary for this role to include knowledge of specific programming languages (e.g. JS), frameworks, and tools. On the other hand, useful soft skills for everyday work are communication, collaboration, problem-solving attitude, and time management abilities to be a successful developer.
There will always be people who build groundbreaking products and produce unparalleled content, but there will also be people who will need to lead these endeavors. You simply cannot run a successful organization with only hard-skilled or only soft-skilled employees. Finding harmony between the two categories of skills and how they complement each other is crucial.
As the leaders of tomorrow begin to enter the workforce, it’s never been more important to be aware of the most in-demand skills for the future of work.
While Tech continues to be the main driver for success, people across the Tech industry have an opportunity to help reassure their organizations and focus by enhancing their capabilities now and into the future.
Technology is at the forefront of every industry, so you must remain creative and innovative. According to LinkedIn, creativity is the most in-demand soft skill of the future.
According to the World Economic Forum, one in three jobs require complex problem-solving skills and the ability for employees to think critically.
In the constantly changing work environment, it’s crucial that you’re agile and able to pivot easily, have a growth mindset. It’s the ability to continually improve so you can be great at anything when you put your mind to it. Having a growth mindset involves continually being on the lookout for the latest trends and innovations that can help you be, and perform, better.
According to Forbes, companies that have the most digitally-capable leaders financially outperform the average by 50%. Tech talent needs to take a broader view of what it means to have leadership potential and start developing leadership potential earlier in their careers.
And last but not least, the queen of all— communication.
A gap in communication skills on your team is a big deal. It’s not simply a “nice-to-have”, is a must have.
“90% of all management problems are caused by miscommunication”, said Dail Carnegie, and Lauryn Hill sang in her song ‘Lost Ones’ that “miscommunication leads to complication.” Clearly, the problems of poor communication go far beyond social and industry barriers!
Poor communicators tend to believe that talking is more important than listening. But skilled communicators pay careful attention to all points of view, and listen closely to find the problem at the core of an issue. When they do talk, they adjust their tone and style to the audience. Their colleagues feel understood and respected, no matter the situation.
Without the ability to communicate skillfully, other important skills, like and leadership, problem-solving, growth mindset becomes impossible.
Now more than ever, Tech professionals must work alongside senior leaders to meet organizational goals while investing time and energy into cultivating the necessary skills to drive success. From interpersonal communication and teamwork to adaptability, creativity, and attitude, soft skills aren’t industry-specific and aren’t always emphasized in professional development as much as technical capabilities. This no longer meets the needs of employers and their technology teams, however, who increasingly recognize that soft skills aren’t optional — they’re essential.
Hard skills vs. soft skills isn’t an either/or proposition: it’s a both/and package
