Calling ALL IT Candidates With Soft Skills

Cloud, data analytics, security, and artificial intelligence — those are the top technology competencies in hot demand. But research shows companies are also concerned about the quality of soft skills as they canvas for strong IT talent.

Research from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) shows that many employers care more about soft skills than they do about abilities such as reading comprehension and mathematics. This finding is in keeping with a new research study from IDG and HPE, where respondents listed the following skills as most often missing in entry-level candidates: Leadership, problem solving, and written communication.

While IT shops covet employees who can write a concise email or present to upper management, they aren’t doing much to help staffers cultivate soft skills — a gap the IDG/HPE research confirmed.

Last week’s #IDGTechTalk shed some light on what soft skills are in top demand, how companies suss out these capabilities during the interview process, and what, if anything, they are doing to burnish employees’ soft skill chops. Here’s a look at what participants had to say:

Strong communications skills are #1 priority

Problem solving, transparency, adaptability, and analytical skills are high on the list of soft skills sought by chat attendees, but the ability to clearly communicate and work collaboratively with colleagues is by far the most oft cited. Managers are looking for tech employees who listen before responding, provide feedback (good and bad), know how to ask the right questions tuned to the right audience, and have an ability to show interest in others.

Apart from strong communications skills, attendees also place a priority on time management and project management prowess, given how easily IT deployments can head off the rails. Learning how to optimize work time — since many IT employees are stretched thin — is important, respondents said, as is being able to keep multiple balls in the air without excessive hand holding.

Being an adept problem solver and diplomat can get you hired

Many IT job candidates are fully prepared to roll up their sleeves and display their technical talents and coding skills, but many places would also like to see a bit of hands-on problem solving. Participants are also on the prowl for candidates who show a willingness to change and adapt quickly, who know the right questions to ask, and who display confidence in putting out fires and dealing with flaring tempers when situations escalate.

People skills, not typically the strong suit of the stereotypical IT hire, are also important. Being able to express empathy, understand another’s point of view, and to show confidence are also highly attractive traits for potential IT hires.

Be prepared to ask lots and lots of questions

Evaluating a candidate’s soft skills can be a lot harder than determining if they have adequate knowledge of Java programming or the right network protocols. The best way to get a handle on a candidate’s aptitude is through role playing and by asking questions. In particular, posing situational questions during interviews can be very effective for assessing a candidate’s problem solving and adaptability skills.

Introducing the candidate to other team members who can follow up with questions and situational scenarios can take the exploratory process further. In all scenarios, it’s important to assess how the candidate handles the tough questions. More importantly, participants said to consider how they explain a technical solution to a non-technical person, a skill that is more important as IT extends across a wider section of the business.

Some chat participants also prefer candidates to be candid about their skills (or lack of thereof) rather than gloss over any knowledge gaps.

Companies need to step up their soft skills training

While there’s a push for job candidates and IT employees to display leadership skills or communicate effectively, there is still not nearly enough effort by companies to groom workers in these coveted expertise areas. Some companies are addressing the skills gap, providing communications training and team building exercises to employees. Others are fostering mentoring and shadow employee programs to help fill the void.

The Bottom Line

Are soft skills a weak spot for your IT talent bench? How does your organization fill the void, either by training existing employees or structuring interviews to evaluate these specific skill sets? We’d like to hear about you are solving the problem in the comment section below. Please be sure to join us every Thursday at 12pm ET for another informative #IDGTECHtalk.

For more information about soft skills and hiring. Be sure to read this HPE article: How companies can sweeten the deal to attract new IT hires http://hpe.to/6007D4PL7.