10 Soft Skills every Software Developer Needs

Technical know-how is one way of measuring how good a developer is, but soft skills are the ones that help them differentiate themselves from the rest.

While a developer could be great from a technical standpoint, he could also be considered a poor professional due to a lack of skills such as empathy. Skills like communication, collaboration, adaptability, and problem-solving, are now so essential to success in IT.

A study from business and technology consulting firm West Monroe found that almost 80% of HR leaders say they’ve become more focused on finding technology employees with strong soft skills while 67% percent say they have withheld a job offer due to a candidate’s lack of soft skills.

In this article, you’ll find a list of the 10 most important soft skills that we think every developer should possess to be a successful team member of any company.

1. Critical Thinking and problem solving

Software development is about solving complex problems. Sooner or later in their careers, software developers will come across a complex issue, and how they handle a problem will affect your company and the project they're working on.

The critical thinking process typically includes steps like collecting information and data, asking thoughtful questions and analyzing possible solutions.

A critical thinker will be aware of the problem they're facing and understand that it has various possible solutions. They will assess those solutions and proceed with selecting the one that will work the best for the project.

This skill requires reasoning, so it’s more about being an active learner rather than a passive recipient of information. Critical thinkers rigorously question ideas and assumptions rather than accepting them at face value.

2. Communication

Whether a developer has a full-time role or works remotely, they should be able to communicate efficiently with other people. Many times, their work will demand developers to interact using written communication, so concise written skills are important.

In software engineering, most times communication will be verbal, so speaking with clarity and confidence goes a long way. Being open-minded to other people’s points of view and being a good listener are both great personality traits that should be cultivated.

In most companies, IT professionals work together with non-technical people, so the capability of explaining technicalities in easy terms is fundamental for having good communication skills.

3. Empathy

Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, and, it’s a habit we can cultivate to improve the quality of our own lives.

Being able to empathize with your team allows you to fully understand the problems that they may be facing and find a way to make the project work for everyone. For this skill, open-mindedness plays a huge role when it comes to seeing things from another person’s point of view.

Empathy is one of the most important skills for a software developer to have because other people will be using your product, so you must always try to see things from their point of view. Just because you like how something looks or works, that doesn’t mean your users will.

4. Teamwork

Our values drive everything we do at Sophilabs, and one of those values is "be a team player".

Software development is about teams. Working as a team is not as easy as we all like to think, and you’ll need to rely on several soft skills listed here such as patience, empathy, communication, and time management.

While it comes with a set of challenges, teamwork is essential and leads to better results, and several studies prove that people work better in teams.

5. Flexibility

Things are never perfect. When working as a developer, you’ll need to be ready to shift the technology stack, architecture, or adapt your software to different specifications if needed. Of course, you’ll try to prevent rework or adverse changes.

Technology and platforms change all the time. Very few developers who have been in the industry for more than a decade are using the same technology stack they started with. New platforms, languages, and tools are constantly released to provide new features, advancements, and better efficiency.

It’s not just the technology that changes. Customer needs can change, too. Either way, adaptability is essential to ensure you continue delivering value to customers as their priorities and usage habits change.

6. Patience

Most people just don’t understand how difficult programming is, or how long code takes to write. They may ask something without realizing the scope of what they’re asking and this can lead to frustration.

Sometimes you’ll be a part of a team or meeting that includes non-technical people, and you’re going to have to explain the reasons behind your decisions in a non-technical way. Some people will get it fast, while others will need more time.

As a developer, there are many skills that no amount of talent or education can teach you. Patience is one of them.

Just because someone has different knowledge doesn’t mean they can’t add value to your coding. They may not know how to code, but they may have some knowledge you need to make your coding projects perfect for the end-user.

7. Creativity

While working in the IT field implies procedures, tools, and requirements, for mastering this set of things, you need to think a lot. And during problem-solving or while designing a new solution, you must be creative.

The best ideas often come to us when we approach things from a different, less obvious angle when trying to find a solution.

Creativity can help you with both everyday tasks and long-term goals. Learning how to apply creative thinking to your job responsibilities can help you develop new and effective solutions for common challenges you might encounter in your role.

8. Approachability

If people don’t feel they can approach you and ask you something, if something goes wrong, they’re less likely to ask you for help. That could mean that a little problem soon becomes a big one.

Not being approachable also means that others are less likely to help you should you need it.

Being approachable is key to building relationships with your colleagues, and to creating a strong team in which trust, confidence, and ideas can flow. Team members who have approachable managers feel able to contribute ideas and find the workplace a safe environment.

9. Confidence

Building confidence takes time. Being too humble or suffering from "imposter syndrome" can hurt you in many ways. Confidence is often connected with the number of years of experience you have because expertise gives a feeling of control and competence that helps you proceed.

Whether or not you realize it, confidence level affects you every day the actions you decide to take are completely different depending on your confidence level.

Lacking confidence in yourself and your abilities can prevent you from advancing and becoming a great programmer, but having too much confidence, on the other side, can hurt just as much as lacking confidence can, just in different ways.

An overly confident person struggles to see the benefit of getting input from others, and that’s something that a developer should never do.

10. Time Management

Knowing how to manage your time is crucial.

When you perform tasks more effectively, you have more time for developing new skills or learning new technology. This directly affects your overall sense of self-confidence as a professional.

Good time management allows you to correctly set priorities, allocate time for other activities, you will be able to establish a mode of work, but most importantly, you will be able to do your job more productively.

Techniques like Kanban, where you visualize your tasks, are great ways to build a routine or learn how to focus your attention if you’re prone to multitasking. Not giving something your full attention means that tasks take longer to complete and you’re more likely to make errors.

If you are looking to join a great team, head on to our Careers page, and apply. We are always looking for the best talent to join Sophilabs.