Gone are the days when the only expectations from developers revolved around their software development skills. Yes, technical skills are and will always be an essential part of the job. However, as technology becomes more integrated with business, it’s the soft skills that will determine their success.

This means that, besides being good coders, developers need to have good interpersonal skills that allow them to interact effectively with other people, such as team members, project managers, and clients.

At UTOPIC0DE — a company that upskills software developers and helps companies find the best tech talent — we decided to explore what are the most relevant soft skills to have, according to both tech companies and developers. Here’s the result: a list with the top 5 soft skills that cannot be missing in a software developer’s toolbox and some tips on how to improve them.

1. Communication

Coding is not a solitary activity as it might seem, and developers should have strong communication skills that allow them to communicate effectively with people from different cultures and backgrounds and in different situations or settings.

As developers might work with team members, clients, project managers, and other managers from different areas of the business, they need to communicate clearly and professionally with everyone.

If, on the one hand, developers need to be extremely specialized in their technical area, on the other, they also need the ability to take complex technical problems and describe them in simple terms for non-techies to understand.

And this applies to both spoken and written communication, from speaking clearly and confidently during a meeting to writing precise and concise reports, emails, or Slack messages.

Here are a few ways to become an effective communicator at work:

  • Be clear and concise. Simple messages reduce the chance of misunderstanding, help others quickly understand your goals, and speed up projects. Instead of using long, detailed sentences, practice reducing your message to its core meaning.
  • Be assertive. Express yourself effectively and stand up for your point of view in a calm and positive way — while also respecting the beliefs and opinions of others.
  • Use and read body language. Pay close attention to the messages people are sending with their facial expressions and movements. Be aware of your body language by having an open posture and maintaining good eye contact.

2. Empathy

“Putting yourself in another person’s shoes”. This is the best way to describe empathy in straightforward terms.

Developers who can empathize with team members can better understand problems and find agreeable solutions. Indeed, it is so much easier to give feedback or suggest new ideas when there is an understanding of team dynamics.

Empathy also allows us to understand user preferences and see things from a consumer’s perspective. This will help developers make informed decisions that do not depend on personal preferences.

Follow these tips to improve your empathy:

  • Ask questions. Empathy comes with a deeper understanding of what has happened. You can ask your coworkers why they reached a particular decision or ask your clients about their expectations and experience using a product. If you still don’t understand the situation, keep asking questions until you do.
  • Acknowledge other people’s feelings. When someone expresses an emotion, instead of dismissing or avoiding the topic, try to accept and recognize the importance of it. For example, if you’re working with an unsatisfied client, tell them you’re sorry and that you know it must be a frustrating experience, even if you can’t fully agree with them yet.

3. Open-mindedness

Being open-minded typically makes developers more adaptable to change and more receptive to other people’s feedback.

As the tech industry is continuously changing, developers need to be open to learning and discovering new things and taking on extra responsibilities. Only in this way can they adapt quickly to the dynamic nature of the job and keep up with the latest technologies and trends, new programming languages, frameworks, and tools.

Open-mindedness also refers to the ability to listen to different opinions. When developers are open to new viewpoints, they can learn something new from one another and generate new ideas.

The following tips will help you become more open to new ideas:

  • Avoid closing yourself off. When you face something unfamiliar or when you meet people with different opinions, don’t refuse to discuss the problem, but look at everything as a learning experience.
  • Stay social. If you build personal connections with your team members, you’re more likely to discover new opportunities to try new things. Indeed, they might try new tools and show them to you.
  • Set time aside. Always take some time to learn what’s new in the tech industry, whether it’s reading an article, attending an event, or exploring a new piece of software.

4. Critical thinking

Critical thinking involves understanding and addressing a problem based on all available facts and information.

If we look at software development from a broader perspective, we’ll realize that it really is about solving complex problems. Of course, there can be many possible solutions, but choosing the best is essential to ensure the success of the project and the company.

Critical thinking skills not only allow developers to be objective and analyze the problem based on facts, but they also empower them to compare the possible solutions and select the one that will work the best.

Here are common steps that occur when using critical thinking for problem-solving:

  1. Identify a problem or issue
  2. Create inferences on why the problem exists and how you can solve it
  3. Collect information or data on the issue through research
  4. Organize and sort data and findings
  5. Develop and execute solutions
  6. Analyze what solutions worked or didn’t work
  7. Identify ways to improve the solution

5. Time management

Developers are always working on projects that are time-bound. Sometimes, they are in charge of managing a team. And to make things more complicated, everything is now remote. Therefore, good time management skills are essential to help developers structure their work and complete any given tasks and projects.

Being time-conscious not only will help developers give exact estimates, meet deadlines, and finish work on time but will also give them space to learn, be creative, and proactive.

Finally, having strong time management skills can ultimately lead developers to advance their position. Indeed, if they can complete tasks on time, it means that employees can trust them and give them more responsibility.

Here are a few ways you can improve your time management skills:

  • Set short and long-term goals. By setting objectives and creating a clear roadmap for how you’ll reach your intended target, you can decide how to apply your time and resources to make progress. In doing so, try to identify smaller milestone goals that will help you hit larger, long-term goals.
  • Be organized. If you want to have a clear picture of what you need to do and when, you should always maintain an up-to-date calendar, be able to locate documents with ease, have a tidy environment, and take detailed, diligent notes.
  • Prioritize your tasks. Making to-do lists can help you prioritize the tasks that are most urgent or easy to get out of the way. To determine what things should be done ahead of others, try to understand due dates and how the task affects others and business goals.

Conclusion

As software developers usually work in a team, they need to know how to interact and communicate well with others. To achieve this: it’s fundamental to be empathetic, understand others’ points of view, ask questions, and truly discuss things.

Another skill that will determine the success of a developer is the ability to be curious and proactive, which is getting the mindset of a continuous learner and being open to new perspectives. This skill will help developers generate innovative ideas every time they face a problem. However, when there are different possible solutions, only critical thinking will allow them to choose the best one!

Finally, when working on time-bound projects and in a remote team, time management skills are essential to achieve goals, work well with colleagues, and gain their trust.

Here are some more essential skills for developers that we present to you.