Why You Need Soft Skills as a Software Developer – And How to Improve Them

As a seasoned full-stack developer and tech lead, I‘ve seen first-hand how essential soft skills are for success in the software development field. Sure, your technical chops are the foundation of your work – you need to be able to write robust code, troubleshoot gnarly bugs, and stay up-to-date with the latest tools and frameworks. But in my experience, it‘s the developers with strong interpersonal skills who truly thrive and make the biggest impact.

Soft skills, such as communication, collaboration, empathy, and adaptability, are often undervalued or overlooked in the tech world. Many developers believe that as long as they can deliver working code, the "people stuff" doesn‘t really matter. But in reality, software development is a team sport that requires constant interaction and coordination with others. No matter how brilliant your code is, if you can‘t effectively communicate with your teammates, understand the needs of your users, or adapt to change, your potential impact will be limited.

The Data on Soft Skills for Developers

Don‘t just take my word for it – the data shows that soft skills are in high demand for software developers. A recent study by Talent Insights analyzed the soft skills that over 4,000 software engineers worldwide currently have and the skills they need to improve. The top soft skills engineers reported needing to improve were:

1. Communication (51%)
2. Leadership (40%)
3. Negotiation (33%)
4. Persuasion (32%)
5. Collaboration (32%)

Notably, the study also found that software engineers with strong communication skills earn an average of 20% more than their less communicative peers.

Similarly, in HackerRank‘s 2019 Developer Skills Report, hiring managers reported that the top skills they look for in developers are:

Skill	% of Hiring Managers
Problem-solving skills	94.9%
Programming language	56.6%
Adaptability and willingness to learn	47.2%
Cultural fit	35.8%
Passion for the role/company	27.7%
Data structures	24.5%
Years of experience	18.9%

As you can see, while technical skills like programming languages and data structures are certainly important, the majority of the top skills hiring managers prioritize are soft skills.

Soft Skills in Action for Developers

So what do soft skills actually look like in the day-to-day work of a software developer? Let‘s walk through a few common scenarios:

Gathering Project Requirements

Imagine you‘re starting a new project and you need to gather requirements from the project stakeholders. However, the stakeholders are from non-technical areas of the business and have trouble articulating what they need in terms you understand. This is where your communication and active listening skills come into play. You need to be able to ask clarifying questions, rephrase their ideas in technical terms, and ensure you truly understand the desired outcome before diving into code.

Some active listening strategies you can employ include:

• Paraphrasing: "So what I‘m hearing is…"
• Asking for specific examples: "Can you walk me through a use case of how that would work?"
• Seeking confirmation: "Just to make sure I understand, you‘re looking for…"

Presenting Project Updates

Now let‘s say your project is underway and it‘s time to give an update to the leadership team. They don‘t need to know every technical detail, but they do need a clear picture of the progress, any roadblocks, and the path forward. This is where your presentation and persuasion skills come into play.

To give a compelling project update, you should:

• Know your audience and tailor the message to their needs and level of technical understanding
• Tell a clear story with a beginning, middle, and end
• Use visuals and analogies to make complex concepts more relatable
• Anticipate questions and prepare clear, confident answers

Collaborating with Designers

As a full-stack developer, you likely work closely with designers to bring the user interface to life. However, designers often speak a different language and have different priorities than developers. This is where empathy and collaboration skills are key. You need to be able to put yourself in the designer‘s shoes, understand their perspective, and find a way to work together towards the best user experience.

Some tips for collaborating effectively with designers:

• Seek to understand before seeking to be understood
• Ask questions to learn more about their design decisions and rationale
• Provide constructive feedback and suggestions, not demands
• Be willing to compromise and find creative solutions together

Navigating Team Conflicts

No matter how great your team is, conflicts will inevitably arise. Maybe there‘s disagreement on the best technical approach, or perhaps personalities are clashing. As a developer, you need to be able to navigate these interpersonal dynamics and find productive resolutions. This is where your emotional intelligence and problem-solving skills are essential.

Some strategies for handling team conflicts:

• Address issues directly and promptly; don‘t let them fester
• Focus on the behavior or situation, not the person
• Listen openly to the other perspective before sharing your own
• Work together to find a mutually beneficial solution
• Bring in a neutral third party if needed to mediate

The Business Impact of Soft Skills

While the benefits of strong soft skills for individual developers are clear, it‘s also important to consider the organizational impact. When developers have well-developed interpersonal skills, the entire business reaps the rewards.

Increased Efficiency

Imagine a team where every developer is a strong communicator. Meetings are concise and productive, decisions are made quickly, and everyone is aligned on the objectives. Contrast that with a team where communication is muddled, leading to confusion, rework, and missed deadlines. The efficiency gains of the former are substantial.

In fact, a study by PMI found that for every $1 billion spent on projects, $75 million is put at risk by ineffective communications. Conversely, teams with highly effective communicators are 1.7 times more likely to outperform their peers.

Reduced Bugs and Errors

When developers actively listen to the needs of the end users and ask clarifying questions, they are much more likely to build the right thing the first time. This means less time wasted on rework and fewer bugs making it to production.

Consider these statistics:

• The cost of fixing a bug in production is 6 times higher than fixing it in development (IBM System Science Institute)
• 56% of bugs are introduced during requirements gathering (Capers Jones)

By honing their soft skills to better understand and validate requirements upfront, developers can greatly reduce costly errors downstream.

Increased Employee Engagement

Interpersonal skills are also strongly correlated with employee engagement and retention. When developers feel heard, understood, and supported by their colleagues, they are much more likely to be motivated and invested in their work.

A study by Gallup found that highly engaged teams show 21% greater profitability and 41% reduction in absenteeism. Furthermore, 54% of disengaged employees say they would consider leaving their job for another company. By fostering an environment where soft skills and emotional intelligence are prioritized, companies can boost engagement and hang on to their top tech talent.

Strategies to Improve Your Soft Skills

Sold on the importance of soft skills but not sure where to start? Here are some practical strategies you can implement to level up your interpersonal abilities:

Communication

• Practice active listening: Next time you‘re in a conversation, make a conscious effort to fully focus on the speaker. Paraphrase what you heard to confirm your understanding.
• Hone your writing: Before hitting send on that email or Slack message, re-read it to check for clarity and tone. Could it be more concise? More specific? More empathetic?
• Take an improv class: Improv comedy is all about thinking on your feet, active listening, and collaborating with others. Many of the skills translate directly to the workplace.

Collaboration

• Assume positive intent: When a co-worker says or does something that rubs you the wrong way, don‘t jump to conclusions. Assume they had positive intentions and approach the conversation with curiosity.
• Practice "yes, and" thinking: Instead of shooting down others‘ ideas with "no, but", build upon them with "yes, and". This fosters a more collaborative and creative environment.
• Pair program: Working side-by-side with another developer is a great way to practice communication, problem-solving, and compromise in real-time.

Empathy

• Shadow customer support: Spend a day observing or answering customer support inquiries. You‘ll gain valuable insights into the user experience and pain points.
• Conduct user interviews: Talk to real users about how they experience your product. Practice deeply listening to their feedback without defending or explaining.
• Walk a mile in their shoes: Before passing judgment on a co-worker or end user‘s behavior, imagine yourself in their position. What might be motivating or influencing their actions?

Leadership

• Volunteer for stretch projects: Look for opportunities to step up and take on additional responsibility, whether it‘s leading a lunch and learn or spearheading a process improvement.
• Find a mentor: Identify someone whose leadership skills you admire and ask if they‘d be willing to mentor you. Learn from their successes and challenges.
• Practice giving constructive feedback: The next time you need to give feedback to a co-worker, use the SBI model: Situation, Behavior, Impact. Focus on the specific behavior and its impact, not the person.

The Road to Well-Rounded Excellence

Becoming a truly excellent developer requires more than just technical prowess – it demands a mastery of soft skills as well. By intentionally focusing on and improving your interpersonal abilities, you‘ll unlock new levels of impact, efficiency, and career satisfaction.

But developing your soft skills is an ongoing journey, not a destination. Even as a seasoned developer, I‘m constantly working to hone my communication, collaboration, and leadership abilities. The key is to approach it with a growth mindset, seeking out feedback and opportunities to stretch yourself.

So the next time you‘re heads down in code, don‘t forget to come up for air and flex those interpersonal muscles. Your teammates, your organization, and your own career will thank you.