How Soft Skills Can Enhance Your IT Team’s Performance

It’s no longer enough for IT teams to rely on technical skills alone. To stay ahead of competitors, IT teams need to find competitive advantages even if rivals are leveraging the same technology. This is where soft skills come in. A recent survey even indicated that 89% of hiring managers attributed the failure of a new hire to a lack critical soft skills. 

In this piece, we break down how soft skills can enhance your IT team’s performance and which skills are the most important. 

How Can Soft Skills Enhance Your IT Team?

Soft skills act as the cement holding together individual technical skills within a team. The productivity of a team, especially in IT, often depends upon collaboration. Consequently, a team that is technically capable but lacks soft skills may be more liable for delays, frustrations, and roadblocks. For example, a team member who is unable to effectively communicate an idea can significantly impede progress, even if they themselves fully understand it. 

As a result, effective communication is one of the most vital soft skills for individuals in a technical field as the ability to clearly and concisely communicate allows teams to function more efficiently. Additionally, IT professionals often work with clients or coworkers that lack deep knowledge of their field, and thus, must be able to articulate complicated concepts in layman’s terms or risk a potential disconnect.  

Soft skills can also bridge gaps for those with a smaller or less-funded IT team. For firms that lack the resources of their larger competitors, the ability to communicate, work together, and be creative can make strides that even larger firms cannot. This also goes hand-in-hand with the need for adaptability in today’s competitive landscape; Smaller firms may not be able to constantly reinvest or update technology and so they often require IT teams with a strong aptitude to adapt.  

Essentially, the ability to quickly learn new tools and methodologies can create a first-mover advantage regardless of firm resources. Additionally, adaptable IT teams are often more resilient to challenges and setbacks. This means that in the event of a disruption, deadlines are more likely to be met and the team can effectively learn from its mistakes. 

Finally, conflict resolution is essential for IT teams because it enables productive adjustment. Disagreements are inherently a part of technical work, but the best teams are able to address divergent viewpoints constructively and improve as a result. Positive conflict resolution within an IT team also bolsters collaboration and productivity as team members witness supportive reception to ideas. Perhaps more importantly, mistakes are more likely to get caught as team members feel safer sharing their perspectives.  

Conclusion

Ultimately, soft skills within IT teams are not simply advantageous, but are essential for success in today’s competitive landscape. Effective communication, adaptability, and conflict resolution are just some of the soft skills which are vital to an efficient and positive work environment. It’s important, however, to remember that soft skills can always be improved on the job, especially if it’s encouraged and prioritized by leadership.   

Looking to enhance your IT team with top talent? Contact BCTG today. 

Contributions from Jake Park-Walters