In this, the third and final installment of the Team Building series, we are going to hone in on the key skills to identify and quantify when hiring a young developer. As we recall, in the first chapter we discussed the three key indicators of success; The Get-It Factor, Communication Skills and a History of Success. In the second chapter, we introduced our ‘toolbox’ and explored the difference between hard-skills and soft-skills (i.e. the tools). As we previously mentioned, between hard and soft tools, the soft ones are more critical because they are more difficult to develop. This fact doesn’t make them more important in the long run- but a young developer with a strong soft-skills base will generally be much easier to train successfully than one who relies heavily on the hard ones. The irony is that our profession most heavily respects hard-skills.

So what are the key soft-tools to hone for a developer’s toolbox?

Clearly we all possess multiple soft-skills with varying degrees of proficiency. Within the limits of an interview process, it is impossible to identify them all. That is why there are a few which are both critical and identifiable. The top three of these are:

Comportment. The way that an individual behaves and carries them self is indicative of a number of other key qualities. Do they speak clearly and concisely?  Do they maintain eye contact? Are they well groomed? Does their appearance indicate an attention to detail? Are they deferential, or aggressive, or respectful? Ultimately, do they possess the underlying self-confidence required by developers to succeed?

Hunger. Due to the inherent ebbs and flows of our oh-so cyclical industry, the young developer must possess a quantifiable passion for the profession that can carry them through the many times when it would just be easier to do almost anything else. Why they ‘must’ be a developer (and their drive to be great) is a key evaluation tool.

Values. Although we wouldn’t typically consider having ‘values’ to be a soft-skill, it is actually one of the most critical. Our core beliefs and values inform how we behave in the inevitable face of adversity that we will spend the following decades facing. So whether, in those moments, we retreat to our sheer will to succeed, or God, or family- it is useful to know not only what the candidate values, but also how developed their sense of values are. Values are a reflection of maturity. Also, we are a ‘values based’ organization and it is useful to understand that there is a basic continuity between our value-sets. As we have previously discussed, a development position should always be a strategic hire and it is critical that we believe at the onset, that the longevity will exist in order for us to complete their training.

If it is truly our intent to be great developers who not only perpetuate the profession, but elevate it- then we must begin to be more deliberate and strategic in the hiring decisions that we make. We must be builders who are also proficient ‘team builders.’ And to be skillful at team building, we must widen our gaze to recognize and respect the real determinants of success within our profession. We must stop hiring based on hard-skills for positions whose success relies almost solely on soft-skills.