Why IT Pros Need Better Soft Skills
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Why IT Pros Need Better Soft Skills
Projecting better business savvy can go a long way for IT professionals who are increasingly involved in business meetings. -
Failure to Communicate
28% of CIOs said today's tech pros could improve upon their communications skills—including written and face-to-face interactions. -
Issue Resolution
21% said they'd like to see IT pros enhance their problem-solving capabilities. -
Reliability Factor
18% said IT pros need to improve upon their work ethic, including accountability. -
Out of the Box
13% would like to see more creative thinking among their IT team members. -
Professional Seasoning
9% said IT employees need to be more professional, and 8% feel that these workers need to improve their business acumen. -
Best Practices: Learning Opportunity
Present workshops to improve written and verbal communications among your staffers, in addition to collaboration and cross-functional thinking. -
Best Practices: Social Engagement
Lead by example by engaging employees throughout the day and attending networking/industry events with them off-site. -
Best Practices: Leveraged Knowledge
Set up a mentorship program so more experienced employees share ideas that have led to successful project outcomes, along with general practices that enhance one's professional standing.
A significant share of CIOs say today's tech pros need to improve upon their communications interactions and other soft skills, according to a recent survey from Robert Half Technology. After all, in the modern era of cross-departmental collaboration, IT employees have to expand beyond purely technical competencies to work with business teams on strategic goals—efforts which require the ability to communicate well, both in writing and conversation. CIOs also said their team members must convey a better sense of work ethic and accountability, in addition to projecting more overall professionalism and business savvy. "While technical skills open the door to new career opportunities for IT professionals, soft skills are essential for landing promotions and leadership roles," said John Reed, executive director of Robert Half Technology. "Technology employees who seek advancement in today's business environment require a healthy mix of business acumen, interpersonal skills and technical ability." The research includes best practices for CIOs to encourage better soft skills among staffers, and we've included those here. More than 2,500 CIOs took part in the research.