The digital landscape evolves quickly, and is showing no signs of slowing down. With more hardware and software options out there, companies are less reluctant to say goodbye to older systems and implementing new technology for their businesses.

As the demand for this new technology rises, so does the demand for an IT department that makes the new systems work as effectively and efficiently as possible. In order to do that, IT pros need more than just the hard skills—they need the soft skills, too.

Soft skills are a person’s abilities to empathize and communicate effectively with others. In other words: “people skills.” We’ve put together a short list of the most important IT soft skills that professionals should have, or try to develop in the workplace. These are skills which employers are looking for when hiring the right IT candidate.

Communication

Communication skills of some the best IT soft skills to have. The IT guy needs to communicate effectively with people, not just with the technology. We’ve reached a point today where IT pros are not only implementing and fixing tech systems, but teaching the systems to employees as well. Being able to convey the technology in non-technical terms, written and verbal, is crucial to a business’s success.

Additionally, IT pros are more and more becoming the point of contact for vendors and clients, and the communication between the two are often through email. Being able to express ideas in written form without the help of hand gestures and voice inflection makes business-to-client relationships professional and clear.

Patience

When the IT pro trains coworkers on a new system or software, the employees are going to learn at a slower pace, or maybe just not get it at all. Hiring managers are looking for someone who’s patient and understands that the end-user is almost never going to be as fast the IT guy.

Also, since IT pros need to interact more externally, he or she should understand vendors and clients have their own priorities, so communication can sometimes move slower than it would with another coworker just down the hall.

Confidence

Employers are looking for someone who exudes confidence, especially in those younger IT pros who aren’t as experienced as some of the other more seasoned applicants.

Confidence means being politely assertive about what he or she believes is right for the greater good of the company and its network solutions. It doesn’t mean disregarding all other ideas, but rather contributing to the pool of ideas with conviction and passion.

Teaching

Most employees at a company don’t have the same technical skills as the IT pro; they were hired for the other things they’re good at. However, they all interact with the technology and network systems every day. In order for employees to excel at their job, they need the least amount of barriers standing in the way. Proper training is key to knocking those down.

A good teacher takes the time to be flexible and patient with those he or she is training. Employees in different departments have different skill sets and the IT pro should be able to teach to those with varying levels of skills and experience.

Organization

IT professionals understand their work occurs under many projects with different deadlines and various levels of priority. Employers want someone on their IT team who can organize their day-to-day tasks to accomplish tasks on time. Organized employees look weeks, months and even years ahead to lay out an organized roadmap for future projects and goals.

Does your IT department have these crucial soft skills? Having trouble finding someone who does? At ThrottleNet, we push our team to develop these IT soft skills every day—it’s how we acquire customers looking to lose the goat, or at least not hire another one. If your IT department needs a hand, we’re here to help.  Contact us today to learn more about our Managed Network, Computer Networking or Custom Software Application services.