Skill set and technical knowledge are imperative when selecting your team’s next engineer.
Often overlooked when considering candidates for specialized positions are applicants’ soft skills. Even in highly technical roles where knowledge and expertise are essential, soft skills are vital in determining how well an individual can execute the role’s functions. Additionally, soft skills provide insight into the overall value a candidate will bring to an organization.
During an interview, it is easy to omit soft skill queries in favor of questions aimed toward a candidate’s technical skill set and knowledge. However, inquiries geared toward assessing the more qualitative characteristics of a candidate can give employers an added sense of confidence that they are hiring the best individual for their engineering team.
We have identified 9 soft skills necessary for recognizing top-quality candidates within the various engineering fields.
1. Communication
2. Empathy
We do not always associate empathy with engineering, but empathy is a crucial soft skill for engineers to possess. When you work on a team or are in a role that requires continuous communication with others, an individual’s ability to understand different work and communication styles is vital to effective group performance. Empathy helps to develop strong working relationships within the company as well as with your company’s clients.
3. Teamwork
4. Adaptability
5. Leadership
6. Process-Oriented
7. Creativity
8. Persistence
9. Persistence
An individual who is organized in their daily work, thoughts, and processes will make for a more productive engineer. Candidates who prioritize organization will be better equipped to handle a higher volume of tasks and will be in a better position to complete said tasks on time –or even early.
Hiring an engineer who lacks organization will cause an increase in missed deadlines and a decrease in company efficiency. A disorganized engineer may cause an overall slowdown of team productivity and a decrease in product quality.
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In Summary
Good luck with the hiring process while you search for your next engineer!