Portrait of a Great Software Developer

When hiring software developers, don’t stop at technical qualifications. Here are four personality traits that make a standout offshore talent.

The shortage in tech talent persists well into the final quarter of 2021, reports Gartner in a survey of 437 IT global companies. Even as lockdowns ease in some parts of the world, businesses have their eyes on continuous digital transformation (itself a response to their own customers’ evolving behaviors) and software companies are working double-time to meet the demand.

Across the industry, there is an increased need for manpower but for many reasons, they’re not getting filled. When everyday is crunch time, you may fall into the trap of hiring the next available developer. However, a bad hire can be costly (time, finance, and morale-wise), especially in a pandemic, and applying greater scrutiny in your hunt will pay off in the long run.

So, what do you look for? Technical skills and work history matter, but having certain personality traits make some software developers a better investment than others. As you build a competitive team, save a (virtual) seat for individuals that exhibit the following:

They stay curious. If we had all the answers to all the questions built into our noggins, there probably wouldn’t be room for innovation. Software development is a continuous search for the next best feature or program; you’d want the hands and minds behind it to never be satisfied with what they can do or know today. Find someone who asks questions, is fired up over new experiences and learnings, starts passion projects, or volunteers in their free time. These are good signs of how they can be a bottomless barrel of novel ideas.

They are adaptable. The tech industry changes every minute—not just with its products but with roles, processes, and principles that govern the work. Software developers must be able to shift their perspective, scope, or speed as the situation requires. This means they can’t be risk-averse, as any type of change brings with it some level of uncertainty, but they should balance this with good judgment.

They can self-manage. Being collaborative is an unmissable quality for members of any working team, and so is being independent. They need to be able to remain productive and keep themselves on track, especially in remote setups where they don’t have the proximity of a supportive team. While you’d never want them to feel isolated, it’s good to have an awareness of one’s individual situation and be more proactive in owning one’s work.

They are good communicators. Gone are the stereotypes of software developers who are lost in their world, preferring machines over human connection. Working alongside a team of different roles aiming to create the same product, it’s only natural to expect interpersonal skills (the degree of which could vary) out of even the most hard-coded developer. They should be able to explain their work clearly to non-technical stakeholders and express their points of view to the team as necessary.