Streamlining operations and improving systems and complex processes is all part of the skill sets needed for a highly successful information technology (IT) team. It takes a particular group of people and a good project manager to make an IT company thrive. Considering the variety of systems and software in tech positions available, the skills required can vary. Some of these characteristics are essential for the majority of highly successful tech teams, while some may not be as pertinent.
What Soft and Technical Skills Your IT Team Should Have
Every person on the team doesn’t need to have every one of these skills. On the contrary, the team should be compiled of people who have hard skills and/or soft skills. Hard skills are technical and mechanical. They’re learned and mastered such as programming, languages, and coding. Teamwork, communication, and multi-tasking are interpersonal or soft skills. It’s important to have a strong team that has both skills collectively. Industry leaders and successful hiring managers know which types of skills to look for when going through job applications and interviews. [bctt tweet=”To improve your IT team’s efficiency, consider building a team of professionals that have the following skill set combined.” username=””]
- Problem Solving
- Time Management
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Coding Skills
- Software Certifications
1) Problem Solving
It’s necessary for most, if not all IT professionals on a team to have good problem-solving skills. While problem-solving is typically considered a soft skill, it could be a technical skill- especially in information technology. Most IT teams are consistently solving technical problems throughout each workday. This means that as new and unfamiliar issues become present, then the IT team has to find innovative ways to solve them.
2) Time Management
Another necessary soft skill is the ability to effectively manage time. Sometimes one person will be working on ten different projects at once. This means that IT issues have to be organized by priority and the time spent on each problem has to be spread evenly, or else the IT professional will be stuck spending too much time on one thing, which in turn negatively impacts their overall efficiency.
3) Teamwork
Another skill employers should be looking for is the ability to work well in a team. Oftentimes, complicated problems take the minds of multiple people to solve. While a lot of IT work can be done solo, some should be completed with a team.
Pro Tip: Some people don’t work well with others, and those types of people shouldn’t be considered as candidates for an IT position.
4) Communication
Having strong communication skills is a necessary interpersonal skill for some IT job titles. Not all people working in the IT field need to have the best communication abilities. However, the people handling customer queries should be able to effectively communicate between the client, and coworkers to fulfill client requests.
5) Coding
Required technical skills for many IT positions are computer coding and programming abilities. While the whole IT team doesn’t need to be professional coders, this skill list is valuable in information technology. Furthermore, understanding multiple languages and being able to code seamlessly from language to language is critical for some IT positions.
6) Software Certifications
Being certified in useful software like Microsoft is essential for many tech companies. Microsoft offers many technical certifications including Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) and Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE). Cisco also offers training courses and certifications that prove beneficial for tech teams, such as the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA). Another software for successful tech employees to become certified in is Adobe.
Productive IT Teams
For a productive IT team, your employees should have some, and collectively all of the skills listed above. Hard and soft skills complement each other to create an efficient tech team.
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