Soft Skills vs Technical Skills – What Really Gets IT People Hired

After 25 years in IT recruitment, I’ve seen thousands of CVs, interviewed more candidates than I can count, and helped businesses build whole IT teams from scratch.

And here’s a truth that still surprises people:

Technical skills get you considered.
Soft skills get you hired.

The Myth: “It’s All About the Tech”

When companies write IT job descriptions, they often focus almost entirely on technical requirements:

• Specific software
• Certifications
• Programming languages
• Systems knowledge
• Years of experience

Don’t get me wrong – these things matter. Of course they do.

But I’ve seen plenty of technically brilliant candidates fail to get job offers, while others with slightly less technical experience sail through interviews.

Why?

Because IT jobs are about people just as much as they’re about technology.

What Employers REALLY Want

Most IT roles – especially in support, infrastructure, project management and service delivery – involve constant interaction with:

• Colleagues
• End users
• Customers
• Suppliers
• Senior management

So the questions hiring managers are really asking themselves are:

• Can I put this person in front of my users?
• Will they stay calm under pressure?
• Can they explain technical issues in simple terms?
• Will they fit into the team?
• Do I trust them?

That’s where soft skills come in.

The Soft Skills That Make the Difference

In my experience, these are the qualities that consistently win job offers:

Communication

Can you explain problems clearly without baffling people with jargon?

Attitude

Are you positive, helpful and solution-focused?

Customer Service

Do you genuinely care about helping people, not just fixing machines?

Teamwork

Can you collaborate, listen and support others?

Reliability

Do you turn up on time and do what you say you’ll do?

Adaptability

Technology changes constantly – can you change with it?

I’ve seen hiring managers choose a candidate who was 70% technically there but had brilliant people skills, over someone who was 100% technical but struggled to communicate.

A Real-World Example

A few years ago, I placed two very similar 2nd Line Support Engineers.

One had loads of certifications and deep technical knowledge.

The other had decent technical skills, but fantastic communication and customer service.

Guess which one got promoted within a year?

Exactly.

What This Means for Candidates

If you’re looking for a new IT role, don’t just focus on the technical side.

Make sure your CV and interview performance show that you are:

• Easy to work with
• Good with people
• Calm under pressure
• Commercially aware
• Someone others can rely on

Those qualities are often what separate “a good candidate” from “the right candidate”.

And For Employers…

When you’re hiring, remember this:

You can train technical skills.

You can’t easily train attitude.

The best IT teams are built on a balance of technical ability and strong human skills.

Get that mix right, and everything works better.

Final Thought

Technology changes every year.

Cloud platforms come and go.
New tools appear.
Certifications evolve.

But one thing never changes:

People hire people.

And they always will.

If you’d like help finding IT professionals who bring both strong technical ability and great soft skills, I’m always happy to help.

Just get in touch.

Colin
100% IT Recruitment