Top 8 Skills Recruiters Are Seeking in Software Engineers

Capable software engineers remain in demand, but the skills companies need the most change from year to year. Here’s what companies are on the lookout for now.

Successful product engineers think about solving problems that deliver the most value to the business. Engineers most often are motivated by solving the most interesting technical problems, but as building software becomes easier than ever, companies care more about whether engineers can think about what solutions their customers most need.

The largest software companies increasingly are building web-based applications. These are quick and easy to prototype but more difficult to scale. Companies are looking for engineers who can take a basic web application and scale it to millions of users. Understanding database design deeply is especially valuable here.

As more code becomes publicly available on sites such as GitHub, companies increasingly are looking to see if candidates have contributed to open-source projects or open-sourced their own software in the past. Such moves show a passion for their work and set those candidates apart.

Engineers who have taken courses on sites such as Coursera or Udacity to further their personal learning shows intellectual curiosity and drive. However, engineers shouldn’t pitch themselves as an expert on any topic just because they completed one online course.

It’s increasingly important for any technology company to have a mobile strategy. This has increased the demand for mobile engineers, especially iOS and Android. Engineers who can show experience with these, even on personal projects, will find their skills much sought-after.

Strong technical communicators are highly sought-after, as good communication improves the overall productivity of a team. This doesn’t mean just being friendly and confident. It means being able to take complex ideas and explain them clearly to others.

Companies don’t want engineers who just talk about coding—they want engineers to show they can code. This has changed how technical interviews are done. A growing number of companies are switching out the standard whiteboard interview for giving applicants a laptop and asking them to build something in a couple of hours.

Strictly speaking, this isn’t a technical skill, but as companies grow, they want engineers who can improve the productivity of everyone around them. Engineers who take on opportunities to mentor junior engineers and lead a team are in demand.