Do developers really need social skills?

By Matthew Osborn, Web Editor, Builder.com

The new Builder.com has a new tag line: "Beyond the code." The idea is that software developers can (and should) break out of their code silos and emerge as leaders in their organizations. But for that to happen, programmers need more than top-notch coding chops. They also need people skills and the savvy to navigate corporate politics.

Or, do they?

WHEN I WAS laid off last June, I had to slap on a tie and shake hands with lots of recruiters. I foolishly assumed that, in addition to showcasing my technical experience, I should emphasize my strong organizational and communications skills. I practiced using the essential soft-skills catch phrases to drop during interviews. Repeat after me: "I am an effective communicator under tight deadlines." "I am a team player."

Boy, was I wasting my time! Not one of those recruiters asked me, "So, Matt, how well do you get along with your coworkers?" Or, "Why shouldn't you end a sentence in a preposition?"

All they cared about was whether I could comprehend Java code or had used LoadRunner. (I did have to explain to one recruiter the difference between Lode Runner, the classic arcade game, and LoadRunner, the automated testing tool produced by Mercury Interactive.)

The recruiters who heard my soft-skills pitch were probably thinking, "Listen buddy, no public speaking class will help you write better code. Come project crunch time, which is more important: What you learned at Toastmasters or how well you can debug Java code at 4 a.m.?"

I CAN ALREADY see the e-mail and TalkBack flames you are about to send me. "Matt, you are an idiot. As a development manager for 10 years, I would rather have one team player than an army of arrogant 20-something Java jockeys." And I agree: Being a jerk who's incapable of constructing a complete sentence will never land you on the career fast track.

But if you think that a class on tactful e-mail communication will help you climb the corporate ladder, think again. You can schmooze and network all you want. But in today's economy, if you can't deliver the bug fix your boss needs in a matter of minutes, you're dead in the water.

It's all a question of balance: When the job market is tight, and when deadlines loom, soft skills may not seem that important. But as soon as those critical moments pass, the uncouth developer could find him or herself flipping through the want ads--right next to the guy reciting the Hamlet  soliloquy he learned at Toastmasters.

Do you think I missed the boat on the importance of soft skills for developers? Are they key to getting ahead or not? TalkBack to me.