What are the key qualities of software developers?
Good software developers are more than just specialists in technology. They need to be able to work with their team, solve problems and constantly develop their skills. In this article, we will show you what qualities we pay attention to when hiring software developers.
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It’s all about cultural fit - here’s what software developer qualities we look for!
We like people that fit with us culturally. It is not just because we want to get along, but it brings value to the business. Our culture is all about transparency, self-management, and continuous development. If our developers share the same values, then it’s to the benefit of the client and their digital product. In other words:
People who fit well with our culture feel good in our organization and it makes them more productive, effective, and they stay with us longer. So in the end, our clients get teams made up of motivated, passion-driven people.
Of all the software developer qualities, cultural fit is just as important as technical skills. Spotting developers who would fit with our culture comes down to a few simple traits. Here’s how we do it at Boldare.
We like developers that are purpose-driven
Purpose-driven software developers are the ones with passion for what they do. These developers chose their profession consciously, by looking at their own strengths and interests. In their everyday work, they don’t just think about how to do their job, but how they can contribute to their team and the product. They want to make a difference in the world - and know how digital products can do that!
We believe that distributed authority is the best kind of authority
At Boldare, we believe in self-management as it cultivates a problem-solving attitude. Whenever our developers see a problem, they start thinking of a solution and take responsibility for implementing it. Distributed authority is also about being quality-oriented - we want developers who constantly think about how to improve a product.
We have nothing to hide, so we value people that are transparent
A transparent software developer is one that communicates their actions to the rest of the development team and is not afraid to speak up if they’re experiencing difficulties. But also it’s someone that is keen on sharing their knowledge about the technology used in the project. People like that add value to the team, even when the work on the product is done.
Evolutionary learning - our answer to constant development
Evolutionary learning is about how developers approach new information. It can manifest itself in the way they embrace change: we live in a VUCA world and the best developers are the ones that can make the most of the changing environment. But also, it’s about reflecting on the consequences of their actions.
How autonomy in collaboration breeds the best results
One last quality of software developers that we look for is how the person works with others. It’s about their approach to conflict resolution and feedback (giving and receiving). This is what we like to call the autonomy of collaboration. We always look for developers who know how to build trust by being solution-driven - be it on an interpersonal or professional level.
Our developers are masters of communication and true team players. Soft skills like clear communication, being open to feedback, and strong team working are the sort of “micro talents” that we look out for.
Julia Skrzypek, Talent Acquisition Specialist
Being a talented software developer is not just about coding - we look for business-oriented people too!
At Boldare, we work with the full cycle product development model (FCPD for short), which means that we can take your business idea, test it with an MVP or prototype and adjust it as needed. We don’t necessarily look for people who are already fluent in the FCPD model, but we look for qualities in software developers that would indicate that the person has the potential to learn it and embrace it. These qualities are being open to change and the ability to prioritize.
That means that our developers need to be business-oriented, which in simple words we would describe as:
developers who deliver business value to the client, instead of just writing code.
At first, this list of the top qualities of software developers might seem long, but in the end, the right candidate will exhibit them naturally. After all, they are interconnected: team players are generally open to feedback, and motivated developers are passionate about what they do. With that foundation, building a great team becomes a formality. And building an innovative digital product is just a matter of time.
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