‘Soft skills’ valued in hard times

Tech workers, stunned by rounds of layoffs in the aftermath of the dot-com crash and the down economy, continue to hit a wall in a labor market that has fewer jobs, lower salaries, pickier bosses and a new job requirement: "soft skills."

By T. Shawn Taylor
Chicago Tribune

Today, tech workers who do not expand their experiences and interests outside the world of computers and labs may get passed over for those who also have good communication and leadership skills and can work in teams.

"Employers are adamant they have to have soft skills," said Phil Gardner, director of the Collegiate Employment Research Institute at Michigan State University. "They want to see people who are better rounded, not just absorbed in the techie thing."

Still, jobless tech workers may be in for a long winter. The tech industry is on life support nationwide, Gardner said. Large employers that laid off thousands aren’t expected to hire again anytime soon. And much of the growth in technology is in areas such as security, defense and biotechnology, which may require a set of skills many tech professionals do not have.

There are glimmers of hope. Pharmaceutical companies and some banks have been able to pick up highly skilled tech workers they couldn’t afford before, and the information sector, including broadcasting companies, call centers and managed-data firms, is still hiring, Gardner said.

Although some jobless tech workers have turned to other careers or taken cover in graduate school, many are waiting out the storm by taking lower-paying or temporary jobs, or going into business.

"Overall, not too many are giving up," said Nick Doty, director of editorial content at Techies.com, an online job board. "Less than 10 percent of tech professionals are saying IT is not for me and going elsewhere. As tough a time as it is, the people who have jobs feel they’re doing fairly well."

Tech workers were among the first professionals to feel the impact of the economic slowdown starting with the dot-com bust late in 2000. Before that, tech workers were the darlings of the working world, commanding signing bonuses, high salaries and on-the-job perks.

"The technology work force is suffering more than anybody. The labor market we’re experiencing has affected the tech industry the most," Doty said.

The unemployment rate among tech professionals is between 12 and 20 percent, Doty said, depending on where a worker lives.

To tech workers accustomed to winning over employers with their résumés, the demand for soft skills could be a challenge.

"During the war for talent, some hiring managers (wanted) to get a person in the chair as fast as possible," said Paul Cronin, president of Techies.com. "The hiring manager’s mantra today is the right person for the right job at the right time."

Employers still place a high value on expertise, prompting many tech professionals to earn certification in the most popular tech skills. Microsoft certification is one of the most popular.

"It’s a given you have to have certification today," said Cronin, who added that surprisingly, employers complain that they have a hard time finding qualified people.

Certification helps employers differentiate one candidate from another, Cronin said.

But even experience and certification will not guarantee a job in today’s climate. Like other industries, the health of the tech world hinges on employer confidence. Cronin estimates that the tech job market will lag for another 18 to 24 months before employers start hiring again.

Temporary or contract work is still out there, said Cronin, who added that those workers are among the first to be called back when things improve.

"Employers want these free agents. That’s still a popular practice, especially for tech employers," he said.

Copyright © 2002 The Seattle Times Company

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/134631055_tech09.html