Top Skills That Are Important For The Companies Hiring Tech Professionals in 2022

The tech industry is dynamic, robust, and fast-changing. However, a strong trend is here to stay - tech companies are innovating and keep searching for the best-in-class talent. In this article, we suggest looking at the most relevant skills, competencies, and knowledge software companies are hunting for in 2022 so that you can choose the most winning path for your career advancement.

Top 7 Trending IT Areas in 2022

So, below are the trendiest niches that are in constant look for the top tech talent. Pay special attention to them if you are making the first steps along your career path since these industries are projected to grow and evolve.

IT Skills and Competencies In-Demand in 2022 and Beyond

What skills, knowledge, and competencies are demanded by the companies creating software products using the technologies we have listed above? Below are the trendiest hard and soft skills you are welcome to master and secure your future as a software engineer.

Hard Skills

Hard skills are tech-specific competencies and knowledge a developer should have to succeed in a particular field. Hard skills are personality-independent, and their level can also be objectively measured, so below are the hottest programming languages and frameworks you are welcome to master. 

Programming languages:

• JavaScript. JS is the most popular programming language ever. Almost 70% of developers surveyed by Stack Overflow use JS, and its popularity isn’t going to decline. This flexible and stable programming language is relatively easy to master, it can be used to develop both web and mobile apps, it has a large community, and is supported by extensive libraries and diverse frameworks. 
• Python. Python is the top language to build AI and ML applications. The matter is that the code written in Python is pretty understandable even for people with no technical background, so it is a perfect choice to build ML algorithms. Consider Python to get started with an IT career - this easy-to-learn programming language is pretty relevant in 2022. 
• HTML/CSS. HTML/CSS hardly needs introduction. They aren’t programming languages but they are at the heart of any webpage so these are the first technologies to learn. 
• Java. Java is used to build Android mobile apps and IoT solutions. While both of the development ideas are trendy this year, you are welcome to get started with Java as well. 
• C#. C# is one of the main languages used in AR and VR development. This programming language is difficult to master, however, the opportunities it opens up aren’t limited to AR and VR applications building. 

Frameworks:

• React.js. This is the most popular JS library that comes with an extensive toolset for frontend development. It isn’t the easiest one to master, however, the skill to deal with React.js is essential for both aspiring and experienced JS programmers. 
• Angular.js. Angular.js, in turn, is also one of the ever-green JS frameworks that is mainly used for dynamic web pages and content-heavy application development.  
• React Native and Flutter. These are cross-platform development frameworks that are pretty easy to learn. While cross-platform development technologies are some of the top frameworks to build an MVP with, React Native and Flutter are good tools to master and offer your development services to startups from multiple industries.
• Django. Django is a Python development framework that is difficult to master and use. Nevertheless, it allows for building stable, secured, and predictable ML applications, so mastering it can be a competitive yet challenging decision. 
• Laravel. Laravel, in turn, is used to create PHP-powered websites’ backend. While mastering PHP is pretty easy, Laravel comes with more challenges but it is still an in-demand technology for enterprise applications building.

Soft Skills

Let’s proceed with reviewing the soft skills modern companies pay the greatest attention to when looking for top tech talent. 

• Analytical thinking and innovation. These are the top skills any tech professional should have. The ability to generate and suggest innovative ideas, plus analyze their potential impact in advance are just the skills that drive the progress and allow for building market-disruptive software.
• Creativity and ideation. This skill comes as a logical add-on to the previous one. The ability to look for non-standard solutions and unleash the power of creativity is at the heart of innovation development as well. 
• Active learning. The ability to learn, and most importantly, self-learning is a must for developers. In response to the rapidly developing technologies, they should always keep pace with times to stay competitive and offer the perfect-match tech solutions to their customers. 
• Service orientation. This soft skill matters most for the software development outsourcing companies since they have to deliver great customer service and the best-in-class software product at once. We, at SpaceBus, prioritize this skill as well, making sure that our dedicated development teams are equally focused on the quality of the service and code.
• Persuasion and negotiation. Communication, persuasion, and negotiation skills are especially relevant for Project Managers, Team Leads, and Business Analysts who have to communicate with the customers frequently, helping them with finding the right development strategy, solving urgent issues, and updating them on the development progress. 
• Time management and respect for deadlines. This skill is especially relevant for the developers working remotely. In our recent articles, we have discussed the main benefits of working remotely for tech employees, and a better work-life balance is one of them. However, achieving it and staying productive becomes possible only when you have great time management skills and no habit of procrastination. 

The Biggest Hiring Challenges Companies Face in 2022

So, we have reviewed the trendiest hard and soft skills that modern companies are looking for this year when hiring tech specialists. However, headhunting for the top talent has never been easy, so below are the main challenges the businesses face in search of the best-in-class developers.  

1. Dealing with a talent shortage. In 2020, the tech talent shortage reached 1,6 million jobs, as stated by the US Bureau of Labour and cited by Forbes. What’s more, this figure is projected to grow across the industries. As researched by Korn Ferry,  85 million jobs will be unfilled by 2030, which will lead to $8,5 trillion in unrealized profit.

What does it mean for the companies and for developers? For the companies, it means that both local and global competition for the best-in-class talent will become even more fierce, while the aspiring developers are welcome to master the tool we have reviewed and grab the best opportunities the global labor market can offer.

2. Managing the candidates. Gathering a pool of suitable specialists and managing the candidates is another challenge the companies frequently face along their hiring path, especially if they have to hire software developers remotely. The matter is that candidate management requires using dedicated software which may be challenging to tailor to the company’s hiring goals. That’s why a lot of companies choose a dedicated development vendor and source the necessary talent from an already gathered and validated pool.  

3. Lack of technical background to vet the candidates carefully. Vetting the candidates, validating their hard and soft skills, plus making sure of personal and cultural fit is one more hiring issue. That’s why some businesses consider hiring a tech consultant to help them with the vetting process.

The Most Winning Opportunities for Developers This Year

Given the challenges above, more and more companies consider running their development process remotely and outsourcing it to countries with a better price-quality ratio compared to their homeland. In addition to the value-adding business benefits, the developers can also take advantage of the dynamic IT outsourcing market, so below are some career-boosting opportunities. 

• Become a dedicated development team member. Hiring a dedicated development team is one of the most winning options for both startups and mature companies. The developers, in turn, get the opportunity to work on foreign projects, improve their English proficiency, and get competitively paid. 
• Work as a part of an augmented tech team. Augmenting an in-house team with remote developers is another good tactic appreciated by lean businesses. Working as a part of an augmented team allows for getting great collaboration experience, boosting time management skills, and embracing cultural diversity. 
• Join an offshore development center. Businesses with great scalability potential and in need of ongoing IT support frequently take advantage of setting up an offshore development center. The local developers working in such units can successfully combine the benefits of in-office work with getting foreign projects development experience.

Conclusion

So, the skillset modern companies look for when hiring tech talent is pretty diverse while the hiring challenges they face can be significant stumbling blocks on the way to attracting the best-in-class developers. We, at SpaceBus, also take the hiring process seriously, so if you feel like having the skills and competencies we have reviewed in this article, feel free to drop us a line and send your CV!