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Forbes Technology Council

As your tech team looks to expand, the challenges in hiring new employees become more than evident. For instance, when interviewing potential candidates, your company will need to pay close attention to the exact skills that will benefit you and mesh with your current employee structure.

Soft skills are becoming increasingly important, as IT professionals are tasked with interfacing with customers as well as other employees in their everyday responsibilities. Finding a job candidate that possesses both technical and soft skills can be a real boon for your tech team, and they should go to the top of the pile when you’re considering who deserves the job offer.

So what kind of soft skills should you look for? Below, nine members of Forbes Technology Council discuss essential traits they look for in a candidate, including true passion, a learning mindset, curiosity or integrity. Here are some specifics:

1. Sense Of Ownership

Sense of ownership is the most important trait to look for when hiring. The most inspiring company cultures are driven by an overwhelming sense of ownership and pride over the work being done, by all who are doing it. – Thatcher Spring, GearLaunch

2. Culture Alignment

Culture alignment is key. Every organization has its own DNA and culture — a specific way of doing things. In addition to technology capabilities, any new hire needs to have attitudes and aptitudes that fit with the company culture. – Mandar Bhagwat, SpadeWorx Software Services

Read more in Managing Mistakes: Six Steps To Creating A Supportive Culture

3. Passion To Understand Their Adversaries

Our defender candidates must understand the adversary’s mindset, motives, tactics, tendencies and exploitation techniques. They must be passionate, creative and have the ability to think outside the norms of the traditional engineering mindset. The passion to become intimately familiar with both their adversaries, as well as the tactics and techniques employed by these threat actors is critical. – Eric Hipkins, root9B

4. A Learning Mindset

I am always looking for someone who is willing to learn and experiment. I am also looking for candidates who are up to speed with the latest industry trends and are firmly grounded in current technical realities. I am looking not only for problem identifiers, but also for problem solvers – Sandeep Shilawat, ManTech International