In reading the recent post “Top 10 Traits of a Rockstar Software Engineer” I felt that there was a missing 11th trait. The RWW list is a pretty comprehensive list of the buzz in programming circles right now:

1. Loves To Code
2. Gets Things Done
3. Continuously Refactors Code
4. Uses Design Patterns
5. Writes Tests
6. Leverages Existing Code
7. Focuses on Usability (ed. Should be UX)
8. Writes Maintainable Code
9. Can Code in Any Language
10. Knows Basic Computer Science

While these are all admirable traits to use when ranking candidates for a position, they really only describe the ability for someone to work with hands on a keyboard and living in an IDE. Far too often hiring in this way means that you have someone who lacks the most important trait:

11. Works well with others

I know, I know. This is a basic hiring criteria for any position, be they an engineer, manager, designer or accountant. Too often however, this 11th trait is overlooked when hiring “those who code”. I’ve done it myself! I’ve overlooked significant personality flaws simply because someone had the right experience on a resume or could adequately diagram a complex database model. Every time that I’ve brought in someone based solely on their ability to code, I found failure within the first few weeks. Quickly I was dealing with colleagues who didn’t want to work with him/her.

If your engineer can’t be personable and spend hours and hours of time with those who are helping to define and design your product, then their value to the organization is next to zero. Engineers must be able to step away from the computer and bring their deep expertise in technology to the table along with the business owners and designers.

So, here’s Dan’s top 4 traits of a Rockstar Software Engineer

1. Works well with others
2. Loves to code
3. Focuses on user experience
4. Can code in (most) any language