The Rising Demand for Soft Skills in Engineering | LinkedIn’s VPE Aarathi Vidyasagar

According to a LinkedIn study, engineers with strong soft skills are promoted 13% faster than those with only technical skills. Given how AI will continue to reshape market demands for developers and engineering leaders, how can you adapt to these changes and further your career?

This week we’re joined by Aarathi Vidyasagar, VP of Engineering at LinkedIn, to explore the growing importance of soft skills and how leadership, communication, and empathy are becoming just as critical as technical expertise.

Aarathi shares how LinkedIn is preparing engineers to thrive in this new environment, focusing on upskilling teams to navigate AI and empower collaboration and innovation through strong interpersonal skills. She offers valuable takeaways into building engineering teams that balance hard technical abilities with the soft skills needed to lead, mentor, and work effectively in diverse teams.

For anyone interested in the future of engineering and the rising demand for soft skills, this episode offers an important perspective on how to equip your teams for long-term success in an AI-driven world.

Episode Highlights:

• 00:56 How industry changes have impacted the need for communication and soft skills 
• 04:31 How software development is going to continue to change 
• 12:33 Generalists vs Specialists 
• 15:52 How is LinkedIn positioned for the new era of hiring?
• 31:11 How is LinkedIn approaching developer experience and productivity?
• 36:33 How to support devs in automating migrations 

Show Notes:

• Aarathi on LinkedIn
• Closing the Tech Talent Gap
• Managing Bot-Generated PRs & Reducing Team Workload by 6%

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