  We have been thinking about other aspects of software engineering for many
years; the missing link in engineering software is the soft skills set,
essential in the software development process. Although soft skills are among
the most important aspects in the creation of software, they are often
overlooked by educators and practitioners. One of the main reasons for the
oversight is that soft skills are usually related to social and personality
factors, i.e., teamwork, motivation, commitment, leadership, multi-culturalism,
emotions, interpersonal skills, etc. This editorial is a manifesto declaring
the importance of soft skills in software engineering with the intention to
draw professionals attention to these topics. We have approached this issue by
mentioning what we know about the field, what we believe to be evident, and
which topics need further investigation. Important references to back up our
claims are also included. Software engineers take pride in the depth of their
technical expertise, which separates them from the crowd. But, what makes a
good software engineer? First, it is the technical knowledge of relevant
methodologies and techniques (i.e. hard skills), as well as the skills
necessary for applying that knowledge in practice. Second, but nonetheless
important, it is a set of soft skills, in particular collaboration,
communication, problem-solving and similar interpersonal and critical thinking
skills that are expected from software engineering professionals. In other
words, software engineers need both hard and soft skills in order to be
successful at the workplace.
