89% of recruiters have rejected a candidate because they lacked soft skills. - LinkedIn Global Talent Trends.
Employees with high emotional intelligence make an average of $29,000 more per year than those with low emotional intelligence.
So, do you find the stats relatable? Or surprising? Let’s break down the why and how of soft skills and how tools like Skima.ai can support your hiring process.
While a candidate might look impressive on paper, it’s important to see how they perform well in person. The real difference often comes down to soft skills - those personal traits that make someone a great teammate.
These skills, though harder to measure, are key for job success, solving problems, and fitting in with a company’s culture.
However, assessing soft skills can be tricky. Candidates can easily list abilities like time management, active listening, or interpersonal skills on their resumes, but it’s tough to tell if they genuinely have those qualities.
Group interviews can add pressure and cloud the picture, and personality tests, while useful, aren’t always reliable indicators.
The most effective way to gauge soft skills, including problem-solving and time management, is through thoughtful, structured interview questions. Skima’s AI job description generator is designed to streamline candidate assessments, and help you create tailored interview questions and structured evaluations to better measure a candidate’s soft skills, including problem-solving and time management.
In the end, developing and aligning soft skills with a company’s needs is just as vital as technical know-how. Well-crafted interview questions can reveal a candidate’s true interpersonal strengths, making it easier to find those who will thrive in a dynamic and collaborative work environment.
Why Soft Skills Matter
While hard skills are essential, they’re only part of the equation when hiring the right candidate. For example, you may need a marketing manager who understands marketing principles and has the necessary qualifications, but are those alone enough to make them perfect for the job?
Most employers would say no. Soft skills - the personal traits that make someone a good team player and effective employee - are what truly drive career success.
A marketing manager, for instance, needs more than just technical expertise. They need to lead a team, communicate clearly, and tackle problems as they arise. You might find a candidate with great technical knowledge, but if they lack the ability to collaborate, resolve conflicts, or go the extra mile, they may not be the right fit for the role.
Even in highly technical fields like computer science, soft skills matter. A software developer isn’t just writing code - they need to collaborate, manage deadlines, and understand how users will interact with the product.
These interpersonal skills—like communication and time management - aren’t usually taught in classrooms but are critical to excelling in the workplace.
What Soft Skills Should You Look For?
The specific soft skills you need will vary depending on the role. For example, an executive assistant must be extremely detail-oriented, while leadership skills might not be as important. On the other hand, some skills are valuable across the board. For example, strong interpersonal skills are important for both salespeople and accountants, though for different reasons. A salesperson needs them to build rapport with clients, while an accountant might need them to explain complex financial data to non-experts.
Here are some soft skills that are consistently in high demand across different industries:
Different companies may prioritize different soft skills based on their culture. For example, Google looks for candidates with an inquisitive nature and agile learning abilities, while Microsoft emphasizes openness, integrity, and self-awareness.
No matter the role, soft skills like problem-solving, attention to detail, and the ability to communicate well are often what set top candidates apart.
How Can You Assess Soft Skills in Interviews?
Finding the right mix of soft skills can be tough, and they’re not always easy to measure. Interviewers often fall into the trap of relying on their gut feelings, which can lead to biased decisions.
However, structured interviews with well-thought-out questions can help you more accurately gauge a candidate's soft skills, such as their ability to prioritize tasks, collaborate as a team player, and communicate effectively.
Here are a few sample questions that can help assess specific soft skills:
Communication Skills:
"Can you describe a time when you had to explain a complex idea to someone who was unfamiliar with the topic? How did you ensure they understood?"
(Assesses clarity and effectiveness in communication.)
Teamwork:
"Tell me about a time when you worked with a team to achieve a goal. What role did you play, and how did you handle any conflicts or challenges?"
(Assesses collaboration and conflict resolution within a team.)
Problem-Solving:
"Can you provide an example of a situation where you encountered an unexpected problem? How did you approach resolving it?"
(Assesses analytical thinking and creativity in problem-solving.)
Adaptability:
"Tell me about a time when you had to adjust to a significant change at work. How did you handle it, and what did you learn from the experience?"
(Assesses flexibility and openness to change.)
Time Management:
"Describe a situation where you had to juggle multiple tasks with tight deadlines. How did you prior itize, and what was the outcome?"
(Assesses ability to prioritize and manage time effectively.)
Emotional Intelligence:
"Can you share an experience where you had to manage your emotions in a high-pressure situation? How did you stay composed and handle the situation?"
(Assesses self-awareness and emotional regulation.)
Leadership:
"Describe a time when you had to take the lead on a project. How did you motivate your team, and what challenges did you face as a leader?"
(Assesses leadership and motivational skills.)
How Do You Score Candidates on Soft Skills?
Judging soft skills like active listening or strong communication skills can sometimes feel straightforward, especially when you’re interacting with someone face-to-face. But it’s important to remember that a candidate’s behaviour in an interview might not reflect how they behave day-to-day.
This is why relying on structured interviews, rather than intuition, is so valuable. Structured interviews allow you to rate candidates more fairly and reduce bias.
In a structured interview, you ask every candidate the same set of questions in the same order. This helps ensure you’re evaluating each person on the same criteria, whether it’s their ability to work as a team player, pay attention to detail, or handle problem-solving challenges.
Responses are rated using a standardized scoring system, whether that’s a simple pass/fail or a more detailed rating scale.
For example, when evaluating interpersonal skills, you might rate candidates on a scale from 1 to 5:
- Level 1 (Low): Struggles with interpersonal interactions and needs close supervision.
- Level 3 (Average): Manages interpersonal situations with moderate discomfort and occasional guidance.
- Level 5 (Outstanding): Handles tense interpersonal situations independently and advises others on how to do the same.
Using a scoring system like this makes it easier to compare candidates fairly, provide constructive feedback, and make more informed hiring decisions.
What About Skills Assessments?
In addition to interviews, you can use skills assessments to evaluate how well candidates apply their soft skills in real-world scenarios. For example, you might test how well a candidate can handle time management, resolve conflicts, or balance multiple tasks.
These assessments provide valuable insight into how a candidate will perform once they’re on the job and complement the information gathered during the interview process.
By combining structured interviews with skills assessments, you can get a comprehensive view of a candidate’s fit for the role. After all, soft skills are just as crucial as technical abilities when it comes to building a successful and collaborative team.
Conclusion
Soft skills are often the key differentiator between candidates who can perform the job and those who can excel in it. While technical expertise remains important, it’s the interpersonal skills like problem-solving, teamwork, communication, and time management that truly set top performers apart.
As an employer, focusing on how candidates demonstrate these abilities during the interview process can help you build a well-rounded team capable of thriving in dynamic work environments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Why are soft skills important at work?
Soft skills like communication, problem-solving, and teamwork drive collaboration and adaptability. They complement technical skills, improving performance and workplace harmony.
Q2. How can I evaluate a candidate’s problem-solving abilities?
Ask about a time they handled an unexpected challenge to assess their thinking and creativity. Follow up with questions about team-based problem-solving.
Q3. What soft skills are key for leadership roles?
Leadership requires communication, emotional intelligence, problem-solving, and motivation. Look for examples of these in their previous leadership experiences.
Q4. Can soft skills be learned, or are they natural?
Most soft skills can be developed through practice and feedback. Encourage continuous learning to help employees enhance these abilities.
Q5. How do I spot genuine communication skills in an interview?
Ask candidates how they explained a complex idea to a novice. Evaluate how they adjusted their message and ensured understanding.
