How Can Recruiters Assess Candidates’ Soft Skills In An Interview

Soft skills are some of the most essential and valuable characteristics an employee can possess. In fact, 89% of employers found that it usually boils down to the lack of soft skills when a hire doesn't work out. That is why, when it comes to hiring your next talent, you'd need to focus on your hard skills assessment and soft skills. 

However, it can be challenging to discern between soft skills, hard skills, and personal attributes when assessing applicants. Although there may be some overlap, all 3 are crucial when identifying a well-rounded hire. 

What are soft skills?

Also known as 'people' skills, soft skills are interpersonal and intangible traits that employees need to work, lead, and communicate with others. An individual who is technically skilled in their field but needs to possess the soft skills required to interact well with other team members may not be as beneficial to your organization as someone with those added qualities.

In addition, soft skills are way more diverse than hard skills. Below are several examples:

• Great communication skills
• Ability to empathize with others
• Self-aware and able to "read the room"
• Has a characteristic that works well with others and in teams
• Flexible in picking up new tasks and embracing changes in their work
• Possess leadership traits
• Able to manage time efficiently
• Possess high work ethics
• Attentive to details

What are hard skills?

Hard skills typically refer to learned expertise in a field and are often developed to become competent in a specific area. For this reason, hard skills are more objective and straightforward, making it easier to train, quantify, and assess candidates or employees than soft skills. 

Here are several examples of hard skills:

• Technical knowledge of computer programs or skills required to support the IT team
• Proficiency in languages
• Able to run equipment or system that typically requires common training for operators
• Expert in data analysis
• Able to copywrite or draft out formal documents
• Possess a specific degree, field-related certifications, or awards

How to assess soft skills?

This skill set's most important assessment phase is during the interview process. Before the session, write out questions that will enable you to obtain the necessary information. Or, you may find examples of interview questions online and tweak them to match the relevant role. Below we list out the STAR guide suggested by The Indeed Career Guide. You may use it to ask your candidates:

• Situation - "Share a situation you've successfully handled in the company and the notable challenges you faced during that time."
• Task - "Describe your role in the situation and how it made you feel."
• Action - "Describe your actions to respond to the situation and how you've solved the issues. Was there a need to involve other team members? If that is the case, why?"
• Result - "Share the outcome of your actions. What qualities were present (by you and the others who contributed to the outcome)? Were there quantifying measures (reach, order numbers, etc.) that determined whether your outcome benefited the company?"  

Sample interview questions

STAR-guided questions can help extract the applicants' more specific answers to an interviewer's questions with real-life reactions. Strive to ask open-ended questions as it can help prevent candidates from responding just a "yes" and "no". Here are some great examples you may consider:

• Could you share a time in the company when you had to lead your team through a difficult or uncertain phase?"
• How do you determine which task to focus on when you have many deadlines?
• Could you share the most significant issue you've solved in your previous company?
• How did you train your team leaders to delegate new tasks or duties to colleagues who are not familiar with them?
• Share a time when your team's outcome needed to meet company-set expectations. How did you adapt to the results? How did you explain the reality to your supervisor?"
• How did you approach situations when a team member disagreed with one of your decisions?

Last but not least, be attentive to their social cues

Social cues are vital in assessing an individual's soft skills and ability to work with others. Did they say hello to the receptionist when they stepped in? Did they make eye contact while talking? Is their body language mainly expressive and open or more closed off? These small yet essential signals indicate how honest the candidate is to their work environment and how comfortable they can be in newer settings. However, you don't have to over-analyze every stutter or stance since an individual with soft skills can still have nervous moments during interviews.

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