Unveiling How Top Recruiters Measure Soft Skills in Interviews
Discover how leading recruiters assess soft skills in interviews. Explore behavioral questioning, non-verbal cues, and holistic evaluation methods, essential for identifying candidates' interpersonal strengths.
In today's competitive job market, it's vital to recognize the importance of soft skills before diving into recruiters' methods, because according to LinkedIn’s 2019 Global Talent Trends report, 89 percent of recruiters say when a hire doesn’t work out, it usually comes down to a lack of soft skills. So, what are soft skills? Empathy, communication, adaptability, critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork are essential pillars that help navigate complex work environments and foster collaborative success.
A Shift in Priorities: Soft Skills Over Hard Skills
Recent studies, such as a report from the International Association of Administrative Professionals, show a significant change in what recruiters value. Around 67% of HR managers now prioritize candidates with strong soft skills, even if their hard skills are lacking. This shift emphasizes how crucial soft skills have become in hiring decisions and the need for effective ways to identify and measure these qualities.
Behavioral Interviewing: Revealing the Person Behind the Resume
Recruiters often use behavioral interview questions to uncover a candidate's true potential beyond qualifications. These questions focus on past experiences:
- Share a conflict resolution scenario.
- Describe handling feedback from a mistake.
- Explain managing teams through uncertainty.
- Discuss decision-making amidst employee disagreements.
- Narrate significant workplace problem-solving instances.
These questions aim to draw out self-reflection and genuine responses, revealing a candidate's problem-solving approaches, conflict resolution skills, and decision-making abilities. 🧠
Bruce Tulgan, the author of "Bridging the Soft Skills Gap: How to Teach the Missing Basics to Today’s Young Talent," supports problem-solving questions as effective tools for identifying soft skills. His suggested queries offer insights into a candidate's adaptability, communication, and problem-solving abilities, crucial for success in diverse workplace scenarios.
Observation: Decoding Non-Verbal Cues
Aside from verbal responses, recruiters keenly observe a candidate's non-verbal cues during interviews. Eye contact, organization, interruptions, and evasion offer glimpses into a candidate's soft skills development:
- 👀 Eye Contact: Indicates active listening and engagement.
- 🗂️ Organization: Reflects systematic and structured thinking.
- 🤐 Interruptions: Demonstrates communication skills and respect for dialogue.
- 🤔 Evasion: Highlights potential gaps in articulation or self-awareness.
The Power of a Well-Crafted Question: Prompting Genuine Responses
Creating open-ended questions tailored to target specific soft skills allows candidates space to elaborate on their experiences and thought processes. Recruiters appreciate honest responses, especially when candidates discuss failures and subsequent learning, showcasing the depth of their soft skills.
Assessing Soft Skills Beyond Interviews: Resume and Cover Letter Insights
Recruiters don't limit their soft skills assessment to interviews alone. Reviewing resumes and cover letters for clarity, positive framing, and concise communication aids in understanding a candidate's soft skills and communication abilities.
Cultural Fit vs. Culture Add: Shaping Team Dynamics
Recruiters focus on assembling teams with diverse skill sets, looking for candidates who bring unique perspectives and strengths to enhance collective abilities. This approach moves beyond fitting into existing cultures to adding value through distinct contributions.
Cross Path: Your Hiring Platform and Recruiter Community Network
At Cross Path, we offer a dynamic platform and community for recruiters. Join our network to access bootcamps and discover new clients. Click here to learn more and become part of our recruiter community.
Final Thoughts
Recruiters play an important role in evaluating soft skills in candidates. By using behavioral interviewing, keen observation, well-crafted questions, and holistic resume analysis, they ensure the selection of candidates who contribute significantly to organizational success through their interpersonal abilities and adaptability.
The search for exceptional talent involves prioritizing soft skills alongside technical competencies. By integrating these strategies into the recruitment process, recruiters build robust, agile, and high-performing teams that excel in today's diverse work landscapes. 🚀
