#40 Soft Skill Assessment: 5 Techniques for Successful Hiring
Soft skills are crucial for success in any role, yet often overlooked in job interviews. Here are 5 effective techniques for assessing soft skills.
Soft skills (communication, teamwork, and problem-solving) are pretty much essential to any role except solo space traveller. This newsletter edition will discuss assessing candidates' soft skills in a job interview and provide tips and techniques.
Soft skills, also known as "people skills" or "interpersonal skills," are often overlooked as part of an interview process. Usually, people will use gut feeling to understand the candidate's soft skills. But given they're essential for most jobs (as nearly all interactions with other humans involve communicating, collaborating, and problem-solving), we should make their assessment explicit as part of the interview. Assessing candidates' soft skills are vital, as they can be a strong predictor of success in the role. However, setting soft skills can be challenging, as they are often difficult to quantify and measure.
Use open-ended questions: One of the best ways (and most hand-wavy, unfortunately) to assess candidates' soft skills is to use open-ended questions that allow them to share their thoughts and experiences through examples. This can give you a more holistic view of their abilities and let you see how they think and communicate in a real-life setting. Some examples of open-ended questions you might ask include:
"Tell me about a time when you had to communicate complex information to a team or client."
"Describe a challenge you faced in a previous role and how you overcame it."
"How do you approach problem-solving, and what steps do you take to identify and resolve issues?"
Observe nonverbal cues: Besides what candidates say, it's also essential to observe their nonverbal cues, as these can provide valuable insights into their soft skills. For example, good eye contact, confident body language, and active listening indicate strong communication skills. As well as asking clarification questions, follow-up questions and insight on things you've said. Fidgeting, avoiding eye contact, talking almost entirely about themselves, or interrupting may suggest a lack of confidence or poor communication skills. (Edit (2023-02-23): But, as pointed out to me by Krista, these behaviours are potentially also neurodivergent behaviours, so be cautious when evaluating people on non-verbal cues).
Ask for references and examples: Assess candidates' soft skills by asking for references and examples from their previous roles. This can provide additional context and validation for their skills and abilities. For example, you might ask for references from previous supervisors, colleagues, or clients and ask specific questions about the candidate's soft skills, such as how they worked in a team, communicated with others, or solved problems. LinkedIn often provides recommendations from colleagues and peers, but use these with caution as they're usually gilded lilies.
Use behavioural-based interview questions: Behavioural-based interview questions are a helpful tool for assessing candidates' soft skills. They ask candidates to describe specific behaviours or actions they have taken. This can provide concrete examples of how candidates have demonstrated their skills in the past and give you a better understanding of how they might perform in the role. Some examples of behavioural-based questions you might ask include:
"Tell me about a time when you had to work with a team to achieve a common goal."
"Describe a situation where you had to communicate effectively with a difficult client or stakeholder."
"What steps do you take to build relationships and establish trust with colleagues and clients?"
Use role-playing or simulated exercises: Another way to assess candidates' soft skills is to use role-playing or simulated activities, which allow candidates to demonstrate their skills in a more realistic and interactive setting. For example, you might ask candidates to participate in a group discussion or problem-solving exercise or give them a scenario and ask them to role-play a conversation or negotiation. Role-playing seems awkward and weird, but I've used it many times - put your candidate in the position they're applying for and have yourself and colleagues play good-cop/bad-cop and see how they react. It's also pretty fun.
Soft skills are critical to the success of any role, and assessing them in a job interview is essential. By using open-ended questions, observing nonverbal cues, asking for references and examples, using behavioural-based interview questions, and incorporating role-playing or simulated exercises, you can better understand candidates' soft skills. By doing so, you can better evaluate their fit for the role and make informed hiring decisions that benefit both the candidate and the organization.
Classifieds
I’m still trying a new thing - classifieds - to see if there’s any interest in products from the wider #hashtagpeople and #peoplePost communities. Having a link in this slot is free for four weeks (or until I work out the best way to do this). So let me know by reply (or fill in this form) if you’d like a 180-character, one link classified!
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Jobs
Trying another new thing. Someone got in touch to offer me a personalised jobs board with people-flavoured roles, so I thought I’d give it a spin. Happy for any feedback you have on this.