What are soft skills? They’re the interpersonal and behavioral abilities that can make the difference between a good hire and a great one. Of course, when you’re recruiting, technical expertise matters. But soft skills frequently determine whether or not a new hire will strengthen your team and drive results.
With AI-powered tools empowering your entire workforce with technical capabilities at an unprecedented pace, soft skills are emerging as an even more powerful differentiator and predictor of a professional’s success. Consider Microsoft Excel, previously reserved for formula experts and data analysis specialists. Today, any team member can prompt ChatGPT with: "Create a formula that extracts sales figures from January to August, determines the monthly growth patterns and presents it in a dynamic dashboard with automatic updates." The AI instantly delivers the ready-to-use formula. The result is that soft skills now represent a greater proportion of a worker’s professional value.
This transformation means technical expertise no longer provides the same competitive edge it once did. In many sectors, soft skills such as openness to learning, time management and the ability to prioritize competing demands will be what sorts out your best performers.
Appreciating the game-changing role of soft skills is a fundamental first step, but real success depends on how you revamp your hiring process to home in on these attributes.
When you’re reviewing resumes or conducting interviews, it’s the hard skills that are most easily evaluated. Soft skills are trickier to pin down, which is likely why they’ve been overshadowed in the past. Indeed, in a recent Robert Half survey, 14% of managers attributed their hiring missteps to an overemphasis on technical capabilities.
Here are five tips on how to assess soft skills when hiring.
How to Assess Soft Skills in Candidates: 5 Practical Hiring Tips
When writing job postings, identify two to three specific soft skills that are crucial for success in the role. Instead of using vague terms like "strong social skills" for a receptionist position, detail exactly what you need — such as "the ability to foster a warm and welcoming environment for visitors." This precision helps candidates understand your expectations, and since soft skills are typically transferable between positions, it allows applicants to draw relevant examples from their diverse work experiences.
Consider loosening up on job requirements that aren’t deal breakers so more people feel empowered to apply. For example, instead of a hard and fast “bachelor’s degree required,” consider a more flexible “bachelor’s degree preferred.” This way, you’re opening the door to applicants who might lack the educational opportunities but have the right blend of soft skills to excel in the role.
How do you assess soft skills in an interview? If you ask a candidate whether they’re a model team player or a fluent communicator, they’ll just tell you what they think you want to hear. To dig deeper, throw open-ended and hypothetical questions into the mix. You’ll get a better sense of how they tackle challenges and solve problems. Here are some examples of how to assess soft skills with interview questions:
For teamwork: “Your team has made a decision, and you’re the only one who disagrees. What’s your game plan?”
For adaptability and problem-solving: “You’re in the middle of a project, and suddenly the goals shift drastically. How would you deal with the situation?”
For leadership skills: “If you noticed a decline in employee morale, what would you do to improve things?”
For using AI: “Your manager asks you to draft some guidelines for using AI in client deliverables. What factors would you consider, and how would you approach creating these guidelines?”
Beyond what they’re saying, how a candidate behaves during the interview can also provide you with insights into their soft skills.
Communication: A candidate who frequently interrupts you while you’re talking may not be a good listener. On the other hand, one who keeps talking and who you must interrupt could be problematic if the role calls for a lot of teamwork.
Demeanor: Does the candidate speak clearly while looking you in the eye? Someone who doesn’t maintain eye contact may not excel in face-to-face sales, but they may have the patience and empathy to be the best IT help desk technician you ever hired. Are they fidgeting or squirming? While some nerves are expected, a clearly anxious candidate is likely to struggle with public speaking if that’s what the position involves.
Organization: A candidate who responds thoughtfully to questions, taking the time to answer in a logical, point-by-point manner, is likely to be well organized on the job, too.
Role-play simulations can illustrate how people handle real-world challenges. Give a group of candidates a project brief with conflicting priorities and limited resources — then watch who steps up to organize the team and who builds bridges when opinions clash. Or create a crisis scenario where a key client threatens to leave right before a crucial product launch, and see which applicants stay cool while crafting a strategic response.
These exercises are a window into how someone will perform on your team. Notice their listening skills, watch their body language and see how they adapt when you change the scenario. It's more revealing than asking standard interview questions about teamwork and communication skills.
Tomorrow's workplace promises a world where technologies like AI handle routine tasks while humans focus on meaningful connections and creative breakthroughs. That’s why learning how to assess soft skills is more crucial than ever. While technology ramps up productivity, it's your people's creativity, emotional intelligence and relationship-building prowess that will truly set your organization apart.
