Hiring for Soft Skills

Hello. My name is Laura and welcome to EmployTest TV. Soft skills are traits that show how effectively applicants interact with others and can include personality traits and social skills developed over a lifetime of interaction with others. Hiring for soft skills helps new employees build better relationships because their coworkers enjoy working with them.

These skills include communication. Employees must communicate effectively, express ideas, and listen to others. These include public speaking, persuasion, and reading body language.

Critical thinking. Employees who can handle problems can make informed decisions under pressure. Critical thinking skills include creativity, adaptability, and resourcefulness.

Teamwork. Employees who work well in teams can jump start creative problem-solving efforts. This skill is important for jobs involving researching and consulting tasks, which can require the cooperation of several departments.

Hiring based on hard skills alone can prevent you from building a truly diverse team. While it may be hard to measure soft skills, assessments and structured interviews can help recruiters identify personality traits that will contribute to their company’s long-term success. If you want EmployTest to help you screen for soft skills, please visit our website today.