Questions you can ask to assess important soft skills

How can you tell whether that candidate who looks great ‘on paper’ will be great ‘in person’ and the perfect fit for your organisation?

That’s where ‘soft skills’ come in.

Soft skills consist of a combination of people, social, and communication skills, character traits, attitudes, and mindsets, as well as social and emotional characteristics, among others, which are sought for in all professions. 

Alongside the technical experience and know-how required to do the job, soft skills are essential for things like performance, culture fit and relationships with colleagues.

And while the soft skills needed will often vary from job to job, there are a number that are commonly sought after by employers:

• Communication
• Teamwork
• Leadership
• Adaptability
• Critical thinking
• Work ethic
• Creativity 
• Interpersonal skills
• Time management

So, how can you identify and measure these soft skills to ensure you find the ideal candidate for your business?

 

Interview questions to ask to assess important soft skills

Communication

• Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult colleague. What did you do to communicate properly?
   

• How would you explain this term to someone from a different discipline?

 

Teamwork

• Tell me about a time you had to deal with a team member who constantly opposed your ideas
   
• How would you react if a team leader encouraged competition between team members instead of collaboration?
   

Leadership

• Tell me about a time you took the lead when your team was in a difficult position
   
• What would you do if your team members disagreed with your instructions?
   

Adaptability

• Tell me about a time when a project’s priorities changed suddenly and you had to adapt
   
• What would you do if you were assigned multiple tasks with the same deadline?
   

Critical thinking

• Tell me about a time you had to make a decision with incomplete information
   
• If you spotted a mistake in a report but your manager wasn’t available, what would you do?
   

Work ethic

• Tell me about a time you faced an ethical dilemma at work
   
• If you discovered your supervisor was breaking the company’s code of conduct, what would you do?