When we think of hiring a new employee, the first thing that often comes to mind is qualifications—degrees, certifications, technical know-how, and hands-on experience. While these hard skills are essential for job performance, they’re not the full picture. Increasingly, employers are discovering that soft skills—the less tangible traits like communication, adaptability, and emotional intelligence—are just as vital, if not more so, than hard skills.
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In today’s competitive and collaborative work environments, hiring based solely on technical ability is a risky move. The best candidate on paper may not thrive if they lack the interpersonal and emotional tools to work well with others, manage conflict, or adapt to change. That’s why it’s crucial to identify the key soft skills your company values before launching the search for a new hire.
Let's explore why soft skills matter, how to determine which ones are important for a specific role, and provide practical examples to guide your hiring process.
What Are Soft Skills?
Soft skills are personal attributes and behaviors that determine how someone interacts with others and navigates their work environment. Unlike hard skills, which can be taught and measured through tests or certifications, soft skills are more subjective and harder to quantify.
Common examples of soft skills include:
- Communication – the ability to clearly express ideas and listen actively.
- Teamwork – working effectively and cooperatively with others.
- Problem-solving – analyzing issues and coming up with practical solutions.
- Adaptability – adjusting to new conditions and challenges with ease.
- Time management – using time efficiently to meet deadlines and goals.
- Empathy – understanding and sharing the feelings of others.
- Emotional intelligence (EQ) – recognizing your own emotions and those of others to guide interactions.
- Leadership – inspiring, guiding, and motivating others, regardless of title.
- Conflict resolution – managing and resolving disputes in a constructive manner.
These traits contribute to a positive workplace culture, boost productivity, and often determine long-term employee success far more than technical expertise alone.
Hiring for experience vs potential
Why Soft Skills Are Critical in Hiring
- They Impact Team Dynamics
A technically brilliant employee who cannot work well with others can disrupt team cohesion. In contrast, someone with moderate technical abilities but strong interpersonal skills can uplift an entire team. Hiring for soft skills ensures that your workplace remains collaborative, respectful, and productive.
- They Influence Customer Relationships
For customer-facing roles, soft skills can make or break your brand’s reputation. A candidate with excellent communication and empathy can create loyal customers even when things go wrong. On the other hand, a technically competent employee who lacks people skills may damage customer trust.
- They Promote Adaptability in a Changing World
The workplace is constantly evolving—new tools, new business models, unexpected challenges. Employees with adaptability, problem-solving abilities, and emotional resilience are better equipped to face change and help others through it.
- They Drive Leadership and Growth
Soft skills often set apart high-potential employees from the rest. An employee who shows initiative, takes responsibility, mentors others, and manages conflict well is more likely to rise to a leadership role and drive company growth.
- They Reduce Turnover
When employees have strong emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills, they are more likely to engage in healthy communication, resolve conflict constructively, and create a positive work environment. This, in turn, reduces turnover, burnout, and disengagement.
Recruiting without retention is very expensive.
Decide Which Soft Skills Matter—Before You Hire
Not every position requires the same soft skills. A successful salesperson may need to excel at persuasion and relationship-building, while a great Operations Manager might benefit more from leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills. That’s why it’s critical to define which soft skills are most important for a role before you post the job ad or interview candidates.
Here’s a step-by-step approach:
Step 1: Analyze the Role
Look beyond the job title and examine what the role truly entails day-to-day. Ask:
- Will they be managing others?
- Are they part of a team or working independently?
- Will they interact with customers or vendors?
- Will they face high-pressure situations or frequent change?
Step 2: Review Your Top Performers
Examine the traits of your current top performers in similar roles. What makes them successful? Often, it’s not just what they do, but how they do it. Do they take initiative? Handle stress well? Mediate conflicts in the team?
Step 3: Identify Dealbreaker Gaps
Think about past hires who didn’t work out. Was it due to a lack of technical skill or a shortfall in soft skills? Patterns here can guide your future hiring criteria.
Step 4: Align with Company Values
Every company has a unique culture. If collaboration, agility, and humility are part of your core values, then look for candidates who exhibit those qualities. The better the alignment, the more likely the new hire will thrive.
Why employers should hire A-Players.
Example: Soft Skills by Role
Let’s consider a few examples of roles and the soft skills that might be most important:
- Account Manager or Customer Service Representative
- Communication
- Patience
- Empathy
- Conflict resolution
- Project Manager
- Organization
- Leadership
- Time management
- Adaptability
- Salesperson
- Persuasion
- Relationship-building
- Emotional intelligence
- Resilience
- Finance Controller
- Problem-solving
- Attention to detail
- Teamwork
- Adaptability
- Landscape Crew Leader
- Leadership
- Communication
- Accountability
- Conflict resolution
- Adaptability
How to Evaluate Soft Skills During Hiring
Once you've identified the soft skills that matter for the role, the next challenge is how to assess them. Since soft skills are less quantifiable, traditional resumes won’t tell the full story. Here are some methods that can help:
- Behavioral Interview Questions
Ask questions that require candidates to describe past behavior in specific situations. For example:
- “Tell me about a time you had a disagreement with a coworker. How did you handle it?”
- “Describe a situation where you had to adapt quickly to a change at work.”
- “Give an example of a time when you had to solve a difficult problem.”
- Situational Role-Playing
Pose a hypothetical scenario and ask the candidate how they would handle it. This can be especially effective for customer-facing roles or leadership positions.
- Peer Interviews
Involve future colleagues in the interview process to get their sense of the candidate’s interpersonal fit and team compatibility.
- Soft Skill Assessments
There are tools and assessments that can measure traits like emotional intelligence, communication style, and personality compatibility. While not foolproof, these can provide an additional layer of insight.
- References with a Focus on Soft Skills
When checking references, ask specifically about soft skills. For example: “How did they handle feedback?” or “What was their approach to teamwork and conflict resolution?”
Conclusion: Hire for the Whole Person
In the end, technical skills may get someone in the door, but soft skills are what help them succeed, grow, and contribute to the organization over time. Companies that take the time to identify, prioritize, and evaluate soft skills in their hiring process will find themselves with employees who are more collaborative, adaptable, and aligned with company culture.
In a world where technical tools and processes can be taught, soft skills remain the key differentiator between a good hire and a great one. So, before your next hire, pause and ask: What soft skills does this role really need? The answer may be the key to your next superstar employee.
No organization can grow faster than its ability to recruit and retain enough of the right people. BR1 can help!
Until next time, keep building your strong team one hire at a time!
