Soft Skills – How to Determine Them in the Interview

Experts will tell you that, as a manager, you need to hire based on the soft skills of the candidate. But what does this mean and how exactly do you measure soft skills? Hard skills refer to the specific qualifications for the job, such as experience with certain software or years of working within one individual field like accounting or administration. Soft skills are related to personality, interpersonal skills, communication, and other things that may not have tangible measurements. So how do you make this determination in a candidate interview? Here are some ideas to get you started.

Character and Attitude are Hard to Change

Look for red flags in the interview. If someone is arrogant rather than confident, this isn’t a personality trait that will be easily overcome. The same may be true if they focus more on the negative than the positive in their interactions.

Look for individuals who will blend in with your current team. That doesn’t mean you have to hire only cookie cutter employees, but focus on complementary and compatible personalities.

Evaluate Over the Phone and In Person

Many experts suggest that you start the interview process with a telephone screen. This can be a good indicator of a number of factors. Do they take the phone call as seriously as they would a face-to-face interview? Are they on time? How are their verbal communication skills?

Once you conduct the phone interview, you can schedule an in-person interview so you can meet face-to-face, evaluate their professionalism, and see their body language.

Ask Your Team to Participate in the Process

The final interview should be a team meeting. This is a more casual affair that allows the team who will be working closely with the new employee to meet them. They can also provide you with additional feedback on things that you may not have been attuned to as the manager.

Compare the notes provided by your team as well as your own perceptions of their attitude, body language, communication skills, and overall presentation to make your final decision.

Work With a Top Temp Agency in Dallas TX

Do you want to know more about evaluating soft skills in your candidates? Contact the team at CornerStone Staffing today to work with a top job recruiter in Dallas!

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