How to interview candidates beyond their qualifications and experience
In today’s market, finding the right candidate isn’t just about experience and qualifications. Soft skills are becoming increasingly important for a well-rounded employee who can thrive in any workplace. However, identifying these qualities is the challenging part.
So, we’ve put together a list of techniques on how you can effectively assess a candidates soft skills to understand if they are going to be a versatile member of your team.
Ask behavioral questions
Behavioral questions help you evaluate how someone has managed situations in the past. Real-life scenarios are the perfect way to understand how a candidate would deal with a situation moving forward.
An example question could be “Describe a time when you worked with a challenging team member. How did you approach the situation?”
This type of question highlights the candidate’s communication and team work abilities – two vital skills needed for a team to excel!
Pay attention to nonverbal cues
Nonverbal communication such as eye contact, body language, and tone of voice can offer real insight into someone’s confidence and social skills.
Is the candidate maintaining eye contact? Are they actively listening without interrupting? Do they seem engaged and approachable? These subtle behaviours often reflect strong emotional intelligence and effective communication. Again, these are traits that make an A* candidate!
Ask for a self-assessment
This is how you will really get to know someone! During the interview, encourage the candidate to reflect on their own strengths and areas for improvement. Self-awareness is an impactful tool to have, especially when working within a team.
You could ask “What soft skills do you consider to be your greatest strengths?” as well as “Which ones are you working to improve?”
This promotes a growth mindset and allows you to understand how you can support the candidate if they are successful.
Soft skills are essential for long-term success in any position. By applying these interview techniques, you’ll be able to gauge a candidate’s adaptability and communication skills. If you want to foster a collaborative and resilient team adding soft skill questions into your interview technique is essential. And don’t forget, to be competitive and retain your employees, personality fit is equally as important as experience!
If you’d like some further support on how to ace your interview technique, get in touch! We prepare both Hiring Managers and candidates to get the most out of every interview, every day – we’re more than happy to help!
