Everyone wants the most technically qualified candidate, but often the soft skills can be more important than the hard skills.
At KB Staffing, we understand that you want the best qualified candidate to fill your open position. However, have you considered that the best qualified candidate on paper might not be the best fit for your organization? We’re talking about the difference between hard skills and soft skills here. Many new hires fail because of a lack of soft skills. Don’t discount the importance of soft skills in your hiring process.
Soft Skills Matter
Soft skills are the attributes outside of an employee’s specific, job-related qualifications. Honesty, punctuality, and ability to accept feedback are all examples of soft skills. These tend to be things that are ingrained in a person’s personality, so it’s unlikely you’re going to be able to train an employee to improve their soft skills. Hard skills, however, can be improved upon.
If a potential employee is lacking some of the hard skills necessary for the job, meaning they don’t quite have the job-related skills or experience you are looking for, don’t let this be an automatic deal-breaker. They may be looking for an opportunity to learn and hone their skills. Look beyond their qualifications to decide whether their soft skills warrant giving them a chance.
How to Assess a Candidate’s Soft Skills
The candidate’s resume should give you a good picture of what their hard skill set is, but it won’t always convey much information about their soft skills. To get a better idea of what a candidate’s soft skills are, here are a few tips.
- Always conduct a background check. Conduct a background check that is within applicable state laws. Of course, there is no way to predict if a candidate will commit a crime while in your employ, but this can give you a heads up for potential trouble.
- Make a list beforehand of what soft skills are important to you. Determine what is going to be most important for this position. It could be attitude toward customers, ability to work as a team, or something else. Keep this in mind during interviews.
- Challenge the candidate on their soft skills. During the interview, ask a candidate to demonstrate an example of how they used specific soft skills you’re looking for.
Call KB Staffing
When you need carefully screened and qualified job candidates, call KB Staffing. We are an expert staffing service that works hard to ensure that the candidates we send out are reliable, motivated, and ready to learn. From Winter Haven to Lakeland and throughout Polk County, we offer staffing solutions for all your needs.
