What are some good interview questions for general, VP-level, and administrative roles that test soft skills? What types of questions are best for testing ability to work with others, manage projects, make an impact, take the lead, and take risks?
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According to research from Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation, and the Stanford Research Center, strong soft skills and people skills are responsible for 85% of career success. In contrast, hard skills such as technical expertise and knowledge contribute to only 15% of one’s professional achievements.
Soft skills are the fuel for any evolving organization. Building a team that excels in interpersonal finesse and strategic acumen is a challenging task.
To help HR professionals in their search, we’ve put together a full guide with real interview questions chosen by experienced hiring managers.
These questions are designed to help HR professionals improve the way they hire people. They help them find candidates who not only have the technical skills but also the important “soft skills” needed to do well in a variety of professional settings.
Interviewing candidates for soft skills can feel like a challenge. Unlike hard skills that can be easily tested and measured, soft skills are intangible. However, soft skills like communication, collaboration, and problem-solving are absolutely essential for success in most jobs. Asking the right soft skills interview questions will help you identify candidates with strong people skills who will thrive in your workplace.
In this article, I’ll explain what soft skills are why they matter and provide a list of 15 excellent soft skills interview questions to help you assess candidates. With the right questions, you’ll be able to gain meaningful insights into how candidates handle themselves in various workplace scenarios.
What Are Soft Skills?
Soft skills refer to personality traits and people skills that enable effective interactions and communications. Some examples of key soft skills include:
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Problem-solving
- Time management
- Leadership
- Adaptability
- Critical thinking
- Conflict resolution
Unlike hard skills that are specific and measurable (like programming languages or accounting rules), soft skills are behavioral competencies that are broadly applicable across roles and industries. They encompass how people engage and collaborate with others in the workplace.
Why Assessing Soft Skills Matters
While hard skills are undoubtedly important for successfully performing job responsibilities, soft skills help determine how well an employee will fit into the workplace culture. Soft skills impact how people collaborate, lead teams, overcome challenges, and achieve results.
According to a LinkedIn survey, 80% of talent professionals say soft skills are just as or even more important than hard skills when hiring candidates
Candidates with strong soft skills are better equipped to:
- Communicate clearly and tactfully with coworkers and customers
- Resolve interpersonal conflicts
- Adapt to changing priorities and business needs
- Take initiative to get things done without direct supervision
- Work effectively in teams, engaging diverse perspectives
- Lead and motivate others
When you incorporate soft skills interview questions into your hiring process, you’ll gain meaningful insights into how candidates will perform when collaborating with your existing employees. Assessing soft skills will help you identify well-rounded candidates who will be productive team players.
15 Soft Skills Interview Questions to Ask Candidates
Here are 15 excellent soft skills interview questions to help you identify the strongest candidates:
Communication
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Tell me about a time when you had to relay complex information clearly to colleagues or clients. How did you ensure that your communication was understood?
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Describe a situation when you had to speak up and be assertive to get your point across or advocate for your team. How did you approach the conversation?
Teamwork & Collaboration
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Tell me about a team project when you faced disagreement or opposition. How did you work to build consensus and accomplish shared goals?
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Describe a time when you went above and beyond your own job duties to help a colleague succeed. What motivated you to pitch in and assist them?
Problem-Solving
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Walk me through a difficult work problem you faced where the answer wasn’t immediately obvious. How did you evaluate the issue, generate solutions, and decide on the best course of action?
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Tell me about a time you faced multiple pressing deadlines or competing priorities. How did you evaluate and prioritize tasks?
Leadership
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Describe a time when you motivated coworkers or collaborated across teams without having direct authority. How did you gain buy-in?
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Tell me about a project or initiative you spearheaded that delivered great results for your company. What role did you play and how did you lead?
Adaptability
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Tell me about a time your team’s plans changed suddenly due to a new priority, unexpected problem, or resource issues. How did you adjust your schedule and workload?
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Describe a situation where you had to quickly learn a new skill, method, or technology with little guidance. How did you adapt?
Initiative
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Give me an example of when you went beyond the call of duty without being asked. What motivated you to pitch in?
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Tell me about a time you successfully persuaded colleagues to adopt a new approach or process you came up with. How did you get buy-in?
###Dependability
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Describe a time you committed to delivering a project or accomplishing an important task while facing multiple obstacles. What kept you focused on following through?
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Tell me about a time when you made a mistake at work. How did you take accountability for it and remedy the situation?
Stress Management
- Walk me through a high-pressure situation or heavy workload you faced. How did you stay focused and ensure that key priorities were accomplished?
Tips for Assessing Soft Skills in Interviews
Here are some tips to help you get the most value out of soft skills interview questions:
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Ask follow-up questions to uncover more details and probe the candidate’s thought process. Don’t settle for vague or generic responses.
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Listen for specific examples that demonstrate positive behaviors, not just hypothetical descriptions of how they might handle a situation.
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Tailor questions to the soft skills that are most important for the role you are hiring for. Prioritize the competencies needed to succeed.
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Evaluate responses not just on what the candidate did in a situation but also how they did it. What does their approach reveal about their work style and professional values?
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Compare candidates using a structured interview scorecard to accurately assess soft skills consistently across your candidate slate.
Making soft skills a priority in your hiring process will help you build an exceptional team equipped to collaborate, innovate, and drive results. Use these interview questions to identify well-rounded candidates who will excel in your workplace. With practice, you’ll become adept at spotting the people skills you value most in top talent.
Real-life impact interview questions
These questions focus on assessing the candidate’s impact and contributions in their professional career. The questions are meant to find out how the candidate defines success, how well they can start and carry out improvements, how well they can drive change within an organization, and how many times they went above and beyond what was expected of them.
- What does “success” mean to you? What are some important things you want to accomplish in your career?
It’s the purpose of this question to find out how the candidate personally defines success and what they hope to achieve in their career.
Sample answer:
“Success to me is making a tangible difference in my field, through innovation and leadership. I aim to contribute by developing solutions that streamline processes and enhance efficiency, ultimately driving organizational growth. ”.
- Tell me about a time when you made a process or your team better. How did you know that something needed to be fixed? What did you do?
This question explores a specific instance where the candidate identified and implemented a process improvement.
Sample answer:
I saw that our reporting process was taking too long, so I added an automated tool that cut the time it took to make reports by 50%. I identified this need through team feedback and efficiency metrics, then researched and implemented the solution. ”.
- Tell me about a time when you brought about change in a business.
This question seeks to understand the candidate’s ability to be a change agent within an organization.
Sample answer:
“I initiated a shift to agile methodologies in my previous role. I suggested this change, led the training, and oversaw the transition because I saw that our project management needed to be more flexible. This led to faster project turnaround times. ”.
- What were the biggest wins in your most recent role?
This question inquires about the candidate’s most significant achievements in their recent position.
Sample answer:
In my last job, I led a project that made customers happier and brought in more money. That was my biggest win. This success stemmed from a new customer engagement strategy I developed and implemented. ”.
- When did you go above and beyond what was expected of you?
This question asks for an example where the candidate exceeded their regular job responsibilities.
Sample answer:
As an extra job, I volunteered to help train new employees, which was above and beyond what I was supposed to do. This not only helped them acclimate faster but also improved our team’s overall performance and morale. ”.
Real-life project management interview questions
These interview questions are mostly about project management skills. The candidate needs to show that they can balance different priorities, see projects through from start to finish, talk about their biggest project management accomplishments, and explain how they set goals and track progress.
- How do you plan your time when you have a lot of things that need to be done? Please give an example.
This question assesses the candidate’s time management skills and their approach to handling multiple tasks simultaneously.
Sample answer:
“I prioritize tasks based on urgency and impact. For example, when I was in charge of two big projects, I planned my daily tasks so that the most important ones got done first, then I set aside time for less important ones. This way, I made sure that progress was made on both fronts on time. ”.
- Please describe a project you were in charge of and how it went from beginning to end.
This question seeks a detailed account of a project the candidate managed, highlighting their end-to-end project management skills.
Sample answer:
“I led a website redesign project. It started with requirement gathering, then moved to design, development, and testing phases. Regular team meetings and stakeholder updates ensured alignment. The project was delivered on time and met all specified requirements. ”.
- What one project or task do you think is the most important thing you’ve done in your career so far? Describe the plan, how you managed it, how you measured its success, and any mistakes you made.
This question aims to identify the candidate’s most notable project achievement, including their planning, execution, and learning experiences.
Sample answer:
“My most significant accomplishment was implementing a new CRM system. I developed the plan, coordinated cross-departmental teams, and set KPIs for success. Despite initial resistance, the project significantly improved customer engagement. I learned the importance of change management in this process. ”.
- Tell me about a major project you recently finished. Specifically, how you set the goals and monitor your progress?.
This question explores how the candidate sets goals and tracks progress throughout a project.
Sample answer:
“I recently completed a marketing campaign project. The goals were set based on market analysis and company objectives. We checked our progress every week with KPI reviews and team meetings, and we changed our plans as needed to make sure we met our goals. ”.
Soft Skills Interview Questions and Answers
FAQ
What is a soft skill interview question?
What are 4 soft skills that every employer is looking for?
What are three soft skills in which the interviewee demonstrates competence?
How do you answer a soft skills interview question?
Review each component of the STAR interview response technique to effectively communicate your soft skills during a job interview: Situation: Give context about a situation you faced in the workplace and what led to the situation unfolding. Task: Discuss your involvement in the situation.
What are some tips for acing a soft skills interview?
Review each component of the STAR interview response technique to effectively communicate your soft skills during a job interview: Situation: Give context about a situation you faced in the workplace and what led to the situation unfolding. Task: Discuss your involvement in the situation.
What are some examples of soft skills?
Some examples of soft skills are communication, problem-solving abilities, and teamwork. Certifications are documents that show that you’ve completed a particular course of study or training in an area of expertise. The most common types of certification include career, trade, industry, and professional certifications.
