When hiring new talent, recruiters often focus on two key areas: soft skills and hard skills. Hard skills are the technical abilities and knowledge required to perform a job, while soft skills refer to personality traits and interpersonal abilities that influence workplace success.
According to research conducted by Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation and the Stanford Research Centre, 85% of job success comes from having well‐developed soft and people skills, and only 15% of job success comes from technical skills and knowledge (hard skills).
While 93% of employers consider soft skills essential, technical skills still remain a top requirement for most roles as these hard skills are essential to do any job to its core. Therefore, finding the right balance between these two types of skills is crucial for making effective hiring decisions.
The challenge for recruiters is assessing both skill sets accurately to ensure candidates have the right mix of expertise and adaptability. This guide explores the key differences between soft and hard skills, their role in hiring, and how companies can evaluate them effectively.
What Are Soft Skills?
Soft skills refer to a candidate’s emotional intelligence, communication, and problem-solving abilities. These skills show how well a person works with others, handles challenges, and fits into a company’s culture.
A previous study by Deloitte Insights, reported that 92% of companies report that human capabilities or soft skills matter as much or more than hard skills. Unlike hard skills, which can be taught through formal training and assignments, soft skills are often developed through experience and personal growth.
Examples of Soft Skills
1. Communication
Effective communication is the foundation of workplace success. It involves not only expressing ideas clearly but also actively listening to others. Employees who communicate well can make up their sentences accurately and frame their thoughts to avoid misunderstandings. In a professional setting, strong communication skills help in team discussions, negotiations, and even resolving conflicts.
For example, a project manager leading a team of developers must communicate deadlines, expectations, and feedback properly. If they fail to do so, the project might face delays or misunderstandings, which affects overall productivity.
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2. Adaptability
Adaptability is the ability to be used to change, learn new skills, and adjust to different situations. With the dynamic world, it is important that industries must evolve rapidly and for that, employees must be open to new technologies, processes, and challenges. Those who are adaptable tend to stay relevant and see success.
For instance, during the shift to remote work, particularly during the Covid, employees who quickly adapted to virtual collaboration tools like Zoom and Slack remained productive, while those who resisted change struggled to keep up.
3. Leadership
Leadership is not just about managing a team, it’s about inspiring, motivating, and guiding others toward achieving common goals. Good leaders set a vision, make sure there is good team work and make tough decisions when necessary. Leadership skills are valuable at all levels, not just in managerial roles.
A great example is a senior software engineer mentoring junior developers. By sharing knowledge, offering guidance, and helping a supportive environment, they help their team grow while improving overall project success.
3. Problem-Solving
Problem-solving is the ability to analyze a situation, identify potential obstacles, and develop effective solutions. Employers value this skill because challenges are inevitable in any job. Employees who can think critically and find different and new solutions help organizations get through the difficulties.
For example, if a company faces declining sales, a marketing specialist might analyze customer data and suggest a new digital campaign strategy that improves engagement and revenue.
👉 Also Read: Importance of Problem Solving Skills in the Workplace
5. Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence (EQ) refers to the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one’s emotions while also being aware of others’ emotions. High EQ helps employees build strong relationships, handle workplace stress, and communicate effectively with colleagues and clients.
For instance, a team leader with high emotional intelligence notices when an employee is feeling overwhelmed. Instead of pressuring them further, they offer support and adjust workload distribution which creates a positive work environment.
6. Collaboration
Collaboration is the ability to work effectively with others to achieve common goals. It is about having teamwork, flexibility, and respect for different perspectives.
For example, in a software development team, developers, designers, and testers must work together to create a product. If they don’t communicate and coordinate well, the final product may have flaws or fail to meet user expectations.
What Are Hard Skills?
Hard skills are the technical abilities and knowledge required to perform a specific job. These skills are measurable, teachable, and often gained through education, training, or hands-on experience. These skills are the ones candidates typically put in their CV or Resume.
Examples of Hard Skills
1. Programming Languages: Java, Python, C++
Programming languages are required for software development, automation, and problem-solving in the tech industry. Java is widely used for enterprise applications, Python is popular for data science and AI, and C++ is known for its speed in system programming.
Knowing these languages helps developers to build applications, analyze data, and create software solutions. For example, a software engineer working on a mobile banking app may use Java to develop secure backend services, ensuring smooth transactions for users.
👉 Also Read: How to Assess Employee Skills and Competencies?
Data Analysis: SQL, Excel, Power BI
Data analysis involves gathering, processing, and interpreting data to make informed business decisions. SQL is used to retrieve and manipulate data from databases, Excel helps with organizing and analyzing data sets, and Power BI allows for creating interactive reports and visualizations.
These skills help businesses track performance, identify trends, and optimize operations. For example, a data analyst at an e-commerce company may use SQL to extract sales data and Excel to analyze trends
Marketing Skills: SEO, Google Ads, Content Writing
Marketing skills help businesses attract and engage customers through online and offline methods. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) improves website visibility, Google Ads drives targeted traffic through paid advertising, and content writing helps create valuable content that engages with the audience.
These skills are essential for brand awareness, lead generation, and customer engagement. For example, a digital marketer working for a startup may optimize blog posts for SEO to rank higher on search engines and use Google Ads to drive paid traffic.
Project Management: Agile, Scrum
Project management skills help teams organize, track progress, and complete projects efficiently. Agile is a flexible project management approach while Scrum focuses on development with daily stand-ups.
For instance, a product manager overseeing a software development team may use Scrum to break the project into sprints and hold daily meetings to track progress.
Accounting & Finance: Financial Modeling, Bookkeeping
Accounting and finance skills are important for managing budgets, particularly in an inflated world like today, analyzing financial data, and ensuring accurate financial reporting are key.
Financial modeling helps in forecasting business performance, while bookkeeping involves recording transactions and maintaining financial records. For example, a financial analyst at a startup may create financial models to predict revenue growth.
Since hard skills are job-specific and often niche, they determine whether a candidate qualifies for a particular role. However, technical expertise alone does not guarantee workplace success, which is why recruiters must evaluate both hard and soft skills in the hiring process.
Why Both Soft and Hard Skills Matter in Recruitment?
A candidate might be highly skilled in a technical area, but if they lack communication or teamwork abilities, they may struggle in team work and organizational spirit. On the other hand, someone with great interpersonal skills but little technical expertise may not be able to perform job-specific tasks effectively.
As Epicurus once said, “Be moderate in order to taste the joys of life in abundance”, moderation of both soft and hard skills is essential in recruitment for the right talent pool. Therefore once must strive to achieve the right balance.
The Right Balance of Soft and Hard Skills
The ideal mix of soft and hard skills depends on the role.
For example, software developers must have strong technical abilities, such as coding in programming languages like Java or Python, debugging, and understanding algorithms.
However, technical skills alone are not enough. Developers need problem-solving skills to tackle complex coding challenges and teamwork abilities to collaborate effectively with designers, testers, and other engineers. Writing clean code is important, but so is communicating ideas clearly and adapting to feedback.
Another case could be of sales professionals, who must be able to build relationships, persuade potential clients, and negotiate deals smoothly. While soft skills like active listening and empathy help them connect with customers, hard skills like using CRM software and analyzing sales data are equally important. A good salesperson knows how to understand customer needs while also using the data to track leads and optimize sales strategies.
Meanwhile, for a job like a project manager, he must juggle multiple responsibilities that require both the thinking and the thought.
Leadership and communication skills help them guide teams and resolve conflicts, while hard skills like budgeting, scheduling, and risk management ensure project success. They must be able to inspire their team while also keeping a close eye on timelines and resources.
By assessing both types of skills, recruiters can identify candidates who will excel in their roles while also contributing positively to the company’s culture.
How to Assess Soft Skills in Hiring?
Soft skills are often more difficult to evaluate because they are not as easily measurable as hard skills. However, recruiters can use several methods to assess these skills during the hiring process.
Behavioral Interviews
Behavioral interviews help recruiters understand how candidates have handled real-world situations in the past. By asking structured questions, interviewers can assess problem-solving, adaptability, and communication skills. Candidates are often made to share specific examples that show their previous experience or foreseeable insight of a particular scenario. And their answer could provide a lot about their work ethics.
For example, if a candidate is asked, "Tell me about a time you had to resolve a workplace conflict," their response can reveal how they approach disagreements, whether they listen to others, and how they work toward solutions essential traits for teamwork and leadership roles.
Situational Judgment Tests (SJTs):
SJTs present candidates with hypothetical workplace scenarios and ask them to choose the best response. These assessments help see how individuals approach challenges, make decisions under pressure, and interact with colleagues or customers.
For example, in a customer service role, a candidate may be given a scenario where a customer is frustrated with a delayed order. The test would evaluate whether the candidate remains calm, offers a solution, and ensures customer satisfaction rather than reacting emotionally or defensively.
Team-Based Assessments:
Team-based assessments help evaluate how candidates work with others, communicate ideas, and contribute to group problem-solving. These exercises are particularly useful for roles requiring teamwork, such as software development, marketing, and consulting. Group tasks, brainstorming sessions, or hackathons allow recruiters to observe leadership, conflict resolution, and adaptability in real-time.
For example, during a hackathon, developers are grouped together to solve a coding challenge. Beyond technical skills, recruiters can assess how candidates communicate, distribute tasks, and support teammates, giving valuable insights into their teamwork and leadership potential.
AI-Powered Skill Assessments & Interviews:
AI-powered talent assessment platforms like WeCP (We Create Problems) use real-time simulations, ai-powered video interviews, and automated analysis to evaluate soft skills objectively. These tools remove biases and standardize hiring decisions, making recruitment more efficient and fair. AI can assess a candidate’s tone, speech patterns, and response quality to predict how they would perform in real workplace situations.
For instance, a customer support applicant might complete an AI-powered video interview where they respond to common customer complaints. The AI then analyzes their responses for empathy, problem-solving, and communication skills, helping recruiters identify the best fit for the role.
How to Assess Hard Skills in Hiring?
Hard skills are easier to measure since they involve specific knowledge and technical abilities. Here are some of the ways to test them-
Technical Tests & Assessments:
Technical assessments help recruiters evaluate a candidate’s proficiency in job-specific skills. These tests are commonly used in fields like software development, finance, and digital marketing, where practical knowledge is important.
By using platforms like WeCP, companies can set coding assessments that measure a developer’s problem-solving ability and debugging skills. They can also create tailored assessment for their candidate through WeCP AI.
Certifications:
Degrees and professional certifications are a firm view of a candidate’s foundational knowledge in their field. Certifications like AWS (Amazon Web Services) for cloud computing, PMP (Project Management Professional) for project managers, or CA (Chartered Accountant) for finance professionals provide formal validation of a candidate’s skills. However, practical experience can also be taken into consideration.
Work Samples & Portfolios:
For roles that require creativity and technical expertise, work samples and portfolios offer direct evidence of a candidate’s capabilities. Developers can share Leetcode repositories with sample code, content writers can submit published articles, and designers can present visual portfolios showcasing their designs.
On-the-Job Trials:
Some organizations prefer short-term assignments, freelance projects, or probationary periods to evaluate a candidate’s ability to perform in real work environments. This approach is particularly effective for roles requiring hands-on experience, such as software engineering, sales, or consulting.
Soft Skills vs Hard Skills: Which Is More Important?
Technical Roles:
In technical roles like software development, engineering, and data science, hard skills are the foundation. Employees in these fields need specialized expertise, such as coding in Java or Python, understanding complex algorithms, or working with data analysis tools. Without these skills, they wouldn’t be able to perform their core tasks, no matter how strong their soft skills are. It does not mean their communication is neglected, it is just of lesser importance.
Leadership Positions:
For leadership roles, soft skills are more important because these positions require managing teams, making strategic decisions, and solving conflicts. Strong communication, emotional intelligence, and problem-solving abilities help leaders inspire their teams and drive company success. And again, the soft skills would be of no use if the leader is not good at his job, the core skill. So, even here, hard skills are necessary.
Customer-Facing Roles:
In customer-facing roles like sales, customer support, and client relations, a mix of soft and hard skills is necessary. Employees need technical knowledge of the company’s products or services but must also be able to explain them clearly, build relationships, and handle customer concerns.
Conclusion:
As workplaces shift, recruiters must adapt their hiring strategies to focus on a balanced mix of soft and hard skills.
By 2030, nearly two-thirds of all jobs (63%) will require soft skills, a significant increase from 53% in 2000 which shows how the shift towards soft-skill occupations is taking place. Therefore for a smooth transition in recruitment, using the advancements in AI-driven assessments, organizations can now evaluate candidates more accurately and fairly.
Using tools like WeCP’s skill assessments, companies can streamline the hiring process, identify top talent, and build high-performing teams.
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