No matter how many times you hire new people, it never gets any easier to tell if a technically-qualified candidate is a potential ‘good fit’ for your current team.
And when we talk about ‘fit’, we’re really talking about a person’s soft skills – those general abilities that make us valued workers and treasured teammates.
So, how can you assess soft skills in an interview?
In this article, we’ll help you make more confident hiring decisions by outlining:
- What we mean by the term ‘soft skills’ (a quick reminder)
- Why it can be difficult to assess soft skills at interview
- 5 Interview questions to uncover a candidate’s soft skills
Recap: what is meant by ‘soft skills’
Soft skills are transferable behaviours and abilities that are useful in any workplace. Communication, time management and teamwork are examples of important soft skills.
Or, as we defined them in an earlier article on the five essential soft skills for social care teams:
… general abilities anybody can develop… personal qualities that influence someone’s suitability for a particular role, and their chances of succeeding in it.
Soft skills vs. hard skills: what’s the difference?
If soft skills are ‘general abilities’ that anybody could possess, hard skills are the opposite – they’re job-specific and acquired through professional learning and experience.
For example, hard skills for a care home manager might include:
- An up-to-date working knowledge of CQC standards
- A Level 5 Diploma in Health and Social Care
- At least 3 years’ experience in care home management.
Why it’s difficult to assess soft skills in an interview
Hard skills are relatively easy to assess. You’ve got a CV, maybe a cover letter or a LinkedIn profile, references, and certificates to verify details before, during and after the interview.
Soft skills are more difficult to identify in an interview, and here’s why:
- Assessing a candidate’s competency with any soft skill is often subjective, for both interviewer and candidate. You’re both relying on opinions rather than hard facts.
- Unlike a technical qualification, soft skills are not a ‘has / doesn’t have’ situation. Most of us sit somewhere on a scale of ‘good to poor’ for any given soft skill.
So, it isn’t easy. But thankfully there’s a tried-and-tested technique for getting to the heart of a candidate’s soft skillset: behavioural interview questions.
What are behavioural interview questions?
Behavioural interview questions allow you to put your candidate in a specific scenario – real or imagined – and have them describe the events and their response.
These questions typically begin ‘Tell me about a time when…’ or ‘Give me an example of…’, and encourage the candidate to answer using the STAR method:
- Describe the SITUATION
- Outline the TASKS assigned to them
- Explain the ACTIONS they took
- Summarise the RESULTS achieved.
Asking candidates to recall times they’ve demonstrated the essential social care soft skills can significantly improve your chances of making a successful hire.
Let’s look at some things you can try in your next interview.
5 Interview questions to assess soft skills for social care
In our previous article on this topic, we outlined the five vital soft skills for social care team members: resilience, adaptability, empathy, time management and patience.
Have one question you can ask to uncover each of those essential skills.
1) Tell me about a time when something went wrong at work because of something you did. What did you learn?
Being able to recover from a setback is a critical skill, especially in a physically and emotionally demanding profession such as care.
This question can help you understand your candidate’s resiliency, as well as what they might need from you, as their manager, in times of adversity.
2) Think of a time when you had to re-plan your shift because something unexpected happened. What was your process?
As any social care worker knows, the average day can quickly go ‘off-script’. Being able to embrace change and think your way out of a problem are essential.
This question can shine a light on your candidate’s adaptability, revealing interesting insights into their ability to stay calm under pressure – and take action when needed.
3) Give me an example of when someone else’s perspective or opinion changed your mind about something at work.
Person-centred care is based on watching, listening and responding. A strong and decisive carer is inspiring; but one who can’t accept when they’re wrong would be cause for concern.
This question can help you understand your candidate’s ability to actively listen and empathise, as well as to accept when they’re wrong and change their approach.
4) Imagine your shift is ending in one hour, and you have more jobs left than you can complete. How will you use your remaining time?
Time management is a critical skill in any workplace, but it’s especially vital in the care sector – where there are often challenging constraints on staffing levels and resources.
This question can shed light on how your candidate prioritises and communicates with colleagues. You might learn about their attention to detail and use of digital tools, too.
5) Tell me about a difficult experience or relationship you had with someone at work. How did you resolve the situation?
Lots of people never have to experience conflict at work. But in social care, it’s a routine part of the job. Being able to resolve disputes is key to keeping a positive working environment.
This question can help reveal someone’s ability to stay patient and in control when emotions are running high. What can you learn about their ability to negotiate and compromise?
Looking for ways to upskill your current team?
Our courses don’t currently cover the soft skills outlined above, but we do have over 100 online health and social care learning options – many of which are CPD-accredited.
Your staff can access them free of charge, and for just £2 per learner per month your organisation gets access to a smart dashboard for assigning courses and tracking progress.
Check out our full listing of free online health and social care courses.
