These Soft Skills Are What Employers Are Looking For During Your Interview
“A manager can read you the moment you walk in the door.” So said Kathy Harris, the managing director of the firm Harris Allied. That’s enough to make any job-seeker spend a sleepless night before an important job interview planning out every detail of your entrance, including the angle of your chin and what type of smile should be on your face. If you have scored an interview with a company that you are really excited about, the good news is that your hard skills have satisfied their requirements for the job.
Now comes arguably the harder part.
Your admirable soft skills need to take you to the finish line, and your winning personality will be the key to convincing them that they should choose you out of all other applicants. Susan Peppercorn also summarizes the importance in her book, Ditch Your Inner Critic at Work:
"Knowing that someone has the experience and skills to be successful in a job is paramount, but when two candidates have similar capabilities, often the soft skills are why one person gets hired over another."
What character traits are employers looking for in potential new-hires?
Being aware of desirable soft skills allows you to shape your ideas before a big interview. The goal is to give evidence through your verbal answers, while also expressing them nonverbally through your demeanor.
We have compiled a list of seven highly sought-after soft skills that interviewers look for when hiring new talent.
Confidence
Confidence is one of the most desirable soft skills, and one of the hardest for interviewees to nail. Hiring managers want to see if you can own who you are and what you have accomplished, because this reflects what kind of presence and achievements you will bring to the table if they hire you!
“The people who take ownership of responsibilities, who go to bat for the company’s goals, and who have the confidence to be honest — those people are the ones who will make a difference on any team.” - Dan Khabie, co-founder of CourtAvenue
Self-Direction and Self-Initiative
Demonstrating that you are a go-getter, can think independently, and take action into your hands, instead of waiting for delegation, is an exemplary quality.
“We talk a lot about serving the “driven” — people who, regardless of their circumstance, want to be responsible for and take charge of their own futures. And it’s something I also look for in my employees. [My team] takes pride in being self-motivated, facing challenges head-on, and continually seeking to learn and grow; a prospective team member must do the same. - Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, President of Charles Schwab Foundation
Adaptability and Critical Thinking
Versatile team members that can handle a variety of responsibilities, are good sports about rolling with the punches, and are able to adapt well to change are very attractive candidates.
A team member may wear many hats, especially in a small company. Make yourself competitive by showcasing your adaptability in employment!
“Most jobs are actually problem-solving assignments. Things evolve, technologies change and employees have to constantly acquire new skills and solve new problems.” - Vivek Jade, Founder and CEO of MyNextHire
Collaborative Spirit
Many positions involve collaborating and working closely with a team (or even across several teams). Having the right people skills is a big part of this; interviewers are looking for assuredness of your interpersonal comfortability and professionalism, in order to build a pleasant and productive work environment within their staff.
"Employers value candidates who are flexible enough to get along well with a variety of personalities and work styles. Examples of accomplishments working on a team should be part of every job-hunter's interview repertoire." - Susan Peppercorn, author of Ditch Your Inner Critic at Work:
Passion and Enthusiasm
Employers seek to assemble a team that is passionate about what they do. They don’t just want talent and skill; they want conviction and enthusiasm to be put toward their goals and projects.
“We want to see people who are passionate about the discoveries their unique way of thinking can lead to – the kind of enthusiasm and excitement that led to Greek scholar Archimedes to shout “Eureka” when he discovered the concept of displacement.” - Arthur Steinmetz, successful private investor
Curiosity
“Life-long learner” is one of those phrases interviewers are pleased to be assured of in your personality. If you are an avid learner, play that card!
“Ideas are the crux of our business, and individuals with natural curiosity are key to making the unexpected connection between opportunity and value… Someone who isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo and consider the possibilities is a force for change. Future-proofing your company starts with building that culture of curiosity.” - Dan Khabie
Ambition and Forward-thinking
Your big dreams should not be shut up in a closet. Employers want people who have high expectations and big aspirations for themselves. These are the people who will work hard along the way to get there!
“I've met many people with great ideas but an inability to translate that into a "so-what" for the business. I need someone who can not just have ideas but also bring them to life in a meaningful way for the rest of us. I also hire talent who have a clear sense of direction when it comes to their career path; it is this motivation which drives teams forward to achieve great things.” - Alistar Cox, Chief Executive of Hays
Common Behavioral Questions in Interviews
Through behavioral questions, hiring managers are trying to get a feel for your work ethic, personal drive, job performance, and professional goals. It allows them to envision whether you will be compatible within the company’s culture and whether you are a match for the specific position.
Do yourself a favor by reviewing the following common personality questions that interviewers often ask in job interviews:
What motivates you in your professional life?
Tell me about a stressful scenario and how you handled it.
What are your long-term goals? Where do you see yourself in five or ten years?
Tell me about a time you faced conflict with a coworker. How did you deal with it?
Tell me about a failure in the workplace, and how you overcame it.
Tell me about one of your greatest successes in your career thus far.
Describe your work ethic.
What do you consider your strengths?
What is your approach to deadlines and time management?
Your answers should be honest, enthusiastic, and most importantly, your own. Try to showcase your abilities as best you can, and demonstrate self-awareness and growth through your answers. Research the company culture before the interview, and be familiar with their core values and principles. What do they care about? What are they proud of when it comes to their employees?
How to Convey your Personality in an Interview
It’s best not to waste your time stating your best qualities and characteristics with no evidence to back it up. Your interviewer wants real-life examples of your claims to be a fantastic multi-tasker, hard worker, or team-player.
The following are three tips to showcase your brilliance.
Use the STAR method as a reliable formula in answering a behavioral question
Situation - Briefly set the scene, and share the specific context of the issue that arose so that the interviewer will understand the situation.
Task - Describe your role in this situation. In one or two sentences, what were your responsibilities or what was your goal? What were you up against?
Action - This is your shining moment. How did you remedy the challenge or situation? What action did you take? Highlight your proactiveness, your adaptability, resourcefulness, hard work ethic, whatever trait it is that shines in this scenario.
Result of the situation - Success! What was the outcome of this entire situation and what were the direct results of your actions? Right after action, this is the second most important part of the STAR method because it shows the success of your efforts.
It is also beneficial to discuss how it impacted you and made you a better coworker, employee, and/or person.
Share specific examples of how you crushed past projects or saved the day in a past job
Be inventive in which story you tell. Dig deep in real life examples–if you do, you will be telling them something that they’ve most likely never heard before! That makes you cool and memorable. Prior to the interview, it helps to brainstorm–and maybe even write down–previous situations that make you shine.
If it is your story, it will be unique to you, and that will be evident to your interviewer. Don’t necessarily avoid bringing up previous jobs that have no relevance to the job you are currently seeking. As long as the moral of the story is relevant, it could be a powerful example! If you are asked a vague question, such as “What is success to you?” or “What is your definition of leadership?,” by the interviewer, tie it back to a relevant story. Rather than merely giving your philosophy on the subject, your answer will be more impactful and demonstrative if you bring up a real life example, either where you (or maybe a mentor) exemplified the topic in question.
Be honest
“Who are you, really? That’s what I want to know when I’m hiring. I don’t want you to act and talk like the person you think I want. Be yourself. Your real self is going to come out anyway if I do hire you, sooner or later, so why not get it over with quickly so we can both figure out if you’re right for the job.” Dawn Strobel, Consider Something Radical. Be Real
If you pretend to be someone you are not just to simply score the role, you are most likely sealing your own fate. Save both you and the company a headache–be truthful. Remember, you are interviewing them just as much as they are interviewing you. If you do not particularly agree with–or like–the company culture, if you don’t feel an excitement at the prospect of working there, and don’t retain a relative certainty that this might be the right place for you, perhaps rethink your decision. Accepting a job that you really want is something that you will feel in your gut.
A new job is a fresh start, an advantageous career move, and the opportunity to do something that matters to you and your goals (whether short-term or long-term). You should be excited!