Traditionally, when filtering candidate resumes, recruiters tend to filter rather narrowly on work experience and “hard skills.” Hard skills are objective, specific, teachable abilities that are relatively easy to quantify; and much easier to identify when you’re thumbing through resumes. And similarly, those same recruiters have traditionally glazed over “soft skills.” However, employers are increasingly shifting their focus from hard skills to soft skills in order to ensure they not only get the most qualified candidate but the very best individual for the job. With that in mind, today we’ll discuss seven soft skills you shouldn’t filter out of your resume sort during the hiring process.
1. Keep Communication Skills in Your Resume Filter
GOOD communication skills are commonly sought after for most open positions. Therefore, to overlook communication skills while you are sorting through resumes seems like a dumb move. However, it’s worth noting that communication skills, both verbal and written, play a huge role in the integration and productivity of employees. Therefore, we urge you not only to not filter them out but pay particular attention to seek them out as you are sorting through resumes. The ability to understand and be understood by a wide range of people has a value that should never be underestimated.
2. Creativity should definitely NOT be filtered!
Creativity is often thought of as a soft skill that you either have or you don’t. As such, many people might think it’s a skill that cannot be taught. If that is your mindset, then creativity is a soft skill that should not be filtered out of your resume sort. However, creativity in the workplace typically means the ability to problem solve and/or innovate. Problem-solving can be taught in practice, so do not be discouraged if this skill set doesn’t immediately jump out of a resume. You can also ask a few clever questions within the interview to determine if a candidate is capable of offering creative solutions.
3. Patience
A question recruiters often want to answer within the recruitment process is whether or not a candidate has the ability to follow a project through to completion. The soft skill behind this trait is patience which can be particularly hard to measure during recruitment, especially if that process is brief. However, pay particular attention to the information provided. Is there evidence of having taken complex long-term projects to full completion? If the answer is yes, then they likely demonstrate patience as well.
4. Look for Flexibility within your Resume Sort
Similarly, today’s employers are often looking for someone who can carry out a plan, but know how to adjust the plan when necessary to accomplish the goals of the organization. Much like creativity (or effective problem-solving skills), flexibility is a soft skill that carries a side of “positive attitude.” Thus, job candidates who can think outside the box and who believe things generally work in the end, tend to be strong in flexibility. Look for this trait in resumes and seek it out during the interview process.
5. Courage
Courage is another soft skill that is often difficult to find in a resume and hard to measure. However, the interview itself is a great test of courage. Does a candidate display “grace under fire” when faced with endless rounds of interviews? Consider putting candidates into mock situations to test their courage. Or, you can always check with job candidate references to determine their history in this area.
6. Work Ethic
Doesn’t every organization want to hire hard-working people? But, how do you know if a job candidate has a strong work ethic? While you can attempt to gauge this soft skill in your resume sort, or even during the interview process, your best bet is to go to job candidate references. Find out how the candidate performed on a daily basis. Are they the type that comes in early and stays late, or are they more of a “last to arrive, first to leave” kinda guy?
7. Collaboration
By nature of a resume, most resumes that cross your desk will boast a candidate’s individual successes and achievements. However, how do you know if this successful individual is a team player? You may or may not find this quality within a resume, so you’ll have to ask about group projects they’ve worked on in which they took a secondary role but still contributed during the interview process. Does the candidate continue to redirect you to all that he or she did to carry that team, or do they offer a collaborative approach? You can also consult the job candidates’ references.
8. Add Motivation to your Resume Filter
People are often motivated by one of three factors: thrust (also known as “self-starters,” allegiance (also known as loyalty) and stenacity (a combination of steadfast and tenaciousness which means the ability to see a project through to completion). While many people are motivated by a combination of these traits, many employers are specifically interested in those who consider themselves “self-starters.” But how do you measure it and how do you identify it within a resume filter or sort? A good indicator of a candidate’s motivation is a well-rounded resume that includes a variety of activities, hobbies, and interests. This doesn’t necessarily guarantee that a candidate will be a hard worker but it is a decent gauge of energy level.
All in all, soft skills are just as important as hard skills when it comes to evaluating job candidates. In fact, we might suggest that soft skills are the best indicator of how much of a contribution–in terms of productivity and workplace culture–you can expect from a new hire to your company.
How can Recruiteze help identify Soft Skills?
When your HR department or staffing firm needs help with identifying these soft skills or adjusting your resume filter, make the right choice by using Recruiteze! Recruiteze is one of the best online recruitment systems on the market. Our free applicant tracking system allows your job candidates to apply to open positions and be added to your talent database immediately. As an end-user and customer, you can go online anytime and anywhere to access your candidate’s resumes and make any necessary changes. We make recruiting easy because Recruiteze also comes with a custom job board. It allows candidates and customers easy access to information and creates a level of professionalism expected in today’s marketplace.
Why struggle with the day to day hassles of endless paperwork and tons of applicant information? Especially when it can all be entered into a free automated applicant tracking system with only the click of a mouse button! Reducing the amount of time and money spent while increasing productivity in any size business is key to success.
Recruiteze is perfect for in-house recruiters and staffing agencies alike. Recruiteze gives your job candidates the ability to apply online and be added to your database immediately, in a user-friendly way. End-users can access resumes online and make changes quickly and easily. Recruiteze also comes with a custom job board to make tracking talent organized and effortless. Candidates and customers have trouble-free access to your job information which creates a level of professionalism that’s expected in today’s marketplace. Contact us today to learn more about the best online recruitment systems in today’s market.
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