The role of soft skills in executive recruitment: What employers need to know

In a world that seems to be getting new levels of automation every day, many predict that social, emotional, and higher cognitive skills will only become more important. When it comes to recruiting your company’s next executive, their technical skills will be easy to observe and assess.

CFOs who’ve achieved financial performance targets or CEOs who have been able to increase market capitalization and shareholder revenue tend to stand out as success stories. What isn’t so well known is the soft skills that help them achieve those goals.

How did they motivate employees or overcome economic headwinds? How did they adapt to changing customer sentiment? These things require soft skills, which are personal traits that help executives interact with others, solve problems, and manage their work.

In this guide to soft skills in executive recruitment, you’ll find out why these skills are essential for success in an executive role. You’ll also learn how to assess soft skills in any high-level candidate.

Why are soft skills important for today’s executives?

Today’s executives have a big task ahead of them. Many companies are simultaneously facing labor shortages and budget cuts while trying to maintain an innovative edge. While technical skills are crucial for achieving goals, soft skills are equally as important.

This is because executives are unlikely to be able to achieve their goals without facing trouble. Rarely will a company have the chance to grow and innovate without opposition, whether from the competition or tough market conditions. An executive must have the grit, adaptability, and problem-solving skills to find solutions and pivot quickly.

Additionally, executives won’t be able to achieve their goals alone. They’ll have to work with others, which requires them to know how to lead, motivate, and interact with their team. Without these skills that enable them to be resilient and work collaboratively, it becomes nearly impossible for any executive to find success in their role.

Soft skills employers should look for in executive candidates

When it comes to the development of soft skills, some are more valuable than others for executive positions. Here are five that are crucial for today’s executives to demonstrate to employers.

Leadership

Members of the executive team are responsible for motivating and inspiring employees across the organization to help the company achieve its strategic goals. They must be able to make good decisions, build trust, foster collaboration, and guide the team to overcome hurdles.

Interpersonal skills

Anyone in an executive role must be comfortable communicating and collaborating with a team to get the job done. This means having the emotional intelligence to build trust and influence. You must also understand how to break down complex concepts in a clear and concise manner.

Problem-solving

Around 37% of HR executives say it’s difficult to find candidates who can problem-solve and deal with complexity. (1) Still, being able to identify issues, seek insight, and come up with creative and innovative solutions to complex situations is vital for those working in higher-level roles.

Adaptability

Any executive knows that nothing stays the same forever. Sometimes, it’s the surprise departure of a key employee. Other times, it may be an unexpected political event that shifts market conditions or customer sentiment.

Whatever the change is, executive candidates must be able to see the shift on the horizon and act quickly to stay ahead of the curve. This is essential for growing market share and beating out the competition.

Ways to assess soft skills in the executive hiring process

Once you know what soft skills to look for, you’ll need to figure out whether candidates possess them. While they may have used Jobseeker to create a polished resume, consider these five strategies for figuring out which candidates truly have what it takes to thrive in your organization.

Structured interviews

Create a structured list of questions to ask candidates, making sure that it includes behavioral queries that show how they’ve used soft skills in the past. For example, you might ask an operations executive how they’ve communicated information about shifting regulations and collaborated with their team to retool operating procedures.

Observational assessment

As you’re interviewing candidates, ensure you’re taking notes about their behavior.

Specifically, record observations on elements such as:

• Body language
• Communication style
• How they speak about others they’ve worked with in the past

For example, if a candidate is constantly cutting you off, this may be a sign that they struggle with communication.

Roleplay scenarios

You can also ask the candidate to act out a common scenario they might face on the job. This can be about motivating employees experiencing burnout, fostering collaboration among a hostile team, or even explaining a complex concept to someone who has no knowledge of their role.

Reference checks

When calling candidate references, you may want to go beyond the standard questions to get a feel for what it’s like to work with that person. Feel free to ask about how they got along with colleagues, specific scenarios where they came up with an innovative solution to a problem, or even how well they adapted to change.

Situational judgment tests

Also known as a case study, a situational judgment test provides the candidate with a role-related challenge. They must come up with a solution and a specific set of facts about the problem.

Their job is to present their solution and their thought process behind it. This tactic gives you a chance to observe soft skills in action and learn exactly how a candidate puts them to use.

The right soft skills add balance and ensure executive success

Technical skills are undeniably important in any role, but executives also need soft skills. These areas of expertise allow them to lead, communicate with people effectively, and solve problems creatively.

When candidates have taken time to develop these skills, they’re more likely to be successful in their roles and contribute positively to your organization.

References:

McKinsey & Company: Soft skills for a hard world