Search for soft skills as you consider candidates during no-experience interviews. These skills are transferable between industries. Candidates who possess them can use them in many areas of your business. These individuals can become key contributors across your operations.
As you conduct no-experience interviews, here are four soft skills to look for in candidates.
1. Communication
Find candidates who communicate well across many platforms. Consider how a candidate engages with you during interviews. Ideally, a candidate will ask lots of questions and learn as much as they can about the role you want to fill and your company. As they do, they will actively listen to what you have to say.
2. Teamwork
Learn how candidates contribute to a team's success. In an interview, ask a candidate to tell you about a time when they worked as part of a team. Let the candidate share any challenges they faced in this scenario. They can explain how they addressed these challenges. Additionally, explain team goals and how you expect a candidate who fills your vacancy to help their peers achieve them. In one of the best-case scenarios, a candidate will embrace this challenge. They will want to do everything within their power to help their team thrive.
3. Adaptability
Get insights into how well a candidate adapts to changes. For instance, a candidate is interested in joining your company on a full-time basis after holding both contract and part-time jobs. At this point, ask them how they will plan to transition to a 40-hour work week. If the candidate is willing and ready to adapt to a major change, consider giving them the opportunity to do so.
4. Problem-Solving
See how a candidate solves problems. Share a common problem a candidate could face in a role you want to fill. Or, give a candidate an opportunity to solve a problem in real-time. From here, ask the candidate how they will address the problem. A candidate should be willing to brainstorm solutions and consider every possible one. If this is the case, they can thrive under pressure. Most importantly, they may prove to be a great addition to your team.
How to Identify Candidates Who Have the Right Soft Skills During No-Experience Interviews
Observe how candidates connect with you and other members of your team during no-experience interviews. Then, see what team members have to say about their interactions with a candidate. If your peers believe a candidate has a wide range of soft skills, you may want to move this individual forward in the interview process.
Reach out to a candidate's references for insights into this individual's soft skills. Contact a reference, ask them about a candidate's soft skills, and find out what soft skills they say the candidate possesses. This gives you insights you can use to make an informed hiring decision.
Finally, let a staffing agency serve as your guide in your search for talent with the right soft skills. Ascend Staffing is here to help you out. Start working with us on your talent search today.
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