Eric Friedman is the Founder and CEO of eSkill, a global leader in skills testing and behavioral assessment solutions for employers.
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All organizations need leaders who can inspire their teams to deliver successful results and meet goals and objectives. However, it is challenging for HR teams to recruit qualified candidates because few have the leadership skills required for managerial positions.
Unfortunately, few companies assist employees in developing leadership skills. According to 2022 research conducted by GoRemotely, 83% of employers agree that helping employees develop leadership skills is important, but only 5% of corporations provide training. Therefore, it is no surprise that roughly 70% of executives fail within 18 months of taking on a leadership role.
While the circumstances behind each failure differ, experts agree that organizations must take the initiative to improve the success rate of newly hired leaders. One of the best ways to strengthen leadership enterprise-wide is to give as much weight to soft skills as hard skills during hiring.
How Soft Skills Differ From Hard Skills
Candidates must possess hard skills—the technical abilities needed to perform a job successfully. Hard skills are easy to evaluate because they can be taught and learned. For instance, candidates who apply for an accounting position either know how to create and interpret financial statements or they do not.
To be successful in a leadership role, candidates also need soft skills—competencies that are inherent and not job specific. Soft skills indicate how the person will interact with colleagues, manage people and work with customers and stakeholders.
Unlike hard skills, soft skills can be challenging to evaluate, which is why many organizations implement an industry-leading assessment solution.
What Soft Skills Assessment Tests Do You Need?
HR professionals often ask which soft skills assessments they should use to ensure candidates have critical leadership abilities. It is impossible to give a specific answer because jobs have different requirements. However, many find the following assessments meet most of their needs.
• Emotional intelligence: Leaders with high emotional intelligence are good at evaluating and understanding their own emotions. As a result, they can interact effectively with team members and manage diverse personalities within the workplace. They are excellent at understanding team members’ and colleagues’ emotions, which means they can respect their feelings when communicating with them.
• Attention to detail: Managing a project requires more than keeping team members on task and ensuring everyone does their part. The team leader is ultimately responsible for the final result. Even the tiniest mistake can mean a decrease in productivity or a time-to-market delay. So leaders must demonstrate that they can focus on details when assigning and evaluating work and monitoring employees’ progress.
• Communication: Leaders must convey expectations to staff, update management on progress during critical projects, referee disputes between team members and resolve any internal or external conflicts that arise. These require excellent communication skills and the ability to work through conflicts and come to a solution both sides can accept.
• Change management: During the past few years, business leaders have learned the importance of being able to change and adapt quickly. They need leaders who can manage enterprise-wide projects that have the potential to be disruptive. Some examples include implementing a new software platform, opening a new division, launching a new product line or handling a corporate reorganization. Candidates who are good at managing change can motivate staff to adapt to the change, overcome employee resistance and address customers’ and stakeholders’ concerns.
• Remote working: When hiring, you should assume leaders will manage remote and hybrid workers. According to a Gallup survey, eight out of 10 employees worked hybrid or remotely in 2022, and only 20% worked entirely on-site. Research by AT&T shows that the percentage of hybrid workers will grow to 81% in 2024. Therefore, leaders need the ability to manage people effectively regardless of where they work.
How To Use Soft Skills Assessment Tests To Screen For Leadership Abilities
One of the best ways to measure candidates’ leadership skills is to use soft skills assessment tests that focus on the skills vital for success in a job. When applicants complete and submit soft skills assessments, hiring teams then review the results and decide which candidates are the best fit.
Businesses can also use soft skills assessment tests internally to fill leadership positions. HR and training leaders can identify current staff who are ready to be promoted or could be if provided with the proper training.
Why Use Soft Skills Assessment Tests To Hire From Within?
Considering current staff to fill leadership positions is an excellent long-term strategy with several benefits. Existing employees already understand the company culture, values, expectations and protocols, which means they will be more likely to have a shorter learning curve when they assume a new role.
Promoting from within boosts morale, incentivizes talented staff members to stay with your company and improves hiring efficiency. According to a LinkedIn study, 81% of talent managers surveyed said hiring internally improves retention, 69% said it helps accelerate new hire productivity and 63% said it decreases time-to-hire.
In addition to improving hiring outcomes, soft skills assessment tests can help organizations identify current employees with leadership abilities and potential. HR and training professionals can then develop customized training programs that address their company’s current and future needs and help employees grow their careers.
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