8 examples of soft skills interview questions

Recent research has shown how wide the skills gap is getting, and organisations need to manage it effectively. After all, both hard and soft skills are essential components of building a strong talent pipeline. 

By identifying workplace soft skills and crafting interview questions that delve into candidates' demonstrated abilities in these areas, you can select individuals who possess the right blend of technical expertise and interpersonal qualities to drive success. It will also help your employees build strong relationships and communicate effectively across the workforce. 

To use soft skills in interviews successfully, organisations must first identify the specific skills they prioritise for a role or within their company culture. Certain soft skills such as communication, organisation and emotional intelligence are particularly desirable due to how transferable they are. This alignment ensures that the questions asked directly target the required competencies. 

For example, a customer service role might require empathy and communication. Questions could focus on how candidates handle difficult customers, resolve conflicts, or explain complex information clearly. Alternatively, a leadership position may decisiveness and adaptability. Questions would likely explore how candidates make tough decisions under pressure, respond to unexpected challenges, or motivate their peers.

When you carefully consider the organisation's goals alongside the specific role's requirements, you can tailor the interview process to uncover the most relevant soft skills.

Now we have covered the importance of shaping your interview questions around certain soft skills that will be suitable in the workplace, let’s look at eight examples of interview questions for soft skills and the specific skills they help to identify. 

1. Tell me about a time you had to adapt to a change at work and how you handled it?

This interview question will assess a candidate’s ability to be adaptable and flexible. Their response will highlight how they respond to circumstances outside of their control which is  a  key characteristic to possess and an important soft skill for a thriving workforce. 

2. How do you respond to constructive criticism? 

This question will assess a candidate’s self awareness and their ability to receive feedback. The way they respond will give you a clear indication of if they bounce back from negative feedback or dwell on it. It will also let you know if they are receptive to new ideas.   

3. Describe a situation where you had to make an important decision under pressure. 

This soft skill interview question  will assess the decision-making skills of a candidate. The situation they describe will reveal their thought process, risk assessment, and problem-solving abilities.

4. How do you motivate your team members to work well in challenging situations? 

This interview question will assess the candidate’s conflict resolution and communication prowess as well as identify those suitable for a position of leadership. Their response should demonstrate an ability to inspire and empower their team, resolve conflicts, and create a positive work environment.

5. Outline how you manage your workload when you have multiple deadlines. 

This soft skills interview question will show you a candidate’s time management and organisational skillset. The answer will highlight their ability to prioritise tasks, delegate responsibilities, and maintain focus in a fast-paced situation.

6. How do you remain motivated and productive during repetitive tasks? 

This interview question for soft skills will assess the candidate’s self-motivation. The way they respond will showcase a candidate’s ability to remain engaged, find ways to optimise tasks, and maintain a positive attitude. 

7. Let us know your biggest work failure and what you learned from the experience.  

This question showcases a candidate’s resilience and their ability to learn from mistakes. Their response will showcase self-awareness, a capacity for growth, and a strong commitment to continuous improvement.in the workplace.  

8. Can you share an example of when you had to solve a problem creatively? 

This question will identify a candidate’s problem-solving abilities and assess how creative they are. The example given will highlight their ability to think outside the box, generate innovative solutions, and adapt to changing circumstances.

As we have covered, soft skills are the backbone of organisation success, so by identifying them during the hiring process and asking soft skills questions for interviews will help to build a strong talent pipeline and ensure you are bringing suitable people through the door.