logo sigmund test

Blog

Recruitment blogs


(For some countries some articles of this blog are translated from our French site by an automatic translator)

Forget coding and programming: LinkedIn's CEO says that soft skills are the most important thing jobseekers need to have.

Sep 16, 2019, 17:55 PM by laurent schwartz
()

Here's how to check if a candidate has any!

Soft skills

LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner said that technical skills such as coding were not as important as they seemed. General skills such as oral communication, team building and leadership are more essential in the long run. To assess a job candidate's general skills, you can use tests such as les tests SIGMUND or you can use interviews and ask him how he is learning and developing, whether he has ever made mistakes at work and whether he has ever felt overwhelmed.

Unless you live under a rock, you will have understood that coding and programming are huge subjects at the moment. Look around - there are coding training courses, coding workshops and even coding toys for children as young as three years old. Yes, it's easy to say that the world is pretty obsessed with coding. But if you're wondering what the biggest skill gap is, LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner says it's not coding. Instead, Weiner says that what employers want is toThese are general skills, including oral communication, team building and leadership..

This is how Weiner puts it: "As powerful as artificial intelligence will become, we are still far from a computer capable of reproducing and replacing human interaction and human contact.." According to Wiener, there is a "tremendous encouragement"for people to develop these skills, as the jobs that require these skills will be".more stable for a longer period of time".

Does this mean that you should only hire based on skills and experience?

As a contractor, you may be used to looking for technical skills and experience when interviewing and hiring. Does this mean that you should give up everything you do and change tactics completely? Not quite. It is entirely possible to screen and assess candidates for technical skills, provided you also pay attention to the general skills they bring to the job.

So let's say you were recruiting a marketing manager and interviewing a candidate who was familiar with all the tools and software used by your company, including Salesforce, HubSpot and SEMrush. Now, if that person looks perfect on paper, but you feel that they are not suited to working in a team and that they don't fit the culture of your company, you should certainly consider these criteria. Don't overlook your judgement and don't hire candidates solely for their technical skills.

Nowadays we are entering an era where tasks and projects are increasingly automated, and if you think about it, all our technical skills will eventually become obsolete. Keep this in mind!

A few questions to assess a candidate's general skills.

You don't know how to assess a candidate on their general skills? Here are some questions I use for my recruitment interviews.

To test the willingness to learn: « how do you ensure that you are constantly learning and progressing in your work and life? "Please give me some examples.

To test thecommitment: « describe a period of time when you exceeded your work objectives ». What motivated you to make an extra effort? Was it worth it?

To test communication: « Have you ever had an idea that others didn't believe in and you didn't? "How did you communicate this idea to them and how did you manage to convince them?

To test humility and self-awareness: « everyone has made their share of mistakes in their careers. Can you share an experience of this kind? »

To test the task management: « Have you ever felt overwhelmed by your work? "How did it happen and how did you solve the problem?

When evaluating their answers, make sure that candidates do not remain at the superficial level. Continue to ask probing questions when you are not convinced by what they have said. Ask "why"A number of times can help you get more accurate answers. If candidates do not have "good stories" to share when asked these questions, it simply means that they still need to work on their general skills. Then it's time for you to interview other candidates.

Load more reviews
Thank you for the review! Your review must be approved first
You've already submitted a review for this item
|
()