Soft Skills Competencies

★ Accountability for others

Personal Talent Skills ★ Accurate Listening

Inventory ★
★
Attention to Details
Attitude toward Honesty and Others
★ Balance Decision Making
★ Commitment to the Job
★ Conceptual Thinking
★ Concrete Organization
★ Consistency and Reliability
★ Conveying Role Value
★ Correcting Others
★ Creativity
★ Developing Others
★ Emotional Control
★ Empathetic Outlook
★ Enjoyment of the Job
★ Evaluating Others
★ Evaluating What is Said
 ★ Flexibility
Personal Talent Skills ★ Following Directions

Inventory ★
★
Freedom from Prejudice
Gaining Commitment
★ Goal Directedness
★ Handling Rejections and Stress
★ Human Awareness
★ Initiative
★ Integrative Ability
★ Internal Self Control
★ Intuitive Decision Making
★ Job Ethic
★ Leading Others
★ Long Range Planning
★ Meeting Standards
★ Monitoring Others
★ Objective Listening
 ★ People Reading
Personal Talent Skills ★ Persistence

Inventory ★
★
Personal Accountability, Commitment, Drive
Personal Relationships
★ Persuading Others
★ Practical Thinking
★ Proactive Thinking
★ Problem Management
★ Problem / Situation Analysis
★ Problem Solving Ability
★ Project and Goal Focus
★ Project Scheduling
★ Quality Orientation
★ Realistic Expectation
★ Realistic Goal Settings for Others
★ Realistic Personal Goal Settings
★ Relating to Others
 ★ Respect for Policies
Personal Talent Skills ★ Respect for Property

Inventory ★
★
Result Orientation
Role Awareness and Confidence
★ Seeing Potential Problems
★ Self Assessment
★ Self Confidence and Direction
★ Self Discipline And Sense of Duty
★ Self Esteem
★ Self Improvement
★ Self Management
★ Self Starting Ability
★ Sense of Belonging
★ Sense of Timing
★ Sensitivity to Others
★ Surrendering Control
★ Systems Judgement
 ★ Theoretical Problem Solving
Personal Talent Skills ★ Understanding Attitude

Inventory ★
★
Understanding Motivational Needs
Understanding Prospect Motivation
★ Using Common Sense
Behavioral
Competencies
❏ Analysis of Data
❏ Competitiveness
❏ Customer Oriented
❏ Frequent Change
❏ Frequent Interaction With Others
❏ Organized Workplace
❏ Urgency
❏ Versatility
 ➢ Aesthetic
Personal Motivators ➢ Individualistic/Political
➢ Social
➢ Theoretical
➢ Traditional /Regulatory
➢ Utilitarian / Economic
Scientific Dimensions to be Measured

➔ Work Attitudes
➔ Behaviors
How the candidate responds to problems and challenges
How the candidate influences other to their point of view
How the candidate responds to the pace of environment
How the candidate responds to rules and procedures set by others
➔ Motivators
➔ Acumen
➔ Competencies
➔ Emotional Quotient
Top 10 Soft Skills

1. Communication
2. Team Work
3. Adaptability
4. Problem Solving
5. Creativity
6. Work Ethic
7. Interpersonal Skills
8. Time Management
9. Leadership
10. Attention to Detail
Phone interview questions

Looking to see what skills they can bring to the company’s table.
1. What Are Your Strengths?
Focus on their best skills and achievements, and make sure that
they are relevant to the company.

Unlike the strengths question, I want here to see how candidates

2. What Is Your Greatest Weakness? show if they’re self-aware and open to improvement.

This one can be a doozy, whether it’s asked during a phone

3. Why Should We Hire You? interview or not. But if prepared, it can turn into a great opportunity
to summarize the best points and to check if the candidate is
hesitant, self -promoted or modest

4. Why Did You Leave Your Last Job? Check how the candidate will talk about former employers. Try to
figure it out where is the truth in what he is saying

5. Tell Me About Yourself

This standard phone interview question is more narrow than it
sounds. Check if the response is relevant, similar to how the
candidates tailored his resume.
Phone interview questions

Check if he can do what we want him, according to the JD, or at

6. Why Do You Want to Work Here?
least the candidate would like to learn and develop himself
professionally. See if the candidate did his homework, if he knows
about who we are, what we do, etc.
Check the most relevant tasks and what is significant for the
7. Describe Your Current Job Responsibilities candidate.

See if they have a success story or if their management skills

8. What is Your Management Style? impacted others. See if they know the difference between a leader
and a manager and where they fit.

9. What Motivates You? Check strengths, a interests and passions.

10. Salary expectations and if agrees with our commision scheme

1. Communication

Here are some of the top communication skills the

hiring manager will be evaluating:

Listening
Confidence
Empathy
Friendliness (are you easy to talk to?)
Nonverbal communication (do you appear to
be stressed or uncomfortable?)
Respect
How clear and concise your responses are
1. Communication

Do you work well with other people? What do people most often criticize about you?
Tell me about yourself. When was the last time you were angry? What happened?
How would you describe yourself? Do you prefer to work independently or on a team?
What major challenges and problems have you faced? How Give some examples of your teamwork in completing a
did you handle them? critical project.
Describe a difficult work situation/project and how you Why are you the best person for the job?
overcame it. Why do you want to work here?
What have you learned from your mistakes? What can you contribute to this company?
What was it like working for your supervisor? What has been the greatest disappointment in your life?
What do you expect from a supervisor?
How do you handle stress and pressure?
What are you passionate about?
1. Communication test

How do you react when others If you disagree with someone's opinion,
become emotional around you? what do you do?

A. You tell them what you think is best for them A. Attempt to understand their point of view

B. You notice, but prefer to keep out of it B. Try to persuade them to agree with you

C. You aren't sure how to act C. Avoid confronting them in case their feelings are

D. You try to make them laugh hurt

E. You listen and try to comfort them D. Say nothing because you prefer to avoid an
argument
E. Tell them that you disagree and say why
1. Communication test

How do you feel about speaking in How do you feel about giving orders or
front of a group? instructions?

A. You try to avoid it if at all possible A. It's OK, provided you have proper justification

B. You enjoy the opportunity to convey your ideas B. You prefer to collaborate with others, not give

C. You like the idea but not the pressure it creates orders

D. You will do it as long as it helps out in some way C. You instinctively try to avoid it

E. You don't mind doing it, if you are able to plan D. You are wary in case there is any opposition
E. You are very happy to do it
2. Commitment to the Job

1. What aspects of this role do you think you’ll like? The perfect candidate will remain positive about all
And which will you dislike? aspects of the role (no complaining) but will show
passion for the bits that will be their main
responsibilities, in particular.

2. If we offer you the job, how long do you think you’ll Of course, they could just fib, which is why it’s important
stay here? to keep an eye on their body languagetoo while they
answer all of these questions)

You want a job candidate who has researched the role

3. Why do you think this job would be different/better and your company and who is genuinely interested in
than your current job? becoming a part of it.
2. Commitment to the Job

4. What did you like about your last job? What you’re looking for is someone between NOTHING
and EVERYTHING a balanced answer that reflects some
of things the new role will offer

5. Do you have any questions for us? There’s a reason why recruitment guides, blogs and
consultants always advise to end with this question. A
candidate who’s passionate and committed to taking on
the role will already have a bank of sincere and
investigative questions ready for us.
2. Commitment to the Job -Test

1. After one year in our company, you ask for a 4. Another company makes you a better offer. You take
promotion, but we can not offer that to you it? If no, why?
because we offer it to someone else. How do you
react? 5. Do you have a development plan for you?
2. What if we offer that promotion and you do not
feel prepared for it? What do you do?
3. You recomand a good friend to do the same job
you do, but we hire him as your lead. How do tou
react?
3. Problem Solving

Problem solving interview questions are used to

identify, test and measure candidate’s approach to

difficult and unusual situations.

Hiring candidates with strong problem solving skills can be

hugely beneficial for our company.

Problems are inevitable in every business sector and will

arise in one form or another. When problems do occur,

employees with strong problem solving skills will easily

develop suitable solutions.

3. Problem solving

● What was the most stressful situation you faced at work? ● Give us an example of a situation when you realized that

How did you handle it? you won’t be able to meet the set deadline. What did you

● Describe a situation at work when you were faced with a do?

problem you could not solve. What did you do? ● In your opinion, what makes you a great problem solver?

● Are you the type of person who will always try to solve the ● What do you do in a situation when you cannot seem to find

problem on your own before asking for help? the right solution to a problem?

● Describe a time when you used a creative solution to tackle ● When you are faced with an urgent problem, how do you

some job-related problem. react? Are you the type of person who jumps right into

● How do you cope when you face a challenge you’ve never solving problem, or do you first carefully assess the

previously experienced? situation?

3. Problem solving Q&A

Question 1 Question 2
You are working on a project and halfway through you realise How would you deal with a customer who wasn't happy with
that you have made a significant mistake that may require your service, even though you haven't done anything wrong
you to restart the project to resolve it. How would you and it is the customer who has made the mistake?
approach this so you still met the deadline?
Answer 2
Answer 1
No matter how upset, abrupt or angry the customer is, it is up
You are working on a project and halfway through you realise to the employee to make sure they are treated with respect.
that you have made a significant mistake that may require The best way to do this is to be attentive and show genuine
you to restart the project to resolve it. How would you concern for their problem. It is the role of an employee to turn
approach this so you still met the deadline? a negative situation into a positive. If your efforts still fail,
notify your supervisor as a final option.
4. Customer oriented

Customer service people are the face of your brand, and they
can actually make or break your company reputation.

Once found and hired, you need to put enough effort into regular
trainings to make sure they not only perfectly know your products
or services, but are also able to serve your customers efficiently
while showing the highest level of professionalism.
4. Customer oriented

Test 1 Answers

After a sales associate spends 20 minutes helping a customer

5 = Highly Effective. An ideal response.
find three products throughout the store, the customer asks for
help finding a fourth product. The sales associate says he has 4 = Very Effective. A good response, but one or more aspects could
another appointment, but tells the customer he thinks it is
“around Aisle 10.” have been better.

3 = Moderately Effective. A reasonable response, but the solution is

How effective is the sales associate’s response to this situation?
incomplete or may have unintended consequences.

2 = Slightly Effective. There is a positive element to the response but it

generally does not address the situation very well.

1 = Ineffective. This response does nothing to address the situation or

could have negative consequences.

 4. Customer oriented

Test 2 Answers

A customer calls the sales representative at a house painting company. 5 = Highly Effective. An ideal response.

4 = Very Effective. A good response, but one or more aspects could have
Customer: “Why did your crew also paint my guest bedroom? That
been better.
wasn’t on the list of rooms to be painted.”
3 = Moderately Effective. A reasonable response, but the solution is

incomplete or may have unintended consequences.

Customer Service Representative: “We must have had a
2 = Slightly Effective. There is a positive element to the response but it
miscommunication earlier. I’m so sorry about this. I’ll deduct the charge
generally does not address the situation very well.
for the room from your bill.”
1 = Ineffective. This response does nothing to address the situation or

How effective is the painting company representative’s response to this could have negative consequences.

customer?
5. Attention to detail

While attention to detail is not equally important in

all roles, it is one of the most essential personal
non-cognitive skills for employees, regardless of
the industry or job. While assessing is not always
a walk in the park, it’s essential to know if a
candidate is detail-oriented to ensure that they
perform well in their role and benefit your
company.
5. Attention to detail

You will be shown four lines of words. Each line contains the Compare the four lines of words below, which is correct?
same words, displayed in a different order. Only one line has
all words written correctly. You are to quickly determine which A) flashcart, flame, flamingo, false, farm
line of words is correct. B) flaminge, flame, farm, false, flashcard

C) farm, flame, flashcard, false, flamingo

D) flame, flashcard, fasle, flamingo, farm

5. Attention to detail

Can you find the four-leaf clover?

5. Attention to detail

There's a panda amongst them!

Can you find it?

5. Attention to detail

A cat is hiding amongst these

owls!

Can you spot it?

Funny questions

Oddball questions have become more and more popular in What is the reason for this?
recent years, with many employers looking for fresh new
ways to find out about their candidates and shake up the 1. To take the candidates out of their comfort zone
process. 2. To see how they approach new and unexpected
problems
They’re intended to be strange – something you’ve probably 3. To see how creative they are
never thought about before. Typically, there’s no right or
wrong answer. I just want to see how candidates handle the
unexpected.
Funny questions

1. "How would you solve problems if you were from This question, asked by Amazon, helps you see if your candidate

Mars?" can think outside what's traditional or normal. You'll want your
candidate to demonstrate an ability to problem-solve even under
bizarre circumstances. Her answer can show you whether she's
capable of entering a new workplace environment and evaluating it
fairly before offering solutions.

For instance, an ideal candidate might say, "If I were on Mars, they'd
likely have their own problems separate from those on Earth. First,
I'd conduct research to determine cause and effect, and then I'd
offer potential solutions."

With this answer, your candidate has shown an ability to be

thoughtful and analytical when making decisions.
Funny questions

2."We finish the interview and you step outside the Your ideal candidate will say, "I'd use the $10 million to travel,

office and find a lottery ticket that ends up winning donate to charity, and provide for my family. However, I'd still

$10 million. What would you do?" want to work for your company. I've always enjoyed working
in a big company and I think this company puts a great
emphasis on creativity and storytelling to help brands' spread
their message. So while I'd love to get $10 million, it wouldn't
change my career goals."

Ultimately, you'll want a candidate who mentions why she's

genuinely interested in the role, regardless of her income.
Funny questions

3. "How much do you charge to wash every window While this might seem like an odd question, it's actually an

in Bucharest?" effective one to ask if you're trying to determine how well

your candidate can problem-solve. Particularly if you're hiring
for a client-facing role, you'll want to see how your candidate
handles questions to which she doesn't immediately know
the answer.Ideally, your candidate will say something like this
-- "Well, let's say Bucharest consists of 10,000 city blocks,
with 1,000 windows per block. That's 10 million windows. If I
charge $5 per window, I'd make $50 million."The answer
itself doesn't matter. It's more important your candidate can
apply logical problem-solving skills, and remain calm, when
dealing with challenging or unexpected questions.