For Customised Solutions : +91-6366968712 | Contact Us

MeritTraclogo
Banner

Hard skills are the technical skills required to perform a certain type of job-related task or activity, whereas soft skills are the non-technical skills or social abilities needed to do a job or function in a workplace. Soft skills are also called people skills and are considered crucial for individuals to get along with each other, come up with new ideas and grow in the environment they are in.

While hard skills are important for growth in professional life, hard skills should be effectively complemented by soft skills for professional success. Employees with soft skills can adapt to any situation and position. They also contribute towards the success and growth of a company by promoting excellent company culture. Though much harder to assess when compared to hard skills, a research-backed skills test can make it easier to evaluate an individual’s soft skills.

Essential Soft Skills Required in the Workplace

Though there are plenty of soft skills to list, the most important ones that employers look for are as follows:

Communication skills: There is more to communication skills than speaking a particular language. Active listening, presentation and excellent writing capabilities also form a part of communication skills. They are vital for an employee as any job would require interaction with peers, superiors, and subordinates. A communication soft skills assessment can help recruiters find candidates with the ability to express their ideas effectively.

Work ethics: Being punctual, getting things done on time, taking initiatives, being reliable and delivering on ones promises are some simple, but important examples of work ethics.

Time management: Efficient employees who know how to make the most of their time are sought after by employers. It is all about being able to prioritise and get the most important tasks done first. Delegation is yet another important skill for effective time management.

Teamwork: The ability to work with others is an important skill in an office environment, and it is harder than it seems. Employees who trust others, work together, give and accept ideas can help create a peaceful and productive work environment. Job situation simulations and role-play are a few methods used as a part of the soft skills assessment test to gauge a candidate’s teamwork skills.  

Critical thinking: By nature, people are inclined toward basing their decisions on their personal biases, self-interest or irrational emotions. Critical thinking is the ability to analyse facts before coming to judgement and is an important skill in decision making.

Leadership skills: A leader is one who can work with the team and lead it in the right direction. It requires the culmination of all skills to make an individual a leader. Behavioural and personality tests can be used as a part of the soft skill test to assess a candidate’s leadership qualities.

Problem-solving: Being able to think in the face of a difficult situation logically and to come up with solutions to work around it is called problem-solving. We can’t stress enough on the importance of this skill as it can lead to conflict resolution and even innovation.

Conflict resolution: Conflicts are somehow an inevitable part of working in a team, and they must be resolved as soon as possible. Unresolved conflicts can hamper productivity and teamwork, and therefore, conflict resolution is an important and desirable skill.

Applications of Soft Skill Tests

A scientifically designed soft skill assessment can help recruiters analyse and measure the skills of candidates and find the best match for the job role.

Soft skills tests are conducted as a part of the recruitment assessment. They can help assess the desirable skills that a prospective employee should possess in order to be successful in a job role at an organisation. Soft skill assessments can prove useful both in case of campus recruitment as well as lateral hiring. The skills being tested may differ depending on the job position being hired for.

A soft skill assessment test may also prove useful for workforce development. Employees with desirable soft skills are an asset to the organisation. A soft skill assessment can identify the strengths and weaknesses of employees who can be trained accordingly or promoted to suitable roles within the company.  These assessments will have a positive impact on the candidate’s professional development, which will contribute to the company’s success too.

MeritTrac Platforms for Soft Skill Tests

MeritTrac offers a suite of assessment services in order to help companies manage their recruitment processes in a convenient, quick, and secure manner. A soft skill assessment test can be conducted as a part of recruitment to select candidates with the right mix of hard and soft skills. In fact, a soft skill test comes in handy at every stage of the employee life cycle, including selection, training, retention, and development. 

Pariksha and SmartTest are two popular MeritTrac platforms preferred by recruiters. These platforms offer pre-employment screening, talent assessment and soft skill test integrated into the recruitment process. They allow for scientific measurement of skills delivering valid, fair and reliable results.

FAQ

FAQ

1. What is a soft skills test?

A. A soft skills test helps assess the desirable soft skills an employee should possess to perform a job while collaborating with team members, clients, vendors and other members of the organisation.

2. What are some of the important soft skills required at work?

A. Soft skills are as important as hard skills and technical skills. Strong communication, adaptability, work ethics, problem-solving, conflict resolution, critical thinking, teamwork, time management and interpersonal skills are some of the important soft skills recruiters look for in prospective employees. The results of a soft skill test can help recruiters pick up the right talent with desirable skills.

3. Why choose MeritTrac for soft skill assessment needs?

A. With our extensive experience in successfully assisting over 400 clients and ISO 9001:2008, ISO 27001 and CMMI Level 5 certified processes, we have the capability and expertise to take care of your soft skills assessment needs.

4. What are the USPs of MeritTrac’s assessment solutions?

A. MeritTrac’s end-to-end assessment solutions are automatic, convenient, rapid and secure. MeritTrac platforms have a robust test design and format that allow for scientific measurement of competencies delivering valid, fair and reliable results. Hence recruiters can hire with confidence and think of effective workforce development solutions.