Differences between soft and hard skills: how to assess them effectively.
In the world of work, it is no longer enough to know the technical skills of a candidate or employee. Increasingly, the difference between a successful placement or an unsuccessful one is played out on the balance between hard skills and soft skills.
Knowing how to distinguish between these two skill levels-and especially knowing how to assess them effectively-is now a central aspect of selection, development and internal mobility processes.
What are hard skills?
When we talk about hard skills, we are referring to technical, quantifiable and certifiable skills. These are all those knowledge and skills that can be learned through study, specific training or direct experience with tools, procedures and methodologies. Knowing a programming language, knowing how to use ERP software or mastering industry regulations are all concrete examples of hard skills.
For years, personnel selection has been based almost exclusively on these competencies, which have the advantage of being objective and verifiable through practice tests, certifications or operational simulations.
What are soft skills?
Soft skills, on the other hand, are about how a person approaches work, relates to others, and handles situations. They are soft skills that profoundly affect a person's ability to collaborate, lead a team, deal with unexpected events, or manage conflict. Being able to communicate clearly, adapt to change, remain calm under pressure, find creative solutions to problems or understand one's own and others' emotions are all expressions of well-developed soft skills.
Unlike technical skills, these capabilities are not learned in a specific course and are much more complex to assess objectively. For this very reason, they often represent the real challenge for HR recruiters and developers.
Hard skills and soft skills: why is it crucial to assess both?
A person with excellent technical skills but poor interpersonal skills may generate problems in teamwork or customer management. Similarly, a very empathetic and adaptable employee, if lacking the necessary hard skills, will struggle to perform his or her tasks effectively.
In the modern logic of competency-based recruiting--so-called skills-based recruiting--to assess the two dimensions in a combined way makes it possible to identify candidates and employees who are truly capable of performing, growing and adapting over time. This integrated approach, as we have also seen when discussing how theskills assessment fosters retention, represents one of the pillars for building strong and resilient organizations today.
The different modes of evaluation
Assessing hard skills is relatively easier. You can subject candidates to practice tests, digital exams, technical exercises or on-the-job tests that return a clear and measurable result.
For soft skills, however, a more nuanced approach is needed. It is not enough to observe behavior during the interview, which can be influenced by stress or expectations. Techniques such as behavioral interviews-particularly the Behavioural Event Interview methodology-can bring out how the candidate has dealt with real situations in the past, offering much more reliable indications of his or her soft skills.
More advanced digital tools also enable the integration of situational simulations, video assessment and predictive models that deeply analyze how a person responds to complex problems or interacts with realistic work scenarios.
The key role of technology
The evolution of assessment software now makes it possible to:
- Combine assessments of hard and soft skills into one fluid process;
- Collect structured and comparable data between candidates;
- Integrate assessments that are also useful for internal growth (as is done in the processes of job rotation and skills mapping).
Advanced digital tools such as the Skillvue's Skill Assessment Agents enable integrated assessment pathways to be built, lowering subjective error margins and supporting more objective HR decisions.
The impact on recruiting, development, and internal mobility
Thecombined use of assessment on hard and soft skills enables:
- Improving time-to-hire through shortlists that are more closely aligned with real needs;
- Increase the quality of recruitment by reducing early turnover;
- Build customized growth paths on hard data related to a person's entire skill set;
- Identify internal talent ready for mobility or leadership roles.
In this way, skills assessment becomes not only a selection tool, but a true driver of ongoing organizational development, as we have also seen when discussing how assessment fosters internal growth.
Every professional is a unique mix of technical skills and personal qualities. Assessing both dimensions accurately means not only hiring better, but also creating stronger, more cohesive teams that are ready for change.
With Skillvue's Skill Assessment Agents, you can finally comprehensively and objectively read people's potential, turning assessment into strategic growth leverage.
👉 S tart enhancing the real potential of your candidates and employees with Skillvue.
