Finding someone with the right qualifications and technical experience is only part of a successful recruitment process.
It may be relatively straightforward to confirm a candidate’s sales results, professional qualifications or previous responsibilities. The greater challenge is assessing the less visible qualities that influence how effectively they will perform, communicate and contribute to the team.
These intangible or soft skills can make the difference between someone who is technically capable of doing the job and someone who will genuinely thrive in it.
Intangible skills are personal qualities and behaviours that are difficult to measure through qualifications or employment history alone.
Depending on the role, employers may value qualities such as:
The most important qualities will vary. A call-centre manager may need resilience and leadership, while a customer-facing employee may require warmth, patience and strong interpersonal skills.
Employers should therefore define the behaviours that genuinely support success in the vacancy rather than searching for one universal personality type.
Even the best-run organisations experience difficult moments. Systems fail, customers complain, deadlines change and unexpected problems arise.
Employees who remain calm can assess the situation clearly, communicate effectively and help reassure those around them.
Ask questions such as:
Look for evidence of structured thinking, emotional control and sensible prioritisation.
Strong intuition in the workplace is often based on experience, observation and the ability to recognise patterns quickly.
Employees with sound judgement can interpret incomplete information, identify potential issues and make sensible decisions without requiring constant supervision.
Ask candidates to describe:
Explore why they chose that particular course of action and what happened as a result.
A positive attitude can influence customers, colleagues and the wider working environment.
This does not mean ignoring genuine problems or expecting people to appear cheerful constantly. It means approaching challenges constructively and contributing to a respectful, supportive atmosphere.
Observe how the candidate discusses previous teams, setbacks and demanding situations.
Candidates who can acknowledge difficulties without becoming excessively negative may be more likely to bring a balanced and solutions-focused attitude.
Confidence allows employees to trust their judgement, communicate clearly and take responsibility.
It should not be confused with arrogance. Arrogance assumes superiority, while healthy confidence is supported by self-awareness and evidence.
Look for candidates who:
A confident candidate should be able to discuss achievements without exaggerating them.
Honest employees take responsibility for their actions and acknowledge when something has gone wrong.
This quality is essential for building trust and maintaining a healthy workplace culture.
Ask:
Be cautious of answers in which the candidate presents a trivial weakness or places all responsibility on someone else.
Persuasiveness is valuable well beyond sales.
Employees often need to gain support for ideas, influence stakeholders, negotiate with suppliers or encourage colleagues to adopt a new process.
Ask for an example of when the candidate:
Strong answers should demonstrate listening and relationship-building rather than pressure or manipulation.
Employers may also want to identify behaviours that could affect performance or team dynamics, including:
These concerns should not be judged through instinct alone. Use consistent questions and seek specific evidence before reaching conclusions.
A CV can demonstrate where someone has worked and what they have achieved, but it rarely reveals how they behave under pressure or interact with others.
Avoid rejecting candidates solely because they do not match every qualification listed. Some may possess highly relevant transferable experience and strong behavioural qualities that make them capable of developing quickly.
Initial telephone or video screenings can help employers assess communication, motivation and judgement before arranging formal interviews.
The most effective questions ask candidates to describe real situations rather than speculate about what they might do.
Examples include:
Follow up by asking what the candidate personally did and what the result was.
Role plays and realistic scenarios can help assess intangible skills, particularly for customer-facing, leadership or problem-solving roles.
For example, candidates might be asked to:
Exercises should reflect the genuine requirements of the role and be assessed consistently across candidates.
Candidates may prepare answers to common interview questions, so employers should explore their examples in greater depth.
Useful follow-up questions include:
Detailed, consistent responses are generally more credible than broad or overly polished statements.
References may provide additional context about reliability, teamwork and conduct, although many organisations now provide only basic employment confirmation.
Where more detailed references are available, ask consistent and role-relevant questions. Ensure the process follows the organisation’s recruitment policies and applicable data-protection requirements.
References should support the wider assessment rather than replace it.
Intangible skills should not be judged according to whether the interviewer simply likes someone.
Define the qualities required before interviewing and use structured scoring criteria.
For each skill, identify what strong evidence might look like. This creates a fairer process and reduces the influence of personal bias.
The best candidate is not always the person with the most impressive qualifications or the longest employment history.
Qualities such as calmness, confidence, honesty, judgement and sensitivity to others can have a major effect on performance and workplace culture.
By combining structured interviews, behavioural questions, practical exercises and careful follow-up, employers can gain a clearer picture of the person behind the CV.
Understanding these deeper qualities also helps organisations support the successful candidate after appointment, shape their development and place them in an environment where they can perform at their best.
It's worth getting your CV on file even if the timing isn't right today.
