Resumes hardly reveal a candidate’s soft skills. Sure, they’re often listed in a corner, but how can a recruiter really measure that from bullet points? This might explain why so many hiring decisions fall short. A significant portion of the workforce is estimated to lack crucial soft skills, with some reports indicating that over 80% of hiring managers believe soft skills are a key factor in employee success or failure.
In fact, a 2025 study showed that 85% of job success comes from soft skills, while only 15% stems from technical expertise or knowledge. So if soft skills matter this much, why are we still hiring based on credentials and resumes alone? Let’s find out.
What exactly is skills-based hiring?
Skills-based hiring simply means choosing candidates based on their ability to do the job, not just their background. It’s about shifting from “What school did you go to?” to “Can you solve this problem?”
Instead of relying on degrees or years of experience, you evaluate people on their actual skills like critical thinking, communication, tech proficiency, problem-solving, or even customer empathy, depending on the role. This approach opens doors to a much wider talent pool and helps HR teams make more informed, data-backed decisions.
“Skills-based hiring puts the candidate in the spotlight and not their past experience or college. It shows what they can do instead of what they did in the past”, says Abhishek Shah, founder of Testlify
Why are soft skills important in the modern workforce?
An SHRM study found that 76% of employers struggle to find candidates with the right skills, even when there are plenty of applicants. This directly ties back to the growing realization that soft skills like communication, adaptability, and critical thinking are far more predictive of on-the-job success than technical know-how alone.
Yet, we continue to rely on outdated tools like resumes and cover letters to screen talent. The truth is: resumes are one-dimensional. They tell us what someone has done, but not how they did it. Did they collaborate well? Could they lead under pressure? Were they flexible during change? These are all qualities that are rarely visible in a PDF. This is where traditional hiring falls short and where skills-based hiring steps in as a smarter, more accurate alternative.
Talent assessment platforms like Testlify are changing this narrative by focusing on what matters the most. By evaluating both technical and soft skills of candidates, teams can have more flexibility and take data-backed hiring decisions.
Top 7 soft skills every employers should assess (skills that matters)
While every industry demands different technical capabilities, there’s a core set of human-centric skills that remain universally critical across roles and sectors. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, the most valuable skills today aren’t just technical, they’re social, emotional, and cognitive. Here are the top soft skills employers are actively seeking right now:
Communication
Shockingly, 86% of employees lack basic soft skills like communication. Whether it’s delivering a pitch, writing an email, or giving feedback, communication remains one of the most foundational skills in the workplace. Great communicators can articulate ideas clearly and listen with intent, an essential for teamwork, leadership, and customer interaction alike.
Collaboration and teamwork
The ability to work effectively with others, across departments or even time zones, is essential. True collaboration involves participation, empathy, and a shared commitment to results. In increasingly cross-functional environments, being a “team player” isn’t optional, it’s a necessity.
Emotional intelligence (EQ)
More than ever, workplaces are looking for people who can manage their own emotions while understanding others’. EQ drives better communication, helps resolve conflicts, and creates more psychologically safe teams. It’s especially critical in leadership and people-management roles.
Adaptability and resilience
The workplace is evolving fast with new tools, new challenges, new expectations. Candidates who can adjust to change, take initiative, and stay calm under pressure bring immense value. Flexibility in mindset and workflow is now a competitive advantage.
Problem-solving and critical thinking
With increasing automation, what sets humans apart is the ability to analyze, think creatively, and make decisions. Employers are actively seeking talent who can evaluate complex issues and come up with solutions, especially when there’s no clear roadmap.
Leadership and influence
Leadership isn’t just about authority, it’s about influence, inspiration, and decision-making. Even in non-managerial roles, individuals who can lead projects, rally teams, and drive outcomes are highly sought after.
Curiosity and lifelong learning
One of the most underrated soft skills, curiosity fuels innovation. The best hires are often those who ask the right questions, stay hungry to learn, and are eager to grow their skillset, especially in dynamic industries.
The World Economic Forum calls these “skills of the future” and hence companies that hire candidates based on soft skills evaluation will have an unfair advantage.
How to assess soft skills?
Switching to a skills-first approach isn’t just a trendy move. It delivers real results like better role fit, faster hiring cycle, reduced time to hire, minimized chances of bad hire, more diversity, etc. Here’s how to begin:
Rethink job descriptions: Focus on must-have skills, not just formal qualifications.
Use assessments to validate skills: Platforms like Testlify let you evaluate candidates’ abilities through real-world scenarios and simulations. Testlify also offers conversational simulations like audio, video, and chat based interviews.
Train hiring managers: They need to align with the skills-first mindset and learn how to spot capability over credentials. Such an approach will lead to more unbiased and data backed hiring.
Measure and refine: Use data to see what’s working like track performance post-hire to improve your process. The tools are already here. The question is: are we using them the right way?
