Grading Grit: Creative assessment methods for critical soft skills

Tired of the same old methods for testing soft skills? And your candidates are already annoyed? Then we have good news for you! Today we're looking at creative assessment when it comes to "soft skills".

We are focussing on an area that you can apply directly and without detours - such as the implementation of technical innovation. Today we're talking about so-called "stealth interview questions".

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What are stealth interview questions?

Stealth interview questions are designed to assess critical soft skills and a candidate's personality traits in a more natural, conversational way. They should not be immediately recognizable as "interview questions." Of course, in a conversation with a recruiter, everything is part of the interview - nevertheless, such questions are more relaxed for the candidates. Here are a few examples:

• "What's your favourite book or movie, and why?"
• "Tell me about a time you made a mistake and how you learned from it." 
• "How would you handle a disagreement with a colleague?"
• "If you could be any animal, what would you be?"

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Potential Effectiveness

Forget the predictable dance of canned responses in traditional interviews. Dive deeper with "stealth questions," sparking a natural flow of conversation that unveils a candidate's true colours. Values, thought patterns, problem-solving approaches - all laid bare without the pressure of rehearsing. And it's not just about skills; delve into interests, even ask a playful question. These seemingly casual inquiries hold the key to unlocking cultural fit, seeing if the candidate blends seamlessly into your company's unique rhythm. Bonus? Ditch the pre-interview jitters. The organic nature of these questions puts candidates at ease, leading to genuine, unfiltered responses. So, step outside the box, embrace the "stealth interview," and discover the hidden gems candidates have to offer.

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Considerations and Cautions

But wait, hold on: While stealth interviewing offers a compelling way to unearth deeper insights about candidates, it's crucial to navigate it with care. Here are some key considerations and cautions to keep in mind:

Subjectivity: Interpreting the answers to stealth questions can be subjective. Ensure multiple interviewers are involved to reduce bias and that any analysis ties directly to necessary skills for the role.

Standardisation: It can be challenging to ensure fairness and consistency in how stealth questions are woven into the interview process, and their evaluation. A degree of structure and defined evaluation criteria are essential.

Discrimination Risk: Questions venturing too far into personal interests or beliefs can introduce the potential for unconscious bias and discrimination. Keep them job-focused.

Missing the Mark: While aiming for a relaxed conversational feel, don't make the questions so indirect that their purpose is lost, and you fail to gather the insights you need.

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Overall Assessment

Stealth interview questions can be a valuable addition to a robust interview strategy for assessing soft skills. However, it's crucial to:

Have a Clear Purpose: Clearly define which soft skills each stealth question is intended to reveal.

Use Judiciously: These questions shouldn't replace well-structured behavioural or situational questions but rather supplement them.

Evaluate with Care: Consider multiple perspectives when interpreting answers, and tie them directly to specific skill requirements.

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Stealth interview questions

So much for the theory. Now let's get to the exciting part - that's right, practical examples of soft skills assessment. And of course, we'll focus on the 8 most important soft skills for the future - regardless of industry, profession or position.

Emotional Intelligence

Conversation topic: Past Projects. "You mentioned a pretty complex project in your previous job. I imagine there must have been moments of frustration. How would you describe your approach to those?” 
Focus: Not just accomplishment, but how they react to difficulty, indicating self-awareness.

Conversation topic: Preferences. "It sounds like you really enjoy [area of work]. Which parts do you find the most rewarding, and are there aspects you find more tiresome?"
Focus: How they describe the 'highs' and 'lows' of work can reveal a degree of emotional balance and their approach to less stimulating tasks.

Teamwork

Conversation topic: Shared Interest.  "I noticed you like [hobby related to teamwork].  Do you prefer playing individually or on a team, and why?"
Focus: Their preferences in a non-work setting give clues to their comfort level with collaboration vs. independence.

Conversation topic: Preferences & Environment. "Our office can get pretty lively during project sprints! Are you someone who thrives in a buzz of activity, or do you do your best work with space for focus?"
Focus: Clues to whether they adapt well to changing work dynamics and collaborative necessities.

Communication

Conversation topic: Giving Directions. "It might be a bit strange, but could you describe how to get to a local coffee shop or landmark from here? I always end up going in circles!"  
Focus: How they structure explanations, clarity of their instructions, and their awareness of how much info to include is key.

Conversation topic: Misunderstandings. "Everyone experiences those communication mishaps at work sometimes! Could you share a time that happened and how you resolved things?"
Focus: Reveals ownership of mistakes and  the approach to both clarifying and rectifying the situation.

Problem-Solving

Conversation topic: Trends. "It seems like there are always new trends popping up in [your industry]. Which ones do you find exciting, and which do you think are worth ignoring? Why?"
Focus: Ability to dissect trends shows a knack for analysing situations with scepticism and identifying  value.

Conversation topic: Hypothetical. "What do you think is the biggest challenge facing our industry in the next few years? What kind of solution would you envision?"
Focus: Shows ability to think beyond the immediate, strategize, and handle complexity.

Leadership and Mentorship

Conversation topic: Influences. "It sounds like you really valued [past boss/mentor]. What do you think was the most impactful thing you learned from them?"
Focus: What aspects of mentorship they identify with indicates their understanding of leadership development.

Conversation topic: Role Model. "Is there a public figure, past or present, whose leadership style inspires you? What about them draws your admiration?" 
Focus: This reveals what kinds of traits they believe make an effective leader, likely pointing to their own potential strengths.

Critical Thinking

Conversation topic: Trends. "It seems like there are always new trends popping up in [your industry]. Which ones do you find exciting, and which do you think are worth ignoring? Why?"
Focus: Ability to dissect trends shows a knack for analysing situations with scepticism and identifying  value.

Conversation topic: Hypothetical. "What do you think is the biggest challenge facing our industry in the next few years? What kind of solution would you envision?"
Focus: Shows ability to think beyond the immediate, strategize, and handle complexity.

Time Management

Conversation topic: Logistics. "Did you come far today? Seems like traffic in this area can be unpredictable! Any tricks for arriving on time you learned along the way?"
Focus: Highlights their planning mindset and approach to handling obstacles to punctuality.

Conversation topic: Project Talk. "Earlier you mentioned enjoying the detail-oriented part of your work. Do you tend to multitask, or would you describe yourself as more single-focus?"
Focus: Their response helps assess their work process and efficiency habits.

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Adaptability

Conversational topic: Past Challenges. "Your resume shows you moved positions within companies! Was that  planned, or were there unexpected shifts you rolled with?"
Focus: Their comfort with change is demonstrated in how they describe the transitions.

‍Conversational topic: "What If". "Let's say a project hits a major roadblock halfway through. How do you imagine we might adjust course as a team?"
Focus: How they navigate uncertainty and  respond to hypothetical disruption gives insight. 

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Okay, we hope we were able to give you some good food for thought and ideas for your soft skills assessment. Stealth questions are of course just one creative way to assess soft skills differently. On the technical side mentioned at the beginning, there are other great creative things like gamification, virtual reality and, of course, the magic of artificial intelligence! 

We at alphacoders know the whole spectrum of recruiting - if you want to outsource this job, feel free to contact us.