8 min read

Ways to Evaluate Soft Skills via Automated Checks

You need to find the right person for your team. This means you must look at more than just technical abilities. You must evaluate soft skills to understand how a person will fit into your office. Many hiring managers find it hard to get this information. Automated reference checks from RefHub make this process much easier. They allow you to get honest feedback from past managers and peers without spending hours on the phone.

Key Takeaways

Soft skills are often more important for long-term success than technical skills.
Automated checks provide more honest and detailed data than phone calls.
Specific survey questions help you measure teamwork, communication, and work ethic.
A character reference can reveal a candidate’s true personality and values.
Using RefHub helps you gather data quickly and fairly.

The Importance of Soft Skills in Hiring

When you evaluate soft skills, you are looking at how a person interacts with others. These skills include things like how they talk, how they lead, and how they solve problems. A person might have a great resume, but if they cannot work well with a team, they might not succeed.

Companies often hire for skills but fire for attitude. By checking these traits early, you save time and money. You can avoid hiring someone who might cause conflict or lack the drive to finish tasks.

Why Traditional Reference Checks Fall Short

Traditional reference checks usually involve a quick phone call. These calls often fail for several reasons:

People are busy and may not want to talk.
References might only give basic info to avoid legal issues.
It is hard to ask the same questions to every reference.
Notes taken during a call can be messy or biased.

Automated systems fix these issues. They allow references to answer on their own time. This often leads to more thoughtful and honest answers.

Moving Beyond Employment Dates

Many people think a reference check is just to confirm when someone worked at a company. While this is helpful, it does not tell you if the person was a good worker. To truly evaluate soft skills, you must ask about behaviors.

You should ask how the person handled hard days. You should ask how they reacted when they made a mistake. These answers tell you more than a start date or an end date ever could. RefHub helps you move past simple facts and into real insights.

How to Use Automated Surveys for Better Data

Automated surveys allow you to ask deep questions in a structured way. When you use these tools, you can collect data that is easy to compare. This makes your hiring process more objective.

You can send the same survey to multiple references at once.
The system tracks who has answered and sends reminders.
You get a report that highlights strengths and areas for growth.

This method makes sure you do not miss any important details. It also makes the process much faster for you and the reference.

Specific Reference Check Questions for Soft Skills

To get the best results, you need to use the right reference check questions. These questions should focus on real actions. Here are some examples of what to ask:

"Can you give an example of how this person handled a disagreement with a coworker?"
"How does this person react when they receive negative feedback?"
"On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate their ability to meet deadlines?"
"Describe a time when this person went above what was asked of them."

These questions force the reference to think about the candidate’s actual behavior. This gives you a clearer picture of how they will act in your company.

The Role of the Character Reference

Sometimes you need to know about a person’s heart and mind. This is where a character reference becomes useful. While a professional reference talks about work, a character reference talks about the person.

They can speak to the person’s honesty.
They can describe how the person treats others in their community.
They can provide insight into the person’s reliability outside of a job.

Using RefHub to collect these references helps you see the whole person. This is a great way to evaluate soft skills like empathy and integrity.

Assessing Teamwork and Communication

Teamwork is the backbone of most businesses. If you want to evaluate soft skills related to teams, you must ask about collaboration.

Ask if the person shares credit with others.
Ask if they are willing to help when a teammate is behind.
Ask how they communicate complex ideas to people who do not understand them.

Good communication is not just about talking. It is also about listening. Your surveys should ask if the candidate listens well and follows instructions carefully.

Measuring Work Ethic and Reliability

Work ethic is hard to see in an interview. Everyone says they are a hard worker. You must use automated checks to find the truth.

Ask the reference if the candidate showed up on time every day.
Ask if they stayed late to finish a project when needed.
Ask if they take ownership of their work or if they blame others for failures.

A person with a strong work ethic will be a valuable asset. Those who lack it can slow down your entire team.

How to Tailor Your Surveys for Success

Every job is different. A salesperson needs different soft skills than a software developer. This is why you should tailor your surveys to match the role you are filling.

For a manager, ask about leadership and how they mentor others.
For a customer service role, ask about patience and problem-solving.
For a creative role, ask about how they handle changes to their work.

When you customize your questions, you get data that actually matters. This helps you make a better choice for your specific team needs. RefHub makes it easy to change your questions for every new hire.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why evaluate soft skills with automation?

Automation saves you time and gets more honest answers. People often feel more comfortable typing their thoughts than speaking them over the phone. It also makes the data easier to read and compare.

What are the best reference check questions?

The best questions are open-ended. Instead of asking "Was he a good worker?", ask "What was his biggest contribution to your team?". This gives you more detail and helps you see the candidate's true value.

Can a character reference be used for professional jobs?

Yes. A character reference helps you understand a person's values. For roles that require a lot of trust, knowing a person's character is just as important as knowing their work history.

How many references should I check?

Most companies check three references. Using an automated system like RefHub makes it easy to check even more without extra work. This gives you a more complete view of the person.

Final Thoughts on Automated Checks

To evaluate soft skills properly, you need a system that is fair and fast. Automated reference checks provide the structure you need to get real answers. By using targeted questions and looking at character, you can find the best fit for your team.

RefHub helps you gather this data without the stress of manual calls. You can focus on making the right decision while the system handles the paperwork. Start using these tools today to improve your hiring and build a stronger team.

‍