Here are the most important soft skills hiring managers look for during interviews (ranked in order of importance):

1. Adaptability :

• Many hiring managers say adaptability is the most important soft skill they screen for. It makes sense -to stay competitive today, your company needs to be able to adapt to a changing economy and business needs. That means you need employees who can adapt as well, and high-potential people often have this ability.

2. Culture add:

• When we talk about culture fit, we don’t mean falling into a “hire like me” mentality. If all of your employees act and think the same, your company won’t thrive. Instead, look for candidates who share the same beliefs and values as your organization, but also bring diversity of thought and experience that will drive your company forward. We call this a “culture add". Plus, research shows that employees who are a good culture fit are more likely to stay with your company and will have greater performance and job satisfaction.

3. Collaboration:

• Done right, Collaboration keeps the business moving at a fast pace. Done wrong, employees find it extremely distracting. When you look at an organization’s top collaborative contributors, and look at employees who are recognized as top performers, there is about a overlap. So hiring people who can collaborate effectively and work well with others is essential to success.

4. Leadership:

• Research shows that organizations with high quality leaders are more likely to outperform their competition.* During the interview, assess if the candidate can inspire, motivate, and unleash potential in others.

5. Growth Potential:

• Today’s fast-paced work environments require employees who can do the job now, and have the potential to grow into new roles or leadership positions at your company in the future. After all, if an employee leaves, it costs your company that employee’s salary to replace her. That means that hiring people who have the potential to grow within your company not only saves you the pain of replacing them, but also saves you money. You can predict if a candidate has what it takes by screening for goal setting and self-motivation.

6.Priortization:

• When juggling multiple tasks, we have to be able to decide which ones need to be tackled immediately, and which ones can wait. Hiring someone who can’t get this right means that key due dates and project timeline can fall through the cracks, ultimately hurting your business. People who can manage their time and prioritize effectively will help your business thrive.