Can You Assess Soft Skills?

In a previous article, I argued for a national skills assessment as part of the solution to the skills gap. What exactly would such an assessment involve? The easier part, at least conceptually, is to measure hard skills, like coding in Java or financial modeling or the ability to use radiological equipment. To simplify matters just a little: you either know it or you don’t. In many cases, especially where specific technology is involved, objective metrics already exist. Companies like Revature (where I'm on the ExCo) are already well established in the business of training new or existing employees to agreed-upon industry standards.

But, as I have often noted, soft skills—like collaboration, entrepreneurship, or communication—are at least as important as the hard skills. These are naturally tougher to map. In terms of regulation and standards, the market for soft skill tests is like the Wild West: there is a whole lot of snake oil out there. But there’s also gold in them thar hills! I’m not an expert on this kind of testing by any means; but here are a few examples of assessments I have found helpful, both for myself and in making hiring decisions.

DISC Index. Are you a big-picture thinker? A natural collaborator? A conscientious expert? DISC analysis may have the answer. A psychometric evaluation developed in the 1950s from research done in the 1920s, DISC is not proprietary and forms the basis of a plethora of different products (in other words, caveat emptor!). Personally, I have had success with the version deployed by Innermetrix.

Thunderbird’s Global Mindset Inventory. This more focused test is the brainchild of a number of professors at ASU’s Thunderbird business school. It zeroes in on people’s ability to work with colleagues from different cultures, with separate elements focusing on knowledge, attitude, and behavior. There used to be a helpful “lite” version you could take for free online, but at the time of writing (September 2020), the link appeared to be down.

Humantelligence’s Culture Analytics. Designed to help individuals understand their strengths, underlying motivations, and communication style, this emotional intelligence tool starts with a 12-minute self-evaluation. Proprietary software crunches the numbers across teams, departments, and organizations to paint a picture of overall culture and help find suitable new hires or nudge the institution in a more productive direction.

Hogan’s Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory. The MVPI is designed to reveal what makes you tick. Are you a risk-taker or a rule-follower? Are you more motivated by boosting the bottom line or by maintaining relationships? Do you value service above creativity or the other way around? The answers to these questions could suggest a career path.

The above are neither infallible nor comprehensive; but they do suggest what is possible, and what the soft skill component of a national skills assessment might look like. Clearly, more thinking about this is needed; but in a world where keeping our skills relevant is everything, knowing where we stand is the first step toward success.