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Hard skills vs soft skills. Which one should you prioritize?
- by Ayesha Junaid
October 29, 2025
In today's fast-paced job market, there has been a serious debate between recruiters about whether to prioritize hard skills or soft skills during their hiring process. The core question is simple: hire for technical capability or for interpersonal strength?
Most teams recognize that soft skills matter as much as hard skills for long-term performance.
Soft skills are highly valued by employers, with 93% of employers stating that soft skills are either an essential factor in hiring decisions.
The main difference between hard skills and soft skills is how they are acquired and implemented in the workplace. Hard Skills are gained through experience, education, and certifications, whereas soft skills are personality and behavioral traits developed over a lifetime.
This guide explains each skill type, how they influence hiring decisions, and how recruiters assess both consistently.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- What are hard skills?
- What are soft skills?
- Hard skills vs. soft skills: The main difference
- Which skill should you prioritize?
- How to assess these skills effectively
- Final verdict
- FAQs
What are hard skills?
Hard skills are job-specific, teachable abilities gained through education, training, or practical experience—often validated by portfolios, certifications, or tests.
Examples include SEO, data analysis, copywriting, web development/coding, and advanced Excel. Recruiters typically verify hard skills with work samples and role-relevant assessments (e.g., coding or case-based tasks).
Some more examples of hard skills include:
- Search Engine Optimization
- Data Analysis
- Copywriting
- Web Development and Coding
- Excel Proficiency
Recruiters can assess a candidate's hard skills by conducting technical assessments such as coding tests and engineering tests.
What are soft skills?
Soft skills are personal habits that show how you work, communicate, and collaborate with others, especially in a workplace. They are also referred to as power skills, and these interpersonal skills are usually developed throughout their whole life. Soft skills enable workers to deal with challenges, adapt to changing business environments, and work effectively with others, creating a positive work environment.
For instance, a graphic designer must have soft skills like creativity, good communication skills, and adaptability to new tools to design creative content.
Some examples of soft skills include:
- Active Listening
- Teamwork
- Problem Solving
- Time Management
- Emotional Intelligence
- Leadership Skills
A LinkedIn study found that 57% of employers value soft skills more than hard skills when making new hiring decisions.
Recruiters can assess candidates' soft skills by conducting behavioral interviews or through skill-based assessments, such as a situational judgment test or psychometric assessments.
Hard skills vs soft skills: What makes them different during hiring?
One of the biggest challenges hiring teams face is finding the right candidate with the blend of hard and soft skills. Both these sets of skills play different roles, but determine how well an employee will do in the job.
- Hard skills are job-specific abilities mentioned on candidates' profiles, such as coding, data analysis, Python programming, or using certain software tools. They are measurable and can be tested objectively, which makes them easier for recruiters to evaluate during hiring.
- Soft skills, also known as human skills, represent interpersonal and behavioral traits like communication and teamwork that show how an individual interacts and performs within a team.
In short, hard skills prove what candidates can do, whereas soft skills reveal how they do it; both are key to long-term organization success.
Hard skills tend to get applicants noticed or shortlisted during the hiring process, but soft skills predominantly decide who is hired and promoted. A candidate may have good technical abilities, yet without emotional intelligence, communication skills, empathy, or time management, the overall performance might be lacking.
For instance, a programmer may have strong hands-on technical skills, but in the absence of effective communication or collaboration, they will be unable to work effectively on group assignments. Studies even reveal that career success relies approximately 85% on powerful soft skills and merely 15% on hard skills, proving that soft skills are now as crucial as hard skills.
So hiring teams search for candidates who not only have technical skills and qualifications but can also create a positive work environment and are a good cultural fit for their organization. The right combination of these skills ensures a productive work environment, leading to long-term organizational success.
Which skill should you prioritize?
This one question is always stuck in the recruiter's mind: "Should I prioritize hard skills or soft skills during the hiring process?"
There is no one answer to this question, as the priority between hard and soft skills largely depends on the role, industry, and organizational goals.
For instance, organizations hiring for technical positions like engineers, SEO, or IT specialists should prioritize hard skills. These jobs require extensive technical abilities like machine operation, coding, or data analysis. Without proper technical skills, even the most motivated employee will not be able to perform well with quality output or complete projects on time.
However, recruiters' focus should not be entirely on hard skills. Even in technical environments, soft skills like effective communication, time management, and critical thinking are essential for teamwork and for a positive team culture.
On the flip side, organizations hiring for positions like sales manager or HR professionals should rely more on soft skills. These jobs require creativity, problem-solving, and leadership skills. Proficiency here is not necessarily based on what you know, but how well you form relationships, manage conflict, and motivate others.
For example, a sales manager must have good communication skills and should listen attentively and offer solutions to customers' requirements.
Yet in today's work environment, it's an error to neglect either of these skill sets. An employee might have good technical skills, but without teamwork or flexibility, they will fail to work well in the workplace. Likewise, a superb communicator with insufficient technical experience can fail in performing skilled tasks.
That's why the best hiring techniques aim for a balance between the two, measuring hard skills to validate competence and job readiness, and measuring soft skills to identify personality, cultural alignment, and to have a collaborative work environment. Hiring teams now search for candidates who not only deliver their job requirements efficiently but also contribute positively to a company culture.
How to assess these skills?
Using traditional recruitment methods like resume screening or taking interviews does not show candidates' actual potential. So recruiters should conduct assessments to identify capable candidates who meet your technical requirements and manage interpersonal relationships.
This is where modern hiring platforms like TestTrick step in. TestTrick has an extensive library offering 400+ assessments to assess candidates' technical skills and interpersonal abilities. This helps recruiters make data-driven and fair hiring decisions.
For example
- Finance and Accounting Tests examine candidates on their strategic, technical, and governance skills.
- The Marketing Test assesses candidates' understanding of marketing fundamentals.
- The Situational Judgment Test evaluates how a candidate would respond to actual work-life situations by responding to situational questions.
- Leadership and People Management Assessments check essential skills needed for good leadership in diverse workplaces.
These assessments help recruiters compare the results and measure candidates' potential and abilities.
TestTrick closes the gap between hard and soft skill assessment, allowing recruiters to spot top candidates that are not only skilled but also flexible, communicative, and culturally fit. It also has anti-cheating and advanced proctoring features to ensure an unbiased and reliable assessment.
Final Verdict
Prioritizing one skill over the other is not the goal, but creating the right balance between these skills is essential for organizational success. Skills are not fixed and are improved over time. Through continuous learning, coaching, and training programmes, employees' skills can be developed, ensuring that they are adaptable to a changing business environment.
From the recruiter's point of view, the debate should not be regarding the selection between hard skills and soft skills, but rather how to balance the two.
That's why successful organizations understand that both skill types complement each other. Hard skills ensure that employees can perform their specific duties, while soft skills shape how they interact, solve problems, and adapt to change.
Evaluate both hard and soft skills with our 400+ expert-designed assessments and make confident, data-driven hiring decisions.Start your free 7-day TestTrick trial today and see how balanced skill assessment helps you hire faster, smarter, and fairer.
FAQS
Which is more important, hard skills or soft skills?
Both are equally important. Hard skills show what a candidate can do, while soft skills reveal how they work with others.Recruiters should balance both to ensure strong performance and a positive workplace culture.
Why are soft skills becoming increasingly important in the workplace?
Soft skills determine how well employees collaborate, handle challenges, and adapt to change. Recruiters value soft skills because they contribute to leadership potential, long-term job success, and overall team productivity.
Can employees develop both hard and soft skills over time?
Yes. Both skill types can be developed through training, coaching, and continuous learning programs. Organizations that focus on constant learning build adaptable and high-performing teams.
How do recruiters evaluate hard skills versus soft skills during hiring?
Employers evaluate hard skills through role-relevant assessments, certifications, and work samples. Soft skills are assessed using behavioral interviews, situational judgment tests, and personality assessments.
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