Interpersonal skills refer to how a candidate communicates and interacts with their team members. A candidate who lacks interpersonal skills can create a negative work environment and affect the business’s overall productivity.

During the interviews, it’s crucial to ask interview questions to assess/test a candidate’s interpersonal skills and get an idea of how a candidate establishes a relationship with co-workers. No interview should be conducted without assessing the candidate’s interpersonal skills. If you do so, you will end up hiring an unqualified candidate.

Most recruiters overlook the importance of interpersonal questions and focus on the candidate's technical aspects. Even though a candidate is good at technical skills but lacks interpersonal skills, then he or she is not the right fit for any organization.

Every organization faces some business challenges and issues at some point in time. Therefore, you need someone who can solve the issues, resolve conflicts, and identify creative solutions.

By asking interview questions to assess/test interpersonal skills, you will get a deep insight into the candidate’s soft skills such as:

• Decision-making skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Time-management skills
• Leadership skills
• Communication skills

Interpersonal skills are not technical skills that you can measure by conducting coding assessments. Instead, these are soft skills that reveal the positive qualities and attitude of a candidate.

That said, let’s get down to the most significant interview questions to assess/test the interpersonal skills of a candidate.

Describe A Conflict You Were Involved In Your Previous Organization.

Ask a candidate how they managed to resolve a conflict in their previous organization. During the interviews, try to gather as much information as possible about the candidate’s performance in their previous organization.

You can expect a candidate to highlight where the disagreement came from, what the issue was, and how they resolved it. This question will reveal the professionalism and communication skills of the candidate.

As A Team Leader Or Manager, How Will Your Team Describe You?

This question is crucial when you’re hiring for a senior-level position. It will help you assess the leadership and communication skills of a candidate.

This question focuses on concrete examples of how a candidate has helped their team with creative solutions and motivates them to excel in their job role. You can expect a candidate to share their story about how they encourage their team to speak when a project needs clarification or personally if they need any help.

Have You Ever Helped Your Colleague To Resolve An Issue? If Yes, How?

Conflict resolution is an essential interpersonal skill that you must consider. You can ask this question to assess conflict-management skills and how they help others to solve issues efficiently.

You can expect a candidate to describe a situation where they solved issues in collaboration with other team members with diverse skill sets.

How Do You Establish Relationships With Your Colleagues?

If a candidate can’t interact appropriately with co-workers, they are not the right fit for your work culture. It is one of the most important interview questions to assess/test interpersonal skills. It will help you get a deep insight into whether a candidate participates in projects, joins employee clubs, or invites team members for lunch.

How Do You Motivate Your Team Members?

How a candidate motivates their team members says a lot about the candidate’s communication skills and delegation. Ask about what strategies they use to motivate team members. Do they give regular feedback? Do they provide enough resources to them?

How a candidate answers this question will give you a clear picture of them motivating employees and boosting their overall productivity if selected in your organization.

How Do You Ensure To Deliver Exceptional Customer Service?

If you’re hiring for a sales position or a position involving client interactions, you must look for a candidate who can deliver excellent customer service quickly and accurately. You can expect a candidate to describe their strategies to address and fix issues and provide alternative solutions to avoid problems reoccurring.

While asking interview questions to assess/test interpersonal skills, you must look for the below skills in a candidate:

Communication Skills

Communication skills are essential interpersonal skills to look for in a candidate to boost productivity and create a positive work environment. How a candidate communicates with their team members and establishes a relationship with clients can help any business stand out from the competitors.

Leadership Skills

A great leader knows how to motivate team members and which strategy will work best for the business. Leadership skills are crucial to consider as businesses face challenges at some point in time, and a great leader should be able to address and solve the issues.

Problem-Solving Skills

Problem-solving skills refer to managing difficult situations and identifying creative and cost-effective ways to solve them. Problem-solving skills involve three skills: communication, decision-making, and research skills.

Strong Work Ethic

A strong work ethic is another interpersonal skill to look for in a candidate. You want someone who can deliver the project on time without any delays. A candidate with a strong work ethic can complete the tasks and manage the work effectively.

Self-Management Skills

Candidates who can manage themselves can effectively manage the work at the workplace and ensure the project is delivered within the deadline. Self-management skills constitute time-management skills, organization skills, and self-motivation.

Adaptability

A candidate who can adapt to new situations at the workplace can help any business reach its height. Having great adaptability skills and a willingness to learn new skills will help you determine the right fit for your organization.

With the questions mentioned above, you can assess a candidate’s interpersonal skills, such as communication skills, time-management skills, problem-solving skills, and many more. No matter what role you’re hiring for, it’s essential to ask interview questions to assess/test the interpersonal skills of a candidate. It helps enhance the business’s productivity and create a positive work environment.