Hard skills are among the most challenging to assess accurately during the hiring process. But why? On the surface, it sounds counterintuitive, but hard skills can be more objectively measured than their soft skills counterparts.
The reality is that while a resume can offer some critical insight into a candidate’s past, it doesn’t necessarily say anything about how well they performed in a role. To understand that, hiring managers need to test for hard skills to assess potential candidates more accurately and fairly.
TL;DR — Key Takeaways
Hard skills are measurable competencies that people need to perform their job.
Examples of hard skills vary across fields, but they include technical skills like Python, Java, cloud computing, data analysis, or any other skill required for a specific role.
Soft skills are subjective attributes, which makes them harder to quantify and assess than hard skills. They include things like communication, empathy, and problem-solving.
Testing hard and soft skills requires different methods. Soft skills are typically assessed through interviews, and behavioral assessments, while methods for evaluating hard skills typically involve skills assessment tests specific to the competency, like coding or cognitive ability tests.
- With our professionally crafted test library, Toggl Hire can help hiring managers evaluate both hard and soft skills in job candidates. Select from a library of role-specific skills assessment tests crafted by experts, or create your own to screen candidates faster and better.
What are hard skills?
Hard skills are the tangible, measurable attributes people need to do their jobs. They are competencies that can be quantified or measured against a particular benchmark or standard and, therefore, be used to compare against other people.
Typically learned through education, training, or on-the-job experience, you can also think of them as the functional pieces of knowledge potential candidates need to work in a particular field.
We’ll look at some examples in more detail below. However, common practical skills include proficiency in a foreign language, the ability to use software tools (such as Microsoft Word), professional qualifications (such as a degree) in a certain field, or technical skills (advanced computation).
Examples of hard skills
Here’s a list of 30 common hard skills you may come across for popular job roles. Note that these are just the tip of the iceberg; you’ll encounter many different requirements depending on the roles you’re recruiting for.
| Department | Examples of hard skills |
|---|---|
| Finance | Accounting, administration, P&L management, auditing, book-keeping, budgeting, Microsoft Excel & Google Drive |
| Marketing | SEO, Facebook ads, email marketing, copywriting, proofreading, social media management, ad optimization, A/B testing, growth loops |
| Software development | Database management, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, C#, C++, PHP, Flutter, debugging, GitHub |
| Customer support | Word processing, Microsoft Outlook, IT proficiency, foreign languages, reporting, CRM management, typing speed |
| Graphic designer | UI design, UX design, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Final Cut, illustration, Canva |
| Product management | Technical writing, prototyping, A/B testing, data extraction and analysis, agile methodology knowledge, product roadmap development |
| Human resources | Employee retention, recruitment, regulations, employee benefits, payroll, HR tool management |
| Project management | Waterfall, agile, scrum, Jira, cost management, task management |
Hard skills vs. soft skills
Soft skills refer to an individual’s interpersonal characteristics, such as how they think, communicate, and work in a team. Often referred to as ‘people skills,’ they are the qualities that individuals need to work, lead, and interact with others.
By their nature, soft skills are far more subjective and, as such, are harder to quantify and assess. But, one thing that everyone agrees on is that candidates need a great blend of hard and soft skills to be their most effective.
| Department | Examples of soft skills |
|---|---|
| Finance | Communication, negotiation, critical thinking, flexibility, resilience, teamwork, problem-solving, attention to detail, planning & organizational abilities |
| Marketing | Analytical thinking, multitasking, lifelong learning, creativity, communication, goal setting, adaptability |
| Software development | Communication, patience, open-mindedness, problem-solving, critical thinking, rime management, teamwork, empathy, self-awareness |
| Customer support | Empathy, relationship management, training, persuasion, problem-solving, critical thinking, decision-making, time management |
| Graphic designer | Creativity, communication, problem-solving, time management, empathy, active listening, presentation, giving and receiving feedback, flexibility, teamwork |
| Product management | Communication, leadership, motivation, conflict management, adaptability, resourcefulness, teamwork, persuasion, analytical thinking, prioritization |
| Human resources | Communication, problem-solving, time management, leadership, empathy, work ethic, teamwork, collaboration |
| Project management | Leadership, motivation, communication, conflict management, decision-making, organization, time management, prioritization |
How to assess hard skills in job candidates
Often, the centerpiece of your hiring process evolves around the interview or a series of interviews. However, while interviews are the best method for evaluating your candidates’ soft skills, they won’t go as far as you need when assessing hard skills.
For example, a conversation with the candidate can reveal valuable insight into their communication and verbal reasoning skills, negotiation capabilities, and the candidate’s personality. But it isn’t ideal for figuring out how well they can code or manage an SQL database.
To assess a candidate’s hard skills, you need tests. Assessments are the best way to identify candidates’ hard skills and reveal a lot about their soft skills (bonus!).
Types of assessments for testing hard skills:
Cognitive ability tests — This is one of your most powerful tools for understanding a candidate’s job performance. Cognitive ability tests assess how the candidate will perform in unexpected scenarios while mimicking the duties related to their position.
Technical coding tests — Coding tests are an effective way to measure a candidate’s coding proficiency. These programming tests can assess their familiarity with programming languages and their ability to utilize them in practical projects.
Computer skills assessment tests — Computer literacy tests evaluate a candidate’s technical abilities. These tests are often computer-based and keep up with advancing technology. Software simulations can evaluate a candidate’s familiarity with programs like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Basic math or writing assessments — Assess the candidate’s knowledge of basic math and writing concepts, style, fluency, and grammar. This will help you evaluate their ability to handle these tasks.
Situational judgment tests measure a candidate’s critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills by simulating work-related scenarios. They are also useful for assessing a candidate’s capacity to work under pressure.
Top three ways to assess candidates for hard skills
Here are three key ways to assess your candidates for the competencies they need during the hiring process.
1. Look out for qualifications
During the early stages of your hiring process, look out for candidates who have achieved recognized qualifications, licenses, or certifications for a particular skill or knowledge area.
External qualifications are a great way to prove that a candidate has reached a certain level of competency in a particular hard skill. Most qualifications require the individual to pass an exam to demonstrate their knowledge in a pressure situation.
Whether it’s a degree, professional qualification, or a record of CPD, remember that in most circumstances, you can also contact the awarding body to verify the individual’s competence.
Of course, qualifications usually need to be balanced off with practical experience, but they are a great way to quickly identify a certified hard skill level.
2. Run an assessment center
A great way to test for hard skills is to run an assessment center for particular roles. While many people only associate these with graduates, assessment centers can be used for candidates at all levels, including senior executives.
Assessment centers are great places to test all sorts of abilities, as you can utilize various tasks, including aptitude tests. Try including some of these tasks within your assessment center:
Create a custom assessment for your candidates, assessing their knowledge of a particular topic.
Challenge candidates to complete a job simulation such as an in-tray exercise or staged customer calls.
Finish by running a case study and presentation task for your candidates. This will have the supplementary benefit of assessing time management and communication skills alongside any other attributes you want the candidate to showcase.
Top tip:
Since the pandemic, video conferencing has finally become mainstream. You can now run virtual assessment centers, removing the need to host candidates at your office and making the whole process cheaper and easier for you and your candidates.
3. Skills testing
You can also use testing to assess candidates’ competencies and knowledge.
Skills tests are a great way to test a candidate’s abilities beyond simply listing them on a resume. Not only are they great for you as hiring managers, but they also offer candidates the chance to stand out from the crowd and showcase how good they are in a fun and interactive way!
They also help remove any bias in your recruiting, ensuring that you’re progressing with the best candidates based on their knowledge alone.
Assess hard skills with Toggl Hire
Like the sound of that? Here’s how Toggl Hire can help you with hard skills testing.
Step 1: Create skills tests in a few clicks
Setting up a skills test in Toggl Hire is super easy. In fact, it requires just a few clicks! Our role-specific templates cover hiring across every department of your business, including technical, marketing, sales & support, leadership, and more!
Our library of over 15,000 questions ensures every test is unique, eliminating the chance of cheating. Best of all, those questions are quality-checked by our team of community experts to ensure they accurately evaluate the exact hard skills needed to perform the job role!
Step 2: Customize your skills assessments
While we do most of the legwork for you, we appreciate every role (and every organization) is unique. That’s why you can add as many bespoke questions to your skills tests as you need to cover every one of your must-have hard skills.
Simply jump in and add customized questions in the right format for you. That could be free text, single-choice, multiple-choice, picture-choice, numeric, or code input.
Step 3: Get the results
As your candidates complete their tests, evaluations of their hard skills start rolling into your dashboard!
Here, you can easily see your candidates ranked on their performance, with the ability to quickly search or filter on particular score percentages or customizable tags. This is a great way to identify which candidates have the hard skills to perform well in the role.
Top tip:
If you expect a high volume of candidates, you can even set a ‘percentage to pass’ threshold, automatically rejecting candidates who don’t hit the mark. This helps you put testing on autopilot with customized rejection emails tailored to you and your organization.
From there, you can invite the best candidates to interview (now that you know they have the competencies you need). It’s a simple three-step process from start to finish!
Start testing hard skills with Toggl Hire
Hard skills are the measurable competencies people learn through education or in the workplace. And with the right tests, it’s easy to assess how skilled they really are.
Whether through an assessment center, external qualification, or testing, there are many ways to certify a candidate’s hard skills against the standard you need!
And, when it comes to testing, whether it’s a foreign language, accounting, or proficiency in Microsoft Word, it’s just two easy clicks to get started with a free Toggl Hire account.
James Elliott is a Project Management Writer from London. James writes on a variety of business and project management topics, with a focus on content that enables readers to take action and improve their ways of working. You can check out James’ work on his website or by connecting on LinkedIn.
