Avoid costly mis-hires with an online soft skills assessment
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Saturday 07 February 2026
Soft skills are the personal qualities that influence how someone works, communicates, and collaborates with others. They include aspects such as communication style, problem-solving ability, approachability, and behavior in a team. Qualities like analytical thinking, persistence, and flexibility are also important soft skills that can make a real difference in job performance.
Many employers look carefully at soft skills when selecting or developing employees, because these qualities often determine how effectively someone works with colleagues, clients, and managers. The challenge is measuring these skills in a reliable and objective way. While hard skills can often be assessed with a knowledge or technical test, soft skills are usually measured with tools such as a personality assessment, an ability test, or a competency test. These methods help organizations gain structured insight into behavior, potential, and workplace performance.
Below are five practical steps you can follow to measure the soft skills of candidates or employees in a consistent and professional way.
1. Determine which soft skills are most valuable to your company
To start, ask your management team for input. Which soft skills are most needed? What soft skills do the most talented and successful (current) employees have? Don't just focus on the soft skills that are currently lacking, but also on skills that could be useful in the future.
2. Include the required soft skills in a job profile
Some soft skills are obvious for certain positions. For example, if someone has a lot of customer contact in the job, they must be able to communicate clearly and build rapport. Other soft skills are more difficult to identify, such as judgment, resilience, or the ability to adapt to changing priorities. Make sure everyone involved in the selection process agrees on which skills are essential for the position, especially when the role involves leadership responsibilities or decision-making, as in an assessment for managers. Limiting the list to a maximum of eight soft skills makes it easier to keep the selection focused and to compare candidates in a structured way.
In practice, many organizations define these skills in advance and translate them into measurable competencies so that candidates are assessed against the same criteria. A structured competency framework also helps interviewers and assessors interpret results consistently. Tools such as structured interviews, competency tests, and personality assessments can then be used to measure these skills more objectively. For example, a 4 color personality test can provide insight into communication style, collaboration, and behavioral preferences in the workplace. By clearly defining and measuring soft skills in this way, organizations improve both the reliability of selection decisions and the long-term fit between the candidate and the role.
3. Use a personality test and an ability test to measure the soft skills
After you have clarified which 8 soft skills are necessary for the position, you can measure them with a personality test and an ability test.
How to get started
Sample report
Download an example report of an online soft skills assessment here.
Components
Personality Test - 45 minutes
Cognitive Ability Test- 60 minutes
Order
An online soft skills assessment is ready for you within just 1 hour. We will of course help you interpret the results. You can order the tests here.
Video: the Bridge Assessment Platform
With an account on the Bridge Assessment Platform, you can invite candidates, administer online assessments, and order reports, 24 hours a day, anywhere in the world. The Bridge Assessment platform is used by companies, governments, psychologists, recruiters, and coaches in over 20 countries. The system is easy to use, so there is no need for extensive training. Also, you can start immediately; your account will be ready in just 1 day.
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What is a soft skills assessment?
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A soft skills assessment is an online assessment that measures behavior, communication style, teamwork, problem solving, adaptability, and other competencies that influence job performance. Companies use a soft skills assessment to predict how candidates will function in real work situations and to reduce the risk of costly hiring mistakes.
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Why do companies use a soft skills assessment in recruitment?
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Many hiring errors happen because candidates have the right experience but lack the behavioral competencies needed for the role. A structured soft skills assessment helps organizations make objective hiring decisions, compare candidates fairly, and improve long-term retention. TestGroup provides validated online assessments that help organizations make better hiring decisions based on data rather than intuition.
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How can a soft skills assessment prevent mis-hires?
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A soft skills assessment provides insight into communication, motivation, reliability, and learning ability before a hiring decision is made. When combined with cognitive testing and competency frameworks, employers gain a realistic picture of how a candidate will perform in the role. TestGroup assessments are designed to give clear, practical reports that hiring managers can use directly in selection decisions.
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Which assessments are commonly used to measure soft skills?
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Organizations often combine personality tests, competency tests, and cognitive ability tests. For example, The Bridge Personality measures behavior, preferences, and workplace competencies. The Bridge Ability Suite measures cognitive ability and learning speed. The Bridge Career provides insight into motivation, interests, and career direction. Many organizations use The Bridge Personality, The Bridge Ability Suite, and The Bridge Career together to gain a complete picture of a candid
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What is the advantage of using online assessments instead of interviews alone?
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Interviews are important, but they can be subjective and influenced by first impressions. Online assessments provide standardized and scientifically developed measurements that improve reliability. TestGroup designs online assessments that are easy to use, quick to complete, and suitable for organizations of all sizes.
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For which roles are soft skills assessments useful?
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Soft skills assessments are widely used for managers, commercial roles, technical specialists, and graduate recruitment. An assessment for managers, for example, often focuses on leadership, decision making, and communication, while other roles may emphasize collaboration, accuracy, or customer orientation. The Bridge Personality, The Bridge Ability Suite, and The Bridge Career can be configured for different job levels and functions.
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How long does a soft skills assessment usually take?
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Most modern online assessments are designed to be efficient. A personality assessment or competency test typically takes between 20 and 35 minutes, while cognitive tests may take slightly longer depending on the level. TestGroup assessments are designed to deliver reliable results within a practical time frame so candidates remain engaged.
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What makes TestGroup assessments reliable?
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TestGroup develops assessments in cooperation with universities and applies scientific validation methods. The Bridge Personality, The Bridge Ability Suite, and The Bridge Career are used by companies, governments, and organizations internationally. Because TestGroup focuses on validity, usability, and clear reporting, decision makers receive results they can trust and apply immediately.
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Can soft skills be developed after hiring?
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Yes. One of the benefits of measuring soft skills is that the results can also be used for development. Organizations use reports from The Bridge Personality, The Bridge Ability Suite, and The Bridge Career to support coaching, training, and career planning. TestGroup assessments are therefore used not only for recruitment, but also for talent development and performance improvement.
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How do you start using a soft skills assessment in your organization?
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Most organizations begin by defining the key competencies for a role and then selecting assessments that measure those competencies reliably. TestGroup supports organizations in setting up assessment workflows, defining competency profiles, and interpreting results, making it easy to integrate online assessments into existing recruitment and development processes.
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