Researchers for talent discovery platform TestGorilla also revealed that 85% of UK employers use skills-based hiring methods. Employers reported that skills-based hiring reduces hiring costs (57%) and improved retention (62%).
In order to identify candidates who are technically qualified but also have strong soft skills, HR and hiring managers can host group interview stages, explained Rufus Hood, general manager UK at recruitment firm Coople.
Speaking to HR magazine, he advised business leaders: “Invite a group of candidates into the office to participate in group tasks as part of the interview process. This way, candidates have the opportunity to showcase their interpersonal skills, and employers can get a better sense of which candidates would be a good fit for the team.
“Skills-based testing during interviews can give employers a good opportunity to check for soft skills, first-hand. Trialling workers in your organisation can help you get to know the candidate and get a sense of harder to detect soft skills which might not be apparent in a short interview.”
Read more: The skills mismatch problem
Candidates who do not possess strong soft skills are not necessarily incapable of learning them, added Josh Millet, founder of talent discovery firm Criteria Corp.
He told HR magazine: “The key is being able to objectively and accurately identify which candidates have the strongest aptitude for learning and applying soft skills that are crucial to job success.
“Using science-based talent assessments in hiring can provide HR leaders with an accurate measurement of a candidate’s current technical and soft skillsets. It can also provide quantifiable insight into personality traits like openness to learning, emotional intelligence and, ultimately, a candidate's aptitude for learning those soft skills relevant to the job. Some hiring teams are too focused on what a candidate can do today, but there are few professions that don’t require continuous adaptation and training to remain competent in your role.”
Research findings by TestGorilla also found that 61% of UK employers are using AI in hiring, with 97% of those reporting it has improved their hiring process.
Half of UK employers have also removed degree requirements from job adverts. This is a 28% increase from 2024.
Six in 10 (62%) employers said they are finding it harder than ever to source top talent, with three quarters (72%) of job seekers reporting that it is harder than ever to land a role.
Read more: UK ranks 22nd for global skills proficiency
Employers should define the expected behaviours in their organisation, explained David James, chief learning officer at learning platform 360Learning.
He told HR magazine: “This is half the work – and it can cost very little. The second part of this is to find out and define what successful people already do, and find ways to efficiently pass this on to those who need it. Skills are nothing without the context they need to be deployed in.
“The collaborative learning movement is about this. It recognises that connecting those who need to know with those who know, is the missing link."
To address the soft skills gap, employers must also look beyond CVs, Matt Young, director of recruitment firm Optime Group said.
Young told HR magazine: “Hiring managers need to look beyond the CV and introduce practical methods into their process such as scenario-based interviews, group assessments and AI-powered tools to assess behaviours like communication style, resilience and decision making. These techniques help identify candidates who are technically capable.
“Implementing skills-based hiring is not just about ticking boxes. It is about getting a deeper understanding of what makes someone succeed in a role.”
TestGorilla surveyed 1,076 job seekers and 1,084 employers involved in hiring decisions across the UK and US in April 2025. The research was conducted through independent third-party panels.
