And How to Prove Them on Your CV and in Interviews

Technical skills will always matter in hiring, especially in sectors like engineering, software development, and life sciences. But the hiring market has shifted. Many candidates can demonstrate the required hard skills. What often separates one hire from another is how well they communicate, adapt, work with others, and solve problems under pressure.

This is why soft skills are becoming one of the biggest deciding factors in recruitment. They are no longer “nice to have”. They are essential.

In this blog, we break down the most in-demand soft skills employers look for right now, why they matter, and how to show them clearly on your CV and in interviews. If you are job hunting this year, improving how you communicate your soft skills can significantly increase your chances of securing interviews and offers.

If you are looking for your next role or hire get in touch with the experts at Platform Recruitment and explore our live roles.

What Are Soft Skills and Why Are They So Important in Hiring

Soft skills are the behaviours and personal attributes that influence how you work. They include communication, teamwork, adaptability, leadership, time management, and emotional intelligence.

Unlike technical skills, soft skills:

• apply across all industries
• influence performance in almost every role
• are often harder to train quickly
• impact culture and team success
   

Employers care about soft skills because hiring the wrong behaviours is costly. A candidate with strong technical ability but poor communication or low adaptability can cause delays, misunderstandings, and team friction.

That is why interview processes now focus heavily on how people think, interact, and handle challenges.

The Most In Demand Soft Skills in Hiring Right Now

Below are the soft skills that consistently appear in job descriptions and hiring discussions across tech, engineering, manufacturing, and related sectors.

1. Communication Skills

Communication is the number one soft skill employers want. Strong communication reduces errors, improves collaboration, and helps teams move faster.

In technical roles, communication includes:

• explaining complex ideas clearly
• giving updates to stakeholders
• writing documentation
• asking the right questions
• listening and responding thoughtfully
   

How to show communication on your CV

Use bullet points that involve:

• presenting results
• cross-team collaboration
• documentation
• stakeholder engagement
   

Example CV line:
“Presented weekly project updates to engineering and commercial stakeholders, improving alignment and reducing rework.”

How to show communication in interviews

Use structured answers such as:

• Situation
• Task
• Action
• Result
   

Also, practice explaining a technical project in simple terms. Many interviewers test communication by asking “Explain this to someone non-technical.”

2. Problem Solving and Critical Thinking

Employers want people who can solve problems, not just follow instructions. This is especially true in engineering and software where issues are often unpredictable.

Problem solving includes:

• identifying root causes
• evaluating options
• using data to make decisions
• testing and iterating
• learning from mistakes
   

How to show problem solving on your CV

Replace task statements with impact statements.

Example:
“Diagnosed recurring system faults by analysing failure data, reducing downtime by 18% through design improvements.”

How to show problem solving in interviews

Be ready for questions like:

• “Tell me about a time something went wrong.”
• “How do you approach a complex problem.”
• “What is your process when debugging.”

The strongest answers show your thinking process, not just the final result.

3. Adaptability and Learning Agility

Companies want candidates who can handle change. Tools evolve, teams restructure, and priorities shift. Employers hire people who stay calm, flexible, and solutions focused.

Adaptability includes:

• learning new tools quickly
• adjusting to new processes
• working through uncertainty
• staying productive during change
   

How to show adaptability on your CV

Highlight times you:

• learned new systems
• supported change initiatives
• moved into a new area or project

Example:
“Upskilled in Python and automation tools to improve reporting workflows, cutting manual work by 40%.”

How to show adaptability in interviews

Use examples of:

• new technology adoption
• working under changing requirements
• transitioning between teams
   

Employers love evidence of continuous learning. Mention courses, certifications, or self learning relevant to the role.

 

4. Teamwork and Collaboration

Most roles depend on collaboration. Even highly technical roles require cross functional communication and alignment.

Teamwork includes:

• sharing ideas and knowledge
• supporting others
• handling disagreements professionally
• contributing to team goals
• giving and receiving feedback

How to show teamwork on your CV

Include contributions beyond your own tasks.

Example:
“Collaborated with mechanical and electronics teams to deliver a prototype build on schedule, contributing to design reviews and test planning.”

How to show teamwork in interviews

Expect questions like:

• “Tell me about a time you worked in a team.”
• “How do you handle conflict.”
• “How do you support colleagues.”
   

Avoid saying “I worked on a team” and leaving it there. Show what you did that improved outcomes.

 

5. Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is your ability to understand and manage emotions, both your own and others’. Employers value this because it affects teamwork, leadership potential, and resilience.

Emotional intelligence includes:

• self awareness
• empathy
• professional communication under stress
• strong interpersonal judgement
   

How to show emotional intelligence on your CV

It can be subtle. Look for examples involving:

• mentoring
• customer support
• training
• resolving issues
   

Example:
“Supported onboarding for new starters, providing guidance and training to improve confidence and performance in the first month.”
 

How to show emotional intelligence in interviews

Use examples where you:

• handled a difficult conversation
• gave feedback
• supported someone under pressure
• responded calmly to conflict

 

6. Ownership and Accountability

This is one of the most valued traits in high performing candidates. Employers want people who take responsibility, follow through, and care about outcomes.

Ownership includes:

• being proactive
• meeting deadlines
• flagging risks early
• owning mistakes and learning quickly
• delivering reliable results
   

How to show ownership on your CV

Use action-focused language.

Example:
“Owned the end to end delivery of a firmware update, coordinating testing, documentation, and release across the team.”

How to show ownership in interviews

Employers ask:

• “Tell me about a time you made a mistake.”
• “Tell me about a time you took initiative.”
   

The best candidates show self awareness and how they improved.

 

7. Time Management and Prioritisation

Hiring managers want people who can manage workload effectively. Especially in fast moving technical teams where tasks change frequently.

Time management includes:

• prioritising correctly
• meeting deadlines
• managing competing requests
• staying organised
   

How to show time management on your CV

Include examples involving delivery and deadlines.

Example:
“Managed multiple testing priorities during product launch, ensuring all validation milestones were met within schedule.”

How to show time management in interviews

Share how you plan work:

• using Agile boards
• daily planning
• risk tracking
• stakeholder check-ins
   

Employers are looking for structured thinking.

How to Make Soft Skills Stand Out in Your CV

Soft skills should never be listed as vague claims such as:

• good communicator
• team player
• hard worker
   

Instead, soft skills must be proven through evidence.

Use this formula:

Action + soft skill behaviour + outcome

Examples:

• “Led cross-team workshops to resolve design constraints, improving stakeholder alignment and reducing delivery delays.”
• “Mentored junior engineers on testing best practice, improving quality and reducing repeat faults.”
   

Also, weave soft skills into:

• your professional summary
• bullet points under each job
• project descriptions
   

This creates stronger credibility.

How to Prove Soft Skills in Interviews

Interviewers do not want opinions. They want examples.

You can prepare by:

1. Listing 6 to 8 strong career examples
2. Mapping them to key soft skills
3. Practicing answers using the STAR structure
4. Quantifying results wherever possible
    

You should also prepare to show soft skills through the interview itself:

• responding clearly
• asking thoughtful questions
• being respectful and confident
• demonstrating curiosity
   

Soft skills are not only what you say. They are what you show.

Soft Skills Are the New Competitive Advantage

The market is competitive. Many candidates have similar technical skills. Soft skills are increasingly what employers use to differentiate between candidates and select the best long term hire.

When you can clearly demonstrate communication, adaptability, ownership, teamwork, and emotional intelligence, you position yourself as a candidate who will deliver results and integrate well into a team.

At Platform Recruitment, we support candidates across engineering, software, hardware, data, DevOps, QA, manufacturing, and life sciences. We help professionals strengthen CVs, prepare for interviews, and present their skills in the most compelling way possible. If you are searching for your next role this year, our team is here to support you with expert guidance and access to live opportunities.

If you are looking for your next role or hire get in touch with the experts at Platform Recruitment and explore our live roles.