Majority of employers now value soft skills more than hard skills

Soft skills are no longer just “nice-to-have.” According to a recent report from TestGorilla, published by HR Dive, 60% of companies say that having soft skills is now more imperative than it was five years ago. The change is clear—while technical skills are crucial, especially in today’s world, employers are increasingly giving more priority to personal attributes, such as critical thinking, adaptability, and collaboration, when making hiring choices.

Wouter Durville, CEO and co-founder of TestGorilla, underscores this new mentality. According to him, employers today want people who are able to think critically, can adapt to any situation, especially during emergencies, and know how to collaborate. The best hiring approaches now combine unbiased facts with an all-inclusive assessment of the candidate, their abilities, competencies, values, and cultural orientation.

The full-picture approach to hiring

At present, hiring managers appraise job seekers not just through what’s written on their CVs and their actual technical expertise. Over 70% believe evaluating the “whole candidate,” which includes the candidate’s personality and cultural fit, leads to better hires. Seventy-eight percent of employers admitted that, in many cases in the past, they hired technically proficient candidates but later floundered due to a lack of soft skills or cultural misalignment.

Thus, there has been a conspicuous shift toward skills-based hiring, with 85% of U.S. and U.K. business owners now employing such methods. Over half of global corporations have even abolished degree requirements for specific roles. This larger assessment of talent mirrors a more profound understanding of what propels continuing employee achievement and engagement.

AI is changing the game—but not the essentials

Currently, artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasing role in hiring, with 70% of U.S. business owners employing AI tools in the recruitment process. Of those, an outstanding 92% say AI has improved their hiring results, yet even as AI becomes more ubiquitous, employers are still confronted with several challenges—63% say that it’s now harder than last year to find top-quality talent.

Remarkably, the call for AI-specific skills is diminishing, falling from 52% in the previous year to 38% in 2025. Instead, the importance of people skills has risen. According to LinkedIn, the most sought-after abilities are conflict management, public speaking, adaptability, and stakeholder engagement. Employees possessing these soft skills are more likely to advance in their careers faster and excel more in leadership roles.

With the evolution of AI tools, clarity and openness about their use will become indispensable for both job seekers and business owners, but one thing remains constant: while computerization can aid in sorting and sifting through candidates, human qualities are what truly set top talent apart.