If you ask most managers which qualities they look for in a new hire, you’ll hear the usual suspects: experience, education, technical proficiency, maybe a certification or two. Those things matter, of course, but they’re no longer the differentiators they once were. In a workplace defined by rapid change, cross‑functional collaboration, and constant communication, one skill quietly determines whether an employee becomes a high‑impact contributor or just another name on the org chart.
That skill is persuasion.
Persuasion isn’t about manipulation or slick sales tactics. It’s the ability to influence outcomes, build alignment, and move people toward a shared goal. From a manager’s perspective, employees who can do that are invaluable.
Why Persuasion Matters More Than Ever
Here’s why persuasion is such a highly valuable skill in the workplace.
1. Work today is collaborative, not siloed
Even highly technical roles require people to communicate across teams, justify decisions, and advocate for resources. An employee who can articulate ideas clearly and bring others along will accelerate projects instead of getting stuck in endless back‑and‑forth.
A team member who can influence peers, resolve disagreements, and build consensus saves time. Instead of stepping in to mediate every conflict or clarify every decision, leaders can trust persuasive employees to navigate challenges independently.
3. Innovation depends on influence
Great ideas don’t matter if no one supports them. Persuasive employees know how to pitch concepts, frame benefits, and address concerns. They help organizations adopt new tools, processes, and strategies more smoothly.
4. Persuasion strengthens customer and stakeholder relationships
Whether someone works in engineering, operations, or HR, they’re representing the company. Employees who communicate with clarity and confidence build trust—internally and externally.
What Persuasion Looks Like in Practice
Persuasion shows up in subtle, everyday ways:
A project manager who reframes a tight deadline so the team feels motivated instead of overwhelmed
A junior analyst who presents data in a way that compels leadership to take action
A customer support rep who de‑escalates tension and guides a frustrated client toward a solution
A developer who convinces stakeholders to prioritize long‑term stability over short‑term shortcuts
These aren’t “nice‑to‑have” moments. They’re the difference between teams that struggle and teams that thrive.
Why Managers Should Hire for Skills
Traditional hiring often overemphasizes degrees and years of experience. But persuasion is a behavioral skill, not a line on a résumé. Someone with a prestigious education may still struggle to communicate effectively, while a candidate with an unconventional background might excel at influencing others.
Identify high‑potential talent: Persuasion is a strong predictor of leadership capability. Employees who can influence without authority often grow into roles where they lead with authority.
Build more adaptable teams: Skills like persuasion transfer across roles and industries. When the business evolves, employees with strong influence skills can pivot more easily.
Increase diversity of thought: Focusing solely on credentials narrows the talent pool. Hiring for skills opens the door to candidates with different experiences, perspectives, and problem‑solving approaches.
Improve team performance: A team full of persuasive communicators collaborates more effectively, resolves issues faster, and drives better outcomes.
How Managers Can Spot Persuasive Talent
During interviews or performance evaluations, look for:
Storytelling ability: Can the person explain complex ideas simply and compellingly?
Empathy: Do they understand others’ motivations and concerns?
Evidence‑based reasoning: Can they support their ideas with logic or data?
Adaptability: Do they adjust their communication style based on the audience?
Confidence without arrogance: Do they advocate for ideas while staying open to feedback?
These traits reveal far more about future performance than education or a job title ever will. Persuasion is one of the most powerful and overlooked skills an employee can bring to a team. It fuels collaboration, drives innovation, and reduces the burden on managers. As organizations continue to evolve, leaders who hire for influence, communication, and problem‑solving, rather than just credentials, will build stronger, more resilient teams.
If you’re a manager looking to elevate your hiring strategy, start by asking not just what a candidate knows, but how effectively they can bring others along for the journey. That’s where the real competitive advantage lies.
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Next up in our series of posts on skills-based hiring, we’re tackling the topic of collaboration. In all industries, collaboration is a vital part of daily work. Let’s explore how to identify candidates who can work well with a team.
What Are Collaboration Skills?
Collaboration refers to the ability of multiple people to work together on a project or task in service of a common goal. In the workplace, a good collaborator employs a variety of other soft skills to engage with others on a project, which we’ll discuss in further detail below.
Why Look for Collaboration Skills When Hiring?
People who work for a company with multiple employees will need to cooperate with others every day. Interactions among employees may range from in-person meetings, video calls, task requests and follow-ups, working close together, brainstorming ideas, and requesting feedback. Their job responsibilities may be public-facing, interacting with current or potential clients or customers, running public events, or resolving customer service concerns.
In each of those scenarios and many more, representing the company well requires collaboration skills. Moving towards shared goals, future growth, and innovative ideas demands company leaders and employees who can collaborate. Each person brings their individual talents and skills to a task, and the result is greater than what each person could do alone.
Common Collaboration Skills
Good collaboration results from the development of several other soft skills, including:
Empathy
Empathy is the ability to understand another person’s experiences based on their frame of reference rather than your own. Showing empathy in the workplace means a person will consider a colleague’s life outside of work, their upbringing, their education, or prior job experiences to understand how they approach work tasks and communication. It can help people remain calm in tense situations and appreciate someone’s contributions in a new way.
Open-mindedness
Open-mindedness is the ability to approach others’ ideas with genuine interest and curiosity. It allows people to escape rigid thinking and the certainty that their ideas are the only path forward. This collaborative skill allows all members of a team to offer input. It eschews following the most dominant participant and values all possible ideas.
Adaptability
The workplace is an ever-evolving entity, responding to economic, technological, and other external forces. An adaptable person can accept change as a necessity and adapt their work to the new paradigm. Adaptability promotes a flexible attitude to new responsibilities or tasks in response to changing personnel or project scope without causing problems for management or HR.
Problem solving
Problem-solving skills are demonstrated by innovative thinking, creativity, and brainstorming ideas to devise solutions to problems. As projects move forward, problems arise, requiring quick thinking and a positive attitude toward developing resolutions.
Active listening
Active listening is the ability to focus completely on a speaker to understand what they’re saying. It’s achieved by using attentive body language, avoiding distractions, interrupting, and observing the speaker’s body language to understand intent. Active listeners repeat phrases back for clarity, ask open-ended questions, and demonstrate interest in the speaker. Someone may describe a good active listener as “good at communicating” because it fosters trust, limits misunderstandings, and allows for conflict resolutions before they escalate.
Tips to Identify Collaboration Skills in Job Candidates
When using a skills-based hiring approach, you can use the interview process to observe the candidate’s collaborative skills.
1. Ask questions about prior work experience with others. For example:
“Describe a time when you worked successfully with a team.”
“How do you handle conflict when working with a team?”
“Can you describe a time you collaborated with someone outside your department?”
2. Listen for collaborative language in the candidate’s answers:
How often do they use “I” or “we” when discussing past work?
When describing conflict resolution, listen for a balance of standing behind their idea and compromising with others.
Listen for the type of team they worked with previously (flat vs. hierarchy) to determine if their experience/preference will fit with your organization.
Assess the importance of their position in seeing the project to completion: did they have a leadership or supporting role?
Supporting Skill Development in the Workplace
Some promising candidates may show strength in other areas, which invites opportunities for further skill development once they’re hired. Workplace training for the soft skills that contribute to a collaborative environment can benefit new and existing employees. Investing in creative and innovative skill development boosts positive company culture and increases retention rates.
In our latest post on skills-based hiring, we’re diving deeper into negotiation skills and why they’re invaluable in the workplace. While certain roles are particularly well-suited to this skill set, the ability to think creatively and resolve conflicts can benefit anyone in nearly any line of work. Let’s explore this essential skillset and how to identify it when hiring.
What Are Negotiation Skills?
Negotiation skills are the abilities used to reach a resolution or agreement through a discussion. They are especially useful when differing needs or perspectives arise. The ability to listen and communicate effectively while identifying and proposing mutually beneficial solutions brings significant value to the workplace.
Why Look for Negotiation Skills When Hiring?
Negotiation involves a process of give-and-take, resulting in a compromise where both sides are willing to make concessions. Knowing how to navigate this process effectively can significantly enhance an individual’s performance in their role.
As mentioned, certain roles are particularly suited to negotiation skills. Examples include positions that involve direct interaction with customers, clients, or other stakeholders. Teachers, salespeople, healthcare workers, attorneys, marketing specialists, customer service representatives, and executives can all benefit from strong negotiation abilities.
Skilled negotiators often excel at building partnerships, fostering relationships, and closing deals. Even for those not directly involved with customers or clients, negotiation skills can enhance collaboration and conflict resolution within the workplace. These abilities also play a key role in team dynamics and the leadership styles of managers.
Common Negotiation Skills
Some of the most common skills to look for that demonstrate a solid understanding of how to negotiate include:
Communication: Successful negotiation requires active and effective communication on both sides. This goes beyond writing or speaking skills—it includes picking up on non-verbal cues, such as body language and movements, during discussions.
Solving problems: Negotiations often involve challenges, so the ability to think creatively and solve problems on the fly is crucial.
Flexibility: A flexible approach is essential for resolving issues. Adaptability allows individuals to adjust their strategies mid-conversation to reach a compromise.
Empathy: Empathy, a key component of emotional intelligence, is vital for effective negotiation. It helps individuals remain calm in potentially stressful situations and better understand the other party’s perspective.
Tips to Identify Negotiation Skills in Job Candidates
When taking a skills-based approach to hiring, you may look for negotiation skills in your efforts. Here are a few tips that can help you assess these skills during the recruitment process.
Review past achievements: Ask candidates to share examples of previous experiences that demonstrate their negotiation abilities.
Include behavioral interview questions: Use questions that prompt candidates to describe past behaviors showcasing their negotiation skills.
Incorporate role-playing scenarios: During interviews, consider using role-playing exercises to evaluate how candidates handle negotiation situations.
Be mindful of red flags, such as poor verbal or non-verbal communication and an unwillingness to compromise. These may indicate weaker negotiation skills.
Supporting Skill Development in the Workplace
It’s always worthwhile to support your existing employees with development programs that help them build and refine their skills. Whether it’s a new hire or a seasoned staffer, offering the opportunity for growth benefits the entire organization. Investing in skill development fosters a stronger, more capable workforce while boosting engagement and loyalty rates.
How ApplicantStack Can Help
With ApplicantStack, hiring becomes easier and more efficient. You can utilize tools that allow you to screen through resumes faster, rely on knock-out questions to identify qualified candidates, and hire the right person the first time. Explore how this applicant-tracking system can further support your efforts to incorporate skills-based hiring into your recruitment process.
In our series on skills-based hiring, we’ve also covered the following topics:
In today’s fast-paced environment, traditional hiring practices may not yield the desired results. Job titles and degrees no longer provide a full picture of a candidate’s potential as a member of the team. This is where skills-based hiring comes in—it’s a smarter and more inclusive approach that focuses on what applicants can do rather than where they have been.
In our latest blog series, we’ll focus on specific skills that employers may be looking for when hiring new employees. We will dig into how organizations are shifting their focus from items on a resumé to real-world skills that translate in the workplace. Plus, you can gain the insights and tools needed to navigate this new world of recruiting. Next up in the series is strategic thinking, a skill that can be valuable across various industries and position levels. Learn more about strategic thinking skills and their value in the workplace.
Strategic Thinking Skills: An Overview
Strategic thinking involves assessing situations and coming up with creative solutions. These situations can be complex or stressful, but a person with this critical skill can often look ahead and anticipate problems that may arise. Using their forward-thinking capabilities, they can identify potential solutions for these challenges, ensuring that projects and plans don’t get sidetracked due to unexpected shifts or results.
What to Look for in Candidates
When you’re looking to hire someone with strategic thinking skills, here are some qualities to identify:
Solving problems: The ability to solve problems as they come up is highly valuable in any workplace. Challenges will arise, and having people on the team who can come up with creative ways to resolve them without getting stressed or frustrated can help your business operations continue to move forward.
Creativity: Coming up with solutions that fall a little outside the box is another quality of someone with strategic thinking skills. When interviewing, ask about previous responsibilities that included creative thinking. You could also include creative duties in job descriptions to attract candidates with this skillset.
Planning: In order to think strategically, you have to be able to see the big picture. The ability to create and implement successful plans is a skill that is highly valuable in the workplace, as it promotes taking action on solutions.
Strategic thinking is a game-changer when it comes to looking at the big picture. Bringing individuals with this skill onto your team can set the organization up for success now and in the long term.
With ApplicantStack, you can manage and review applications more efficiently, saving time and resources. Utilize the recruiting and hiring tools, designed to help hiring managers screen applicants and identify top talent to move them through the funnel quickly and avoid bottlenecks and slowdowns. Learn more and start your free trial today!
In today’s fast-paced environment, traditional hiring practices may not yield the desired results. Job titles and degrees no longer provide a full picture of a candidate’s potential as a member of the team. This is where skills-based hiring comes in—it’s a smarter and more inclusive approach that focuses on what applicants can do rather than where they have been.
In our latest blog series, we’ll focus on specific skills that employers may be looking for when hiring new employees. We will dig into how organizations are shifting their focus from items on a resumé to real-world skills that translate in the workplace. Plus, you can gain the insights and tools needed to navigate this new world of recruiting.
First up in the series is conflict management, a skill that can be valuable across various industries and position levels. Learn more about conflict management skills and their value in the workplace.
Conflict Management Skills: The Lowdown
Conflict is a part of every workplace. People disagree about the way things should be done or how to handle situations as they arise. Even the most cohesive teams will face disagreement, and knowing how to navigate this challenge is a critical skill.
Conflict management allows teams to maintain productivity, even in the face of disagreements and challenges. Stronger relationships can form when people are able to navigate these difficulties. Team members with strong conflict management skills can contribute to a more positive company culture, as they play a role in fostering collaboration and promoting open communication.
In some situations, disputes in the workplace can escalate into employee departures or even legal issues. Finding ways to navigate people’s concerns effectively while resolving conflicts can reduce operational costs and lessen the risk of lawsuits.
When an open role involves collaboration, whether with internal employees or external individuals, it’s vital to look for candidates who can manage conflict professionally and smoothly.
What to Look for in Candidates
A potential new hire may not come right out and say they have strong conflict management skills. This skill isn’t necessarily something that shows up on every resumé. But as you conduct interviews, you can look for specific qualities that indicate the ability to navigate conflict in a professional way.
Some of the key qualities to identify in candidates include:
Active listening: This skill helps to minimize tension while reducing misunderstandings. When people feel heard, their anger or frustration can be defused, allowing all parties to get to the root of the issue.
Emotional intelligence: A high level of emotional intelligence involves recognizing and managing emotions. This quality supports good conflict resolution skills because it allows for stronger collaboration and trust. A leader with emotional intelligence can also support the resolution of conflicts in a constructive way.
Communication: The ability to communicate directly and openly supports the ability to resolve conflicts in the workplace. When a candidate has strong communication skills, they can maintain proper boundaries while articulating their own ideas about a situation. Direct communication also involves proposing solutions that address different priorities in unique ways.
When employees feel stressed at work due to conflict or a toxic environment, their creativity and productivity rates will suffer. Building your team with individuals who are good at managing and resolving conflict can make a big difference in the overall atmosphere, as well as retention and productivity. Your organization can also adapt to changing situations more easily, rather than breaking under the pressure of unhappy teams and simmering frustration.
With ApplicantStack, you can manage and review applications more efficiently, saving time and resources. Take advantage of the recruiting and hiring tools, designed to help hiring managers screen applicants and identify top talent to move them through the process quickly. Learn more and start your free trial today!
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