Technical Skills

Personal Characteristics

A quality describes behavioral or competency-based criteria logically associated with the successful accomplishment of important tasks/responsibilities in a particular job. Required technical skills are sometimes found on the job description. Further job analysis should be completed to identify the qualities not noted on a job description. Some qualities can be technical as well as personal. The following list is not intended to be all-inclusive.

Technical

Can be general or very specific to each job.

General

• Accurate
• Computer competent
• Customer focused
• Detail oriented
• Good phone etiquette
• Manage multiple tasks
• Mechanical aptitude
• Planning ability—Sets and follows a course of action to accomplish goals.
• Project management skills
• Quality focused

Job Specific

• Excel spreadsheet Intermediate level
• Licensed electrician
• Programs CNC machines
• Read/interpret blueprints

Soft Skills

• Analytical
• Assertive
• Attention to detail
• Cooperative
• Creative
• Decisive—Makes decisions, renders judgment, takes action.
• Flexible—Able to adapt or modify behavior to reach a goal.
• Good judgment—Makes quality decisions based on logic and factual information.
• Hardworking
• Honest
• Impact—Good first impression, confidence, commanding respect.
• Independent/self-motivated
• Initiative/Drive—Takes action to achieve goals. A self-starter.
• Leadership—Utilizes skills and methods to develop and guide direct reports towards goals. Good delegation to and utilization of direct reports.
• Motivated
• Oral Communication—Individual and group situations.
• Organized
• Persuasive—Obtains agreement, cooperation, or acceptance with or without authority.
• Presentation skills
• Problem solver
• Quick learner
• Reliable/Punctual
• Resourceful
• Self-confident
• Sensitive to organizational objectives—Sees the bigger picture and /or overall impact and implication of decisions.
• Sincere
• Stable
• Team player
• Tenacious—Stays with a plan of action until completed or it is no longer attainable.
• Tolerates stress—Stable performance under pressure.
• Written communication—clear expression in writing

"More Than a Gut Feeling"

1. Plan the interview.
   1. Thoroughly review job requirements.
   2. Ask what skills are important for good performance on the job.

2. Create your interview plan.
   1. Formulate job-related questions that will help the interviewee give behavioral examples.
   2. Write your questions out so that you will ensure to cover all main points in the interview.

3. Arrange for an interview environment.
   1. Be sure that there are no interruptions.
   2. See that the interviewee is comfortable.
   3. Plan for enough time—one hour is desirable.

4. Conduct the interview.
   1. Use rapport-building questions.
   2. Ask open-ended questions.
   3. Allow silence.
   4. Seek disconfirming evidence.
   5. Control the interview.
   6. Gain behavioral examples.

5. Use intuition to help you ask better questions.
   1. Validate or disconfirm your "gut feelings."
   2. Protect other people from your hidden biases or prejudices.

6. Rate skills.
   1. One behavioral example may provide evidence for or against several different skills.
   2. No one is absolutely perfect and no one is absolutely bad!
   3. Ask yourself if you have enough information to do a good rating and allow for unmeasured skills.pro