9 adaptability skills examples to look for in a potential candidate

What are adaptability skills?

Adaptability looks at how a candidate responds to changing information and unexpected situations. 

Work environments and job roles are rarely static. Understanding a candidate’s adaptability helps you answer these questions:

• Do they adapt quickly or slowly?

• Are they flexible? 

• Can they manage shifting deadlines and priorities, adapt to different client or customer needs, and manage change positively? 

A candidate’s level of adaptability gives you insight into their readiness to learn new skills and responsibilities, how they respond to internal and external change, and what they do under pressure or stress. 

Adaptable employees create adaptable organizations that can respond to industry trends and effectively navigate their challenges. 

Adaptability skills are a type of soft skill. They’re non-technical and behavioral skills that individuals possess. It’s helpful to consider them “human skills” – general traits (qualities that machines can’t easily replicate) rather than role-specific abilities. 

Assessing candidates’ soft skills during the hiring process is essential, alongside role-specific skills and personality traits. Soft skills are key to better leadership, higher employee engagement, and greater innovation. 

9 adaptability skills examples

Here are nine examples of adaptable skills and practical tips for exploring candidates’ proficiencies in them. 

1. Communication

Good communicators are typically highly adaptable. In leadership roles, they help teams navigate change by clearly explaining expectations, conveying empathy during challenging situations, and adjusting their approach as needed. As employees, good communicators ask relevant questions to understand changing circumstances and seek feedback to adapt their behaviors. 

Insights into candidates’ communication skills indicate their level of adaptability. Can they adapt their communication to suit their audience? Do they demonstrate active listening skills that support workplace relationships and conflict resolution?  

When candidates have good communication skills, there’s less room for misunderstandings or miscommunications, making transitions smooth and contributing to adaptable teams. 

Using a communication skills test is a great way to explore candidates’ strengths and weaknesses in this area.  

2. Problem-solving 

Candidates with strong problem-solving skills excel at finding creative solutions to unexpected challenges. They can assess emerging situations, think critically about them, look for alternative solutions, and respond appropriately. 

When someone is a problem-solver, they usually also have a growth mindset. Rather than viewing change or uncertainty as a negative, they approach it with a positive attitude. They see it as an opportunity to develop crucial skills and enjoy adapting and thriving in new situations.  

To explore a candidate’s problem-solving abilities during an interview, present them with a real-life scenario your organization previously faced and ask them how they’d approach it. 

3. Resilience

Resilience is another vital adaptability skill. It usually refers to someone’s ability to recover from a setback or disappointing outcome. However, speaking to Forbes, Mira Tzur, CEO of One Circle Productions and SVP at Truuniverse, uses an expanded definition. “Resilience isn’t just about bouncing back; it’s about growing stronger with each challenge,” she says.

Resilience is a key quality for adapting to new situations. Resilient candidates generally respond well during crises and can push through tough times. 

In their application or during an interview, ask a candidate to describe a time when they faced a significant professional setback and how they responded to it. Their answer can give you insights into their resilience – and adaptability. 

4. Collaboration

Collaboration skills – a candidate’s ability to work with others to reach a common goal – are key to team dynamics when navigating change. Candidates who work well with different personalities and work styles are generally more adaptable. They remain open to others’ ideas and perspectives and are willing to compromise to achieve a good outcome. 

During workplace changes and problems, individuals with strong collaborative skills can help with transitions or overcoming challenges, uniting team members to work through these together. 

To assess this skill, make sure to include collaboration questions in your interviews. You can also observe how candidates collaborate by conducting group interviews or problem-solving tasks. Watch how they communicate with each other, manage conflicting views, and contribute ideas. 

5. Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence (also referred to as EQ) is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage your own and others’ emotions. People with high EQ are self-aware and able to self-regulate their emotions. They’re also empathetic, which helps them adapt their communication and interaction with different people, leading to better teamwork. 

These qualities make emotionally intelligent people more adaptable. Psychologist Steven M. Sultanoff says, “​​They are able to evaluate challenges and differentiate when to persist and when to accept.”

There are several ways to measure candidates’ emotional intelligence. For example, using personality assessments during the hiring process can provide insights into candidates’ conscientiousness, a trait closely related to EQ.  

6. Learning agility

Agile learners are lifelong learners who can pick up new skills quickly. This is a priceless quality when building an adaptable workforce, especially when hiring in the AI era. Learning agility suggests that people are ready to roll up their sleeves and acquire the skills and knowledge they need to solve problems. 

Not only can agile learners pick up new skills quickly – they can also apply their previous experiences to new situations and unfamiliar challenges. This makes them highly adaptable workers and indicates a commitment to personal development and continuous learning. 

The ability to take on feedback is a common trait of agile learners. During interviews, ask candidates to give examples of when they received constructive feedback and how they responded to it. 

7. Responsiveness 

People are more likely to adapt quickly to different situations when they’re responsive. They can process changing information rapidly and change tack as needed. 

Responsive candidates are usually problem solvers who show initiative. They’re on the front foot when taking action and may even be able to proactively address change before it arises. 

Want to learn whether a candidate is responsive? Note their communication during the hiring process. Is it relatively quick and/or proactive? This is also a good topic to explore when performing reference checks. Ask previous employers to give specific examples of candidates’ responsiveness and initiative. 

8. Critical thinking

Adaptable individuals usually have excellent critical thinking skills. These skills enable them to assess changing information and environments, consider potential solutions, and choose the best action. 

Critical thinkers assess situations rationally rather than emotionally, making them good decision-makers under pressure and dependable during periods of change. In fact, they tend to embrace change and welcome its learning opportunities. 

Include some behavioral questions in your interviews to assess candidates’ strategic thinking abilities. For example, ask candidates to give you an example of a time they had to solve a complex problem at work and the steps they took. 

9. Risk management

Risk management skills also help individuals make the right decisions under pressure and adapt to situations when unexpected risks come up. 

Risk management skills help individuals take a strategic approach to change. They highlight the ability to approach situations with caution, identify and understand the potential risks, and navigate the best courses of action. 

Using a risk management test to assess candidates’ skills in this area is a great way to gain objective insights into how they approach change and risk mitigation. 

Why adaptability skills matter when hiring top candidates

Adaptability is a key soft skill to look for when hiring. Abilities like effective communication, critical thinking, and resilience indicate a candidate’s ability to adapt to changing information and circumstances. 

While there are several ways to assess a candidate’s soft skills, skills assessments like TestGorilla’s are the easiest way to gain objective, measurable insights into examples of a candidate’s adaptability skills. Our test library has tests for assessing active listening, problem-solving, and more – and you can combine multiple tests to create a unique assessment. 

Learn how TestGorilla’s assessments can help you hire adaptable employees by signing up for a free trial today.