How to talk about human skills in a job interview
Showing you have the right skills for a role is a big part of the job application process. But what skills are important to employers these days? While each role is unique, AI is changing the way businesses think about skills – making “human” skills (also known as soft or power skills) more important than ever before.
Here’s how you can better articulate your people skills to stand out to potential employers.
The evolving skills mix
While AI is changing the way we do our jobs, there are plenty of skills that people do better than AI, SEEK data shows. It’s not that surprising that more than half of Kiwis believe humans excel at showing emotional intelligence (56%), relationship building (52%), and supporting others (51%) – “human” abilities that AI obviously lacks.
These skills are always in demand, but sometimes they get overlooked, says Leah Lambart, Career Coach and Founder of Relaunch Me. “Human skills are as important as technical skills or even more, in most cases,” she says.
Hirers are actively looking for human skills when recruiting, especially as AI takes on more routine tasks. According to Kristine Tuazon, Director of Good People HR, communication is the number one skill in demand among the businesses she works with.
“The biggest gap right now is from a lack of candidates who can communicate well,” she says. “Many hirers would actually choose someone who can communicate well but doesn’t have all the other technical skills required.”
The candidates who stand out, says Tuazon, are the ones who can clearly articulate their skills and experience and why they’re interested in the role.
Beyond this, she says hirers are looking for adaptability to the changes that come with AI – people who are open to embracing the new technology, rather than rejecting it entirely. They’re also searching for candidates who can collaborate and work well in a team. Being able to clearly talk about these capabilities will help you stand out in a crowded market.
How to describe your human skills
Want to get better at talking about your strengths but not sure where to start? Here’s what the experts suggest.
1. Identify your skills
Sometimes people need help identifying the skills they have, says Lambart. She suggests first asking for feedback from other people, whether they’re colleagues, mentors or even family and friends. “Often these are skills you demonstrate in your personal life as well as work life.” These could be building trust, communicating, showing empathy or adapting to change.
2. Find out which skills are in demand
Next, do some research to find out what skills employers are looking for in your field. Start by looking at job ads for the types of roles you’re searching for, says Lambart. These will have a list of desired qualities and skills – note down which are the most common.
3. Brainstorm examples for each human skill
Human skills don’t usually come with qualifications or test scores. Instead, demonstrate them with examples. Think about times when you’ve used each skill to overcome a problem in the workplace.
If a role asks for customer service, this could be an example of handling a customer complaint. Use the STAR method and explain the situation, task, action and result for each example. Be sure to use people-focused language too, Lambart advises, such as “I listened to their concerns” or “I showed empathy for their feelings”.
4. Practice, practice, practice
Make sure to practice talking about these examples in an interview-like setting. It helps to do mock interviews with people who have been involved in the hiring process, such as hiring managers or recruiters, says Lambart. “They can give you feedback and tips.”
However, practicing by yourself is still helpful too – the more you do it, the more comfortable you’ll feel talking about your skills and experience in a real interview.
Being prepared comes across well in interviews, says Tuazon, and it’s something hirers notice. “Put in a lot of that groundwork and effort so you have examples of work you’ve done and practice talking about your strengths, areas of interest and why you want to work for the organisation.”
Tips for building your human skills
Human skills are just like any other – improving them takes practice. There are many ways to build your non-technical skills if they’re lacking. For capabilities like customer service and empathy, Lambart says the more you can interact with the public, the better. This could be working in a customer service role, like in fast food, sports coaching or volunteering.
“Anywhere where you’re interacting with people from all walks of life is going to help you with those skills,” she says.
Beyond real-life experience, consider online courses or asking a mentor. “There might be people in your workplace or life that are strong in certain areas, like public speaking,” says Lambart. “You could ask them for their advice and feedback.”
Your human skills are what give you the edge over AI – and other candidates. Invest time not only into building these skills, but also into learning how to sell them to a hiring manager. Effective and confident communication in an interview is by far the best way to demonstrate your standout human skills.
Source: Independent research conducted by Nature on behalf of SEEK, interviewing 6,000 Kiwis annually. Published May 2026.
