As part of a series, we will be doing a deep dive into each of the 5 domains — or critical soft skills for early career professionals — tested in the Vendition Success Aptitude Test (VSAT). As a reminder, each of these domains encompasses several sub-skills, called “facets,” which we will also touch on in these blogs.
This article is all about cooperation, the third of the 5 domains and a critical soft skill for entry-level and experienced professionals alike.
What is cooperation?
Though the stakes are higher for professionals in the workforce, cooperation means the same thing now as it did in grade school: everybody works together towards a common goal.
To this point, Vendition’s cooperation domain encompasses one single facet: the teamwork skill.
Why cooperation matters
As skills-based hiring sweeps the recruiting world, some soft skills stand out more than others as being non-negotiable when onboarding new team members. Cooperation is one of them. Unless you’re hiring someone whose day-to-day tasks allow for complete isolation — unlike many, if not all early careerl positions — then you’ll want to look for candidates who can work well with others.
Cooperation (or collaboration) manifests on the job in several ways. Employees skilled in cooperation can work together to meet deadlines, collaboratively addressing any issues or obstacles that may arise. They can share useful information and offer constructive feedback, leveraging one person’s strengths where another may be weaker. Overall, people skilled in cooperation are able to contribute positively to team dynamics, leading to greater productivity and higher-quality output.
How to assess cooperation in a candidate
Without seeing them in a group setting, there are a couple ways you can assess a candidate for cooperation skills. Even if their resume does not speak specifically to professional team experience, consider other experiences that may speak to teamwork skill. Did they play a collegiate sport? Were they a member of a school club? Did they volunteer as part of a group or with a larger organization?
Beyond the resume, consider asking interview questions like the following:
- Tell me about a time you worked as part of a team, and your impact on the team.
- Describe a team experience you found rewarding.
- What’s your preferred way of working on a group project: each member works on an assigned task independently or the entire team meets and works together? Why?
As you interview candidates, listen for comments on leadership, organization, problem solving, and others that lend themselves to effective teamwork.
While it’s important to look for candidates who exhibit a high capacity for cooperation, it’s also important to note that this skill, perhaps more than others, can and should be intentionally developed and fostered in the workplace. If you’re looking to promote cooperation amongst your team, consider team-building activities, rewards for individual and group achievements, and other useful strategies.
How Vendition helps
Your time as a sales leader or hiring manager is valuable, and we understand that you may not be able to touch on all of the critical soft skills that you’d like to during the hiring process. That’s why we created the Vendition Success Aptitude Test (VSAT), a pre-interview assessment that measures candidates’ capacity in each of the 5 domains. With the VSAT, you’re able to get the full story on entry-level talent before the interview process even begins.
Are you ready to leverage the power of the VSAT and Vendition? Fill out the form below to get started.
Want to save time in the interviewing process? Get pre-vetted, hand-selected candidates from Vendition for your next sales hire. Contact us today to learn more.