All posts

Soft Skills Intelligence: From personality to performance

Author
Anjana Unni
Created on
July 17, 2025

As organizations increasingly embrace AI to streamline technical tasks, the competitive edge now lies in human capabilities—skills like communication, teamwork, influence, and problem-solving. These "soft skills" are no longer just desirable—they're essential. But how do we measure and develop these abstract traits at scale?

Soft Skills Intelligence (SSI) isn't based on gut feelings or subjective observations. It combines two powerful psychological frameworks to measure and develop workplace capabilities:

Core Drivers (Big Five Personality Dimensions)

  • Openness: Innovation, adaptability, and strategic thinking
  • Conscientiousness: Organization, reliability, and goal achievement
  • Extraversion: Leadership style, networking, and team engagement
  • Agreeableness: Collaboration, conflict resolution, and empathy
  • Emotional Stability: Resilience, decision-making, and self-regulation

Core Values (Motivational Drivers)

  • Novelty: Innovation orientation and risk appetite
  • Power: Leadership ambition and influence style
  • Mastery: Professional development and achievement drive
  • Inquiry: Learning orientation and diversity appreciation
  • Virtue: Ethical approach and integrity
  • Connection: Relationship-building and team collaboration

The power of SSI lies in its ability to transform these scientific constructs into actionable business intelligence. Here's how:

Measurement to insight

  1. Scientific validity: Both Core Drivers and Core Values assessments are built on decades of research and validation studies
  2. Comprehensive coverage: Together, they capture the full spectrum of workplace behaviors and motivations
  3. Predictive power: These measures have demonstrated strong correlations with job performance, leadership effectiveness, and team success

Intelligence to action

  1. Role alignment: Match personality traits and values to role requirements
  2. Team composition: Build complementary teams based on personality and values diversity
  3. Development planning: Create targeted development plans based on individual trait and value profiles
  4. Cultural fit: Assess alignment between individual values and organizational culture

Business impact through scientific rigor

The scientific foundation of SSI enables organizations to:

  1. Make better hiring decisions
    • Use validated predictors of job performance
    • Reduce subjective bias in selection
    • Improve person-role fit
  2. Develop talent more effectively
    • Create personalized development plans based on trait profiles
    • Target specific behavioral competencies
    • Leverage natural strengths and preferences
  3. Build stronger teams
    • Balance team composition based on complementary traits
    • Improve team dynamics through better understanding
    • Enhance collaboration through value alignment
  4. Drive organizational success
    • Align individual capabilities with business needs
    • Improve leadership effectiveness
    • Enhance organizational culture

By grounding Soft Skills Intelligence in the scientific frameworks of Core Drivers and Core Values, organizations can transform subjective "soft skills" into measurable, developable assets. This science-based approach provides the reliability and validity needed to make confident talent decisions while offering the practical insights required to drive business success.

Recent posts
Articles
How ethics and human judgment shape the future of AI in assessment
Can AI stay ethical, fair, and human? Dr. Luke Treglown unpacks how psychology keeps technology transparent, authentic, and accountable.
Read more
Articles
Can AI understand potential? Psychology, trust, and human change
What if AI could spot potential we don’t yet see in ourselves? Dr. Luke Treglown explains how psychology turns data into growth and trust.
Read more
Articles
Can AI really understand people? What psychology reveals about the future of talent assessment
AI is reshaping talent assessment, but psychology keeps it human. Dr. Luke Treglown explores how science helps AI truly understand people.
Read more
Articles
AI, ethics, and the future of talent assessment
AI is reshaping talent assessment. At Deeper Signals, we believe its true power lies in using data ethically, transparently, and with human judgment.
Read more
Articles
For Team Leaders: How to spot collaboration gaps in your team with Sola
Collaboration issues often hide in plain sight: inside project tags, cross-functional teams, and hybrid setups. With Sola’s new tag search, team leaders can uncover hidden communication gaps, spot complementary strengths, and design smarter ways for people to work together.
Read more
All posts

Soft Skills Intelligence: From personality to performance

Author
Anjana Unni
Created on
January 29, 2025

As organizations increasingly embrace AI to streamline technical tasks, the competitive edge now lies in human capabilities—skills like communication, teamwork, influence, and problem-solving. These "soft skills" are no longer just desirable—they're essential. But how do we measure and develop these abstract traits at scale?

Soft Skills Intelligence (SSI) isn't based on gut feelings or subjective observations. It combines two powerful psychological frameworks to measure and develop workplace capabilities:

Core Drivers (Big Five Personality Dimensions)

  • Openness: Innovation, adaptability, and strategic thinking
  • Conscientiousness: Organization, reliability, and goal achievement
  • Extraversion: Leadership style, networking, and team engagement
  • Agreeableness: Collaboration, conflict resolution, and empathy
  • Emotional Stability: Resilience, decision-making, and self-regulation

Core Values (Motivational Drivers)

  • Novelty: Innovation orientation and risk appetite
  • Power: Leadership ambition and influence style
  • Mastery: Professional development and achievement drive
  • Inquiry: Learning orientation and diversity appreciation
  • Virtue: Ethical approach and integrity
  • Connection: Relationship-building and team collaboration

The power of SSI lies in its ability to transform these scientific constructs into actionable business intelligence. Here's how:

Measurement to insight

  1. Scientific validity: Both Core Drivers and Core Values assessments are built on decades of research and validation studies
  2. Comprehensive coverage: Together, they capture the full spectrum of workplace behaviors and motivations
  3. Predictive power: These measures have demonstrated strong correlations with job performance, leadership effectiveness, and team success

Intelligence to action

  1. Role alignment: Match personality traits and values to role requirements
  2. Team composition: Build complementary teams based on personality and values diversity
  3. Development planning: Create targeted development plans based on individual trait and value profiles
  4. Cultural fit: Assess alignment between individual values and organizational culture

Business impact through scientific rigor

The scientific foundation of SSI enables organizations to:

  1. Make better hiring decisions
    • Use validated predictors of job performance
    • Reduce subjective bias in selection
    • Improve person-role fit
  2. Develop talent more effectively
    • Create personalized development plans based on trait profiles
    • Target specific behavioral competencies
    • Leverage natural strengths and preferences
  3. Build stronger teams
    • Balance team composition based on complementary traits
    • Improve team dynamics through better understanding
    • Enhance collaboration through value alignment
  4. Drive organizational success
    • Align individual capabilities with business needs
    • Improve leadership effectiveness
    • Enhance organizational culture

By grounding Soft Skills Intelligence in the scientific frameworks of Core Drivers and Core Values, organizations can transform subjective "soft skills" into measurable, developable assets. This science-based approach provides the reliability and validity needed to make confident talent decisions while offering the practical insights required to drive business success.

Recent posts
Articles
How ethics and human judgment shape the future of AI in assessment
Can AI stay ethical, fair, and human? Dr. Luke Treglown unpacks how psychology keeps technology transparent, authentic, and accountable.
Read more
Articles
Can AI understand potential? Psychology, trust, and human change
What if AI could spot potential we don’t yet see in ourselves? Dr. Luke Treglown explains how psychology turns data into growth and trust.
Read more
Articles
Can AI really understand people? What psychology reveals about the future of talent assessment
AI is reshaping talent assessment, but psychology keeps it human. Dr. Luke Treglown explores how science helps AI truly understand people.
Read more
Articles
AI, ethics, and the future of talent assessment
AI is reshaping talent assessment. At Deeper Signals, we believe its true power lies in using data ethically, transparently, and with human judgment.
Read more
Articles
For Team Leaders: How to spot collaboration gaps in your team with Sola
Collaboration issues often hide in plain sight: inside project tags, cross-functional teams, and hybrid setups. With Sola’s new tag search, team leaders can uncover hidden communication gaps, spot complementary strengths, and design smarter ways for people to work together.
Read more
All posts

Soft Skills Intelligence: From personality to performance

Author
Anjana Unni
Created on
July 17, 2025

As organizations increasingly embrace AI to streamline technical tasks, the competitive edge now lies in human capabilities—skills like communication, teamwork, influence, and problem-solving. These "soft skills" are no longer just desirable—they're essential. But how do we measure and develop these abstract traits at scale?

Soft Skills Intelligence (SSI) isn't based on gut feelings or subjective observations. It combines two powerful psychological frameworks to measure and develop workplace capabilities:

Core Drivers (Big Five Personality Dimensions)

  • Openness: Innovation, adaptability, and strategic thinking
  • Conscientiousness: Organization, reliability, and goal achievement
  • Extraversion: Leadership style, networking, and team engagement
  • Agreeableness: Collaboration, conflict resolution, and empathy
  • Emotional Stability: Resilience, decision-making, and self-regulation

Core Values (Motivational Drivers)

  • Novelty: Innovation orientation and risk appetite
  • Power: Leadership ambition and influence style
  • Mastery: Professional development and achievement drive
  • Inquiry: Learning orientation and diversity appreciation
  • Virtue: Ethical approach and integrity
  • Connection: Relationship-building and team collaboration

The power of SSI lies in its ability to transform these scientific constructs into actionable business intelligence. Here's how:

Measurement to insight

  1. Scientific validity: Both Core Drivers and Core Values assessments are built on decades of research and validation studies
  2. Comprehensive coverage: Together, they capture the full spectrum of workplace behaviors and motivations
  3. Predictive power: These measures have demonstrated strong correlations with job performance, leadership effectiveness, and team success

Intelligence to action

  1. Role alignment: Match personality traits and values to role requirements
  2. Team composition: Build complementary teams based on personality and values diversity
  3. Development planning: Create targeted development plans based on individual trait and value profiles
  4. Cultural fit: Assess alignment between individual values and organizational culture

Business impact through scientific rigor

The scientific foundation of SSI enables organizations to:

  1. Make better hiring decisions
    • Use validated predictors of job performance
    • Reduce subjective bias in selection
    • Improve person-role fit
  2. Develop talent more effectively
    • Create personalized development plans based on trait profiles
    • Target specific behavioral competencies
    • Leverage natural strengths and preferences
  3. Build stronger teams
    • Balance team composition based on complementary traits
    • Improve team dynamics through better understanding
    • Enhance collaboration through value alignment
  4. Drive organizational success
    • Align individual capabilities with business needs
    • Improve leadership effectiveness
    • Enhance organizational culture

By grounding Soft Skills Intelligence in the scientific frameworks of Core Drivers and Core Values, organizations can transform subjective "soft skills" into measurable, developable assets. This science-based approach provides the reliability and validity needed to make confident talent decisions while offering the practical insights required to drive business success.

Recent posts
Articles
How ethics and human judgment shape the future of AI in assessment
Can AI stay ethical, fair, and human? Dr. Luke Treglown unpacks how psychology keeps technology transparent, authentic, and accountable.
Read more
Articles
Can AI understand potential? Psychology, trust, and human change
What if AI could spot potential we don’t yet see in ourselves? Dr. Luke Treglown explains how psychology turns data into growth and trust.
Read more
Articles
Can AI really understand people? What psychology reveals about the future of talent assessment
AI is reshaping talent assessment, but psychology keeps it human. Dr. Luke Treglown explores how science helps AI truly understand people.
Read more
Articles
AI, ethics, and the future of talent assessment
AI is reshaping talent assessment. At Deeper Signals, we believe its true power lies in using data ethically, transparently, and with human judgment.
Read more
Articles
For Team Leaders: How to spot collaboration gaps in your team with Sola
Collaboration issues often hide in plain sight: inside project tags, cross-functional teams, and hybrid setups. With Sola’s new tag search, team leaders can uncover hidden communication gaps, spot complementary strengths, and design smarter ways for people to work together.
Read more
All posts

Soft Skills Intelligence: From personality to performance

Author
Anjana Unni
Created on
July 17, 2025

As organizations increasingly embrace AI to streamline technical tasks, the competitive edge now lies in human capabilities—skills like communication, teamwork, influence, and problem-solving. These "soft skills" are no longer just desirable—they're essential. But how do we measure and develop these abstract traits at scale?

Soft Skills Intelligence (SSI) isn't based on gut feelings or subjective observations. It combines two powerful psychological frameworks to measure and develop workplace capabilities:

Core Drivers (Big Five Personality Dimensions)

  • Openness: Innovation, adaptability, and strategic thinking
  • Conscientiousness: Organization, reliability, and goal achievement
  • Extraversion: Leadership style, networking, and team engagement
  • Agreeableness: Collaboration, conflict resolution, and empathy
  • Emotional Stability: Resilience, decision-making, and self-regulation

Core Values (Motivational Drivers)

  • Novelty: Innovation orientation and risk appetite
  • Power: Leadership ambition and influence style
  • Mastery: Professional development and achievement drive
  • Inquiry: Learning orientation and diversity appreciation
  • Virtue: Ethical approach and integrity
  • Connection: Relationship-building and team collaboration

The power of SSI lies in its ability to transform these scientific constructs into actionable business intelligence. Here's how:

Measurement to insight

  1. Scientific validity: Both Core Drivers and Core Values assessments are built on decades of research and validation studies
  2. Comprehensive coverage: Together, they capture the full spectrum of workplace behaviors and motivations
  3. Predictive power: These measures have demonstrated strong correlations with job performance, leadership effectiveness, and team success

Intelligence to action

  1. Role alignment: Match personality traits and values to role requirements
  2. Team composition: Build complementary teams based on personality and values diversity
  3. Development planning: Create targeted development plans based on individual trait and value profiles
  4. Cultural fit: Assess alignment between individual values and organizational culture

Business impact through scientific rigor

The scientific foundation of SSI enables organizations to:

  1. Make better hiring decisions
    • Use validated predictors of job performance
    • Reduce subjective bias in selection
    • Improve person-role fit
  2. Develop talent more effectively
    • Create personalized development plans based on trait profiles
    • Target specific behavioral competencies
    • Leverage natural strengths and preferences
  3. Build stronger teams
    • Balance team composition based on complementary traits
    • Improve team dynamics through better understanding
    • Enhance collaboration through value alignment
  4. Drive organizational success
    • Align individual capabilities with business needs
    • Improve leadership effectiveness
    • Enhance organizational culture

By grounding Soft Skills Intelligence in the scientific frameworks of Core Drivers and Core Values, organizations can transform subjective "soft skills" into measurable, developable assets. This science-based approach provides the reliability and validity needed to make confident talent decisions while offering the practical insights required to drive business success.

Recent posts
Articles
How ethics and human judgment shape the future of AI in assessment
Can AI stay ethical, fair, and human? Dr. Luke Treglown unpacks how psychology keeps technology transparent, authentic, and accountable.
Read more
Articles
Can AI understand potential? Psychology, trust, and human change
What if AI could spot potential we don’t yet see in ourselves? Dr. Luke Treglown explains how psychology turns data into growth and trust.
Read more
Articles
Can AI really understand people? What psychology reveals about the future of talent assessment
AI is reshaping talent assessment, but psychology keeps it human. Dr. Luke Treglown explores how science helps AI truly understand people.
Read more
Articles
AI, ethics, and the future of talent assessment
AI is reshaping talent assessment. At Deeper Signals, we believe its true power lies in using data ethically, transparently, and with human judgment.
Read more
Articles
For Team Leaders: How to spot collaboration gaps in your team with Sola
Collaboration issues often hide in plain sight: inside project tags, cross-functional teams, and hybrid setups. With Sola’s new tag search, team leaders can uncover hidden communication gaps, spot complementary strengths, and design smarter ways for people to work together.
Read more
All posts

Soft Skills Intelligence: From personality to performance

Customer
Job Title

As organizations increasingly embrace AI to streamline technical tasks, the competitive edge now lies in human capabilities—skills like communication, teamwork, influence, and problem-solving. These "soft skills" are no longer just desirable—they're essential. But how do we measure and develop these abstract traits at scale?

Soft Skills Intelligence (SSI) isn't based on gut feelings or subjective observations. It combines two powerful psychological frameworks to measure and develop workplace capabilities:

Core Drivers (Big Five Personality Dimensions)

  • Openness: Innovation, adaptability, and strategic thinking
  • Conscientiousness: Organization, reliability, and goal achievement
  • Extraversion: Leadership style, networking, and team engagement
  • Agreeableness: Collaboration, conflict resolution, and empathy
  • Emotional Stability: Resilience, decision-making, and self-regulation

Core Values (Motivational Drivers)

  • Novelty: Innovation orientation and risk appetite
  • Power: Leadership ambition and influence style
  • Mastery: Professional development and achievement drive
  • Inquiry: Learning orientation and diversity appreciation
  • Virtue: Ethical approach and integrity
  • Connection: Relationship-building and team collaboration

The power of SSI lies in its ability to transform these scientific constructs into actionable business intelligence. Here's how:

Measurement to insight

  1. Scientific validity: Both Core Drivers and Core Values assessments are built on decades of research and validation studies
  2. Comprehensive coverage: Together, they capture the full spectrum of workplace behaviors and motivations
  3. Predictive power: These measures have demonstrated strong correlations with job performance, leadership effectiveness, and team success

Intelligence to action

  1. Role alignment: Match personality traits and values to role requirements
  2. Team composition: Build complementary teams based on personality and values diversity
  3. Development planning: Create targeted development plans based on individual trait and value profiles
  4. Cultural fit: Assess alignment between individual values and organizational culture

Business impact through scientific rigor

The scientific foundation of SSI enables organizations to:

  1. Make better hiring decisions
    • Use validated predictors of job performance
    • Reduce subjective bias in selection
    • Improve person-role fit
  2. Develop talent more effectively
    • Create personalized development plans based on trait profiles
    • Target specific behavioral competencies
    • Leverage natural strengths and preferences
  3. Build stronger teams
    • Balance team composition based on complementary traits
    • Improve team dynamics through better understanding
    • Enhance collaboration through value alignment
  4. Drive organizational success
    • Align individual capabilities with business needs
    • Improve leadership effectiveness
    • Enhance organizational culture

By grounding Soft Skills Intelligence in the scientific frameworks of Core Drivers and Core Values, organizations can transform subjective "soft skills" into measurable, developable assets. This science-based approach provides the reliability and validity needed to make confident talent decisions while offering the practical insights required to drive business success.

Ready for your Spotlight?
Contact us to book your Customer Spotlight and showcase your work to an extensive, global audience!
Start your free trial today
Free access to Deeper Signals’ quick, scientific assessments, feedback tools, and more.
Start Free Trial
Recent posts
Articles
How ethics and human judgment shape the future of AI in assessment
Can AI stay ethical, fair, and human? Dr. Luke Treglown unpacks how psychology keeps technology transparent, authentic, and accountable.
Read more
Articles
Can AI understand potential? Psychology, trust, and human change
What if AI could spot potential we don’t yet see in ourselves? Dr. Luke Treglown explains how psychology turns data into growth and trust.
Read more
Articles
Can AI really understand people? What psychology reveals about the future of talent assessment
AI is reshaping talent assessment, but psychology keeps it human. Dr. Luke Treglown explores how science helps AI truly understand people.
Read more
Articles
AI, ethics, and the future of talent assessment
AI is reshaping talent assessment. At Deeper Signals, we believe its true power lies in using data ethically, transparently, and with human judgment.
Read more
Articles
For Team Leaders: How to spot collaboration gaps in your team with Sola
Collaboration issues often hide in plain sight: inside project tags, cross-functional teams, and hybrid setups. With Sola’s new tag search, team leaders can uncover hidden communication gaps, spot complementary strengths, and design smarter ways for people to work together.
Read more
Curious to learn more?

Schedule a call with Deeper Signals to understand how our assessments and feedback tools help people gain a deep awareness of their talents and reach their full potential. Underpinned by science and technology, we build talented people, leaders and companies.

  • Scalable and engaging assessment solutions
  • Measurable and predictive talent insights
  • Powered by technology and science that drives results
Let's talk!
  • Scalable interventions for growth
  • Measureable data, insights and outcomes for high performance
  • Proven scientific expertise that links results to outcomes
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Please fill all fields before submiting the form.
Sign up
Want to be the first to know?
Thank you, we will be in touch soon!‍
Please fill all fields before submiting the form.