People skills still matter in hiring. But our most recent Hiring Intelligence Report, covering the first half of 2026, suggests employers are becoming more specific about what they mean by that.
The report compares assessment data from our psychometric test platform from January to May 2022 with the same period in 2026, showing how employer priorities have shifted since the rise of generative AI. Some of the clearest trends are around pressure, adaptability and learning. Stress Management is now the most assessed trait. Calm and Self-development have risen sharply. Resilient remains near the top.
But there is another interesting pattern in the data: broad sociability appears to be losing ground, while more precise interpersonal traits remain highly important.
Gregarious has declined in relative assessment popularity. At the same time, Listening remains one of the most assessed traits overall, and Poised is one of the fastest-growing traits.
This suggests employers are not moving away from people skills. They are becoming more discerning about which people skills actually matter.
Sociability is not the same as interpersonal effectiveness
Gregarious describes people who enjoy the company of others, are sociable and tend to like working around people. In many workplaces, these qualities can be useful. Sociable people often bring energy into teams, enjoy conversation and may feel comfortable in busy working environments.
But sociability alone does not guarantee effective communication.
A person can be outgoing without listening well. They can enjoy being around others without being especially thoughtful, composed or attentive. They can speak confidently but miss important context. They can build quick rapport but struggle with deeper understanding.
This is why the decline of Gregarious is so interesting. It does not suggest employers no longer value interaction. It suggests that broad social energy may be less important than more targeted forms of interpersonal capability.
In 2026, employers appear to be asking a more useful question.
Not simply: “Is this person sociable?”
But: “Can this person understand others, build trust and stay composed in important interactions?”
Listening remains one of the strongest human traits
Listening remains the second most assessed trait in the first half of 2026.
That matters because Listening is a much more specific people skill than general sociability. It reflects a person’s willingness to take time, consider other people’s opinions and be easy to talk to.
In practice, this can affect many areas of work.
Managers need to listen so they understand what their teams are experiencing. Salespeople need to listen so they can understand customer problems rather than simply present a solution. Recruiters need to listen so they can understand candidate motivation, role fit and concerns. Customer-facing employees need to listen so they can respond properly, especially when people are frustrated or uncertain.
Listening also matters more in the AI era.
AI can generate information quickly, but it cannot replace the human ability to understand tone, context and trust. It can help with summaries, workflows and analysis, but people still need to interpret what others mean and respond with judgement.
That is why Listening staying near the top is such a strong signal. Employers still need people who can connect with others in a meaningful way.
Poised is rising as social confidence becomes more valuable
Another important movement in the report is the rise of Poised.
Poised measures social confidence. High scorers are more likely to feel composed, confident and relaxed in social settings, including new or demanding interactions.
This is not the same as being gregarious.
A poised person does not necessarily need to be highly sociable or constantly outgoing. The key quality is composure in interaction. They can enter a conversation, meeting or stakeholder situation with confidence and steadiness.
That matters in modern work because many human interactions now carry more weight.
As more routine tasks become automated, the moments that remain human are often the moments that require judgement, reassurance, persuasion or trust. These might include a difficult client call, a performance conversation, a sales meeting, a leadership discussion or a sensitive hiring decision.
In those situations, being generally sociable may help. But being poised, calm and able to listen well may matter far more.
Employers are becoming more precise
The decline of Gregarious, alongside the strength of Listening and the rise of Poised, points to a wider change in hiring.
Employers are moving away from vague ideas of “good with people” and towards clearer, more measurable interpersonal traits.
This is a positive shift.
Too often, people skills are treated as a broad category. Someone is described as a “people person”, “confident”, “friendly” or “good communicator”. But these labels can be imprecise. They can also hide important differences between traits.
For example, a role in customer support may require patience, listening and calmness more than sociability. A leadership role may require listening, emotional steadiness and the confidence to handle difficult conversations. A sales role may require social confidence, but also discipline, curiosity and the ability to understand customer needs.
Different roles need different interpersonal strengths.
The H1/2026 data suggests employers are paying closer attention to those differences.
What this means for hiring teams
For hiring teams, the message is clear: it is not enough to look for people who seem friendly, outgoing or confident at interview.
That may only show one part of the picture.
A better approach is to define the specific interpersonal traits that matter for the role. Does the person need to listen deeply? Build trust with customers? Stay composed in tense situations? Adapt their behaviour to different people? Lead difficult conversations? Work closely across teams?
Once those traits are defined, they can be assessed more fairly and consistently.
This is where psychometric assessments can help. They give hiring teams evidence about how candidates are likely to behave at work, rather than relying only on first impressions or interview performance.
Clevry’s H1/2026 Hiring Intelligence Report shows that people skills are still central to hiring, but the focus is changing.
General sociability is losing some prominence. More precise people skills are gaining attention.
To explore the full findings, including the top 10 most assessed traits, the fastest-growing traits and the traits losing ground, read our latest Hiring Intelligence Report here.
