Evaluating soft skills in offensive security roles requires a structured approach that goes beyond technical assessments. Focus on communication abilities, problem-solving skills, ethical judgement, and teamwork through practical scenarios and behavioural questions. Successful red team professionals need both technical expertise and strong interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively with teams and communicate findings to stakeholders.
Why soft skills matter in offensive security positions
Offensive security professionals, including red team specialists, need more than just technical prowess to excel in their roles. These professionals must communicate complex vulnerabilities to diverse audiences, from technical teams to senior executives who may lack cybersecurity backgrounds.
Collaboration forms the backbone of successful offensive security operations. Red team members work closely with blue teams, developers, and business stakeholders to improve overall security posture. Without strong interpersonal skills, even the most technically gifted professional may struggle to deliver meaningful impact.
The nature of offensive security work demands patience, persistence, and creative thinking. Professionals spend considerable time researching, testing, and documenting their findings. They must maintain ethical boundaries whilst simulating real-world attacks, requiring strong moral judgement and professional integrity.
What soft skills should you look for in offensive security candidates?
Essential soft skills for offensive security roles include:
- Communication skills – Explaining technical vulnerabilities clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences, writing comprehensive reports, and presenting findings effectively
- Critical thinking and curiosity – Demonstrating analytical thinking, asking probing questions, and showing genuine interest in understanding system vulnerabilities
- Patience and persistence – Maintaining focus during lengthy engagements that may require weeks or months of careful planning and execution
- Ethical judgement – Understanding authorisation boundaries, maintaining strict confidentiality, and handling sensitive information responsibly
- Teamwork capabilities – Collaborating effectively with internal teams, clients, and integrating smoothly with existing security teams and business units
How do you assess communication skills during the interview process?
Effective communication assessment strategies include:
- Ask candidates to explain complex technical concepts as if speaking to non-technical stakeholders
- Present hypothetical vulnerability scenarios and observe their ability to tailor messages for different audiences
- Request writing samples or complete brief written exercises during interviews
- Role-play client interaction scenarios involving difficult questions or pushback
- Pay attention to how candidates ask questions and demonstrate active listening skills
What questions help you evaluate problem-solving abilities?
Key problem-solving assessment questions:
- Present complex security scenarios and ask for step-by-step approaches, focusing on methodology over immediate correct answers
- “Describe a time when you encountered an unexpected obstacle during a security assessment. How did you adapt your approach?”
- “How do you stay current with emerging threats and attack techniques?”
- “You’ve discovered unusual network traffic but have restricted access to investigate further. How would you proceed?”
- “Walk me through how you would approach testing a completely unfamiliar application or system.”
How can you test teamwork and collaboration skills?
Collaboration assessment approaches:
- Ask about experience working with defensive security teams and understanding collaborative relationships
- Present stakeholder coordination scenarios involving timeline conflicts and resistance
- Explore mentoring experience and knowledge sharing with colleagues
- Discuss client relationship management and professional relationship maintenance
- Ask about conflict resolution and maintaining team cohesion during disagreements
What red flags should you watch for during soft skills evaluation?
| Red Flag Category |
Warning Signs |
Potential Impact |
| Communication Barriers |
Cannot explain technical concepts clearly or adapt communication style |
Client-facing and cross-functional role challenges |
| Ego-driven Behaviour |
Dismisses defensive teams, shows arrogance, unwillingness to learn |
Team collaboration problems and toxic culture |
| Ethical Concerns |
Jokes about unauthorised access, cavalier confidentiality attitudes |
Serious security and legal risks |
| Feedback Resistance |
Cannot handle constructive criticism or adapt approaches |
Limited professional growth and collaboration issues |
| Poor Listening |
Interrupts, fails to ask clarifying questions, irrelevant responses |
Client relationship challenges and miscommunication |
How do you make the final decision on soft skills fit?
Final evaluation framework:
- Create balanced scorecards weighing technical abilities and soft skills appropriately for specific role requirements
- Involve multiple team members and representatives from collaborating departments in evaluation
- Consider growth potential alongside current capabilities and foundational soft skills
- Conduct thorough reference checks with former colleagues, supervisors, and clients
- Trust cultural fit instincts whilst maintaining objective skills assessment
- Evaluate organisational capacity for mentoring and professional development support
Building successful offensive security teams requires careful attention to both technical expertise and interpersonal capabilities. The most effective red team professionals combine deep technical knowledge with strong communication skills, ethical judgement, and collaborative mindsets. At Iceberg, we understand that finding candidates who excel in both areas takes specialised knowledge of the cybersecurity talent market and comprehensive evaluation processes that go beyond traditional technical assessments.
If you are interested in learning more, reach out to our team of experts today.
