How to assess a candidate’s communication skills during interviews

An interview provides an excellent opportunity for assessing communication skills. Some things to consider when assessing a candidate’s communication skills during an interview may include: 

• Tone of voice. Are they friendly, upbeat and pleasant? If they’re working in a telemarketing role or other client-facing position, would they sound happy and positive over the phone?
• Active listening: Observe if the candidate listens attentively, responds appropriately to questions and doesn’t interrupt or talk over others.
• Body language. Pay attention to non-verbal cues, such as eye contact, posture and gestures, but remain mindful of cultural differences and individual comfort levels. 
• Comprehension. Are they understanding the questions you ask? Does their tone match yours when responding to questions appropriately?
• Level of interest or engagement. Do they seem invested in the industry and performing well? Are they asking relevant questions? Have they done their research on the company?
• Confidence. Do they sound genuine and appear to be sure of themselves? Do their answers come across as authentic?

You can also ask communication interview questions to assess how well the candidate has communicated in the past or how they’d communicate in a specific scenario or situation. 

How to test communication skills

Having candidates take a skills test is another effective method of assessing communication skills. Testing can provide measurable, objective results that can help reduce the risk of bias and make it easier to compare candidates’ skills.

Other methods of assessing communication skills

In addition to completing an interview communication skills assessment and administering a skills test, you can evaluate your candidates’ skills by:

• Evaluating all communication. Your candidates will be communicating with you via phone and email throughout the hiring process, so you don’t need to wait until you can schedule an interview to get a feel for how well they communicate verbally and in writing. Take notes on your impressions after phone conversations, and assess the effectiveness of their email messages.
• Writing samples. If written communication is essential for success in your open position, consider having candidates prepare a mock report or other writing sample.
• Role-playing. Schedule a role-play interview where you take on the role of a client or coworker. Introduce a situation and see how the conversation unfolds.
• Experiential interviews. For some jobs, an experiential interview that recreates on-the-job communication may be appropriate. As an example, you might have a candidate for a customer service position listen to recorded or simulated customer calls and take on the role of assisting them. You might even have them write short reports on the contents of the conversations.

What are communication skills?

To conduct an effective communication skills assessment, you first need to have a clear understanding of what communication skills are. Communication skills are abilities that allow an individual to give or receive information. There are different forms of communication, all of which are critical to employees in the workplace. These skills include:

• Listening
• Observing
• Empathizing
• Speaking
• Writing
• Reading

Speaking and listening are two of the most important skills a worker can demonstrate an aptitude for during the hiring process.

Examples of communication skills for the workplace

Having a clear picture of what strong communication skills look like in action can help you assess candidates effectively. Here’s a brief review of the different elements of workplace communication.

There are four types of business communication to be aware of in the workplace:

• Internal upward (employee to a higher-up within the company)
• Internal downward (manager to subordinate within the company)
• Internal lateral (among company employees)
• External (with parties outside the company)

While each of these business communication types requires basic verbal and nonverbal communication skills, you must also interview candidates to assess their emotional intelligence (EI) because this determines their ability to decipher and switch between the various communication types and tones necessary to succeed in a work environment.

A communication skills resume is critical to any position, regardless of industry. You can find examples of communication skills by reviewing resumes for skills and professional experiences. 

Here are some communication skills to consider looking for on potential employees’ resumes.

Listening

Being a good listener is critical to workplace communication. Listening allows employees to learn from one another and be perceptive to each other’s feelings and ideas, and it creates an environment where everyone feels valued.

Empathy

Empathy is a large component of listening because you can use phrases that communicate an understanding of a person’s situation or position to support them, even if you don’t agree with their idea. When you’re in tune with what someone is thinking and feeling, you can communicate with them more effectively and build positive relationships.

Nonverbal communication

Because a significant portion of how you communicate is nonverbal, this skill is critical for success in work. Your body language and tone support or contradict the words you use, depending on how effectively you’re utilizing your nonverbal communication skills.

Confidence

Confidence is critical for success in the workplace because it demonstrates that you believe what you’re saying and helps you come across as genuine and trustworthy. Confidence is an important leadership quality and should be evaluated in all candidates applying for a supervising role. 

Respect

When you demonstrate respect for other people’s ideas, you become easier for them to open up to, and they’ll likely feel more comfortable communicating with you honestly. Employees who are respectful are invaluable to an organization.

Open-mindedness

Part of being respectful is being open-minded to other people’s ideas. When you approach a conversation with an open mind, you create an opportunity for dialogue in which both sides share their ideas and build on them.

Feedback

In a work environment, being able to respectfully give and receive constructive feedback is critical. When giving critical feedback, other communication skills like empathy and respect come into play to ensure you don’t offend anyone in the process. How you express feedback makes a significant difference in how it’s received and whether that individual respects you enough to apply the feedback effectively in their daily work.

Choosing the best communication method

Finally, how you choose to communicate is a critical part of workplace communication skills. A good candidate must be able to determine when to have a face-to-face conversation vs. when to send an email or make a phone call.

Why are communication skills important when hiring?

Communication skills are a critical aspect of evaluating potential candidates during the hiring process because they:

• Allow for effective collaboration. Being able to express one’s ideas clearly and succinctly opens the doors to collaboration between teammates and other departments.
• Improve productivity. Effective communication can ensure that every team member understands what tasks to complete and can do their work more efficiently with less risk of errors.
• Facilitate exceptional service. Employees with strong communication skills are often in a better position to assess customer needs, recommend products and services and handle objections and solve problems, contributing to your organization’s overall customer service and sales efforts.
• Boost workplace morale. Communicating well lowers the likelihood of misunderstandings that can create conflict in the workplace. A positive atmosphere at work can contribute to job satisfaction and improve retention rates.
• Contribute to successful leadership. Employees with effective communication abilities can coach, support and work with others to achieve common goals.

FAQs about assessing communication skills

How do I make a communication skills assessment inclusive?

When evaluating a candidate’s communication skills, offer resources that can improve the candidate’s experience. For example, if you’re interviewing someone who’s hard of hearing, consider providing a licensed sign language interpreter or offering other accommodations.

When should I have candidates take a communication skills test?

A written communication skills test can be included in your pre-employment screening questions. Because role-play and experiential interviews can be time-consuming, it may be best to conduct this type of evaluation later in the process, such as after an initial interview.

For what types of jobs should I test communication skills?

Communication is an important part of many types of jobs. Your job descriptions can be a good starting point for determining when to test communication skills. If verbal or written communication skills appear in the list of skills and qualifications, assessing this skill set may be appropriate.