1. Communication

Communication is one of several essential collaboration skills in the workplace. Working with others requires employees to express their thoughts, opinions and knowledge, often in both written and verbal formats.

It also typically helps if the employee reciprocates this action for others. By listening to and respecting others’ opinions, candidates can better understand people’s perspectives, which generally helps foster good communication.

How to hire for communication

Customize your job description to emphasize communication with these tips:

• Describe the team environment and what type of communication happens within it.

• Specify if the candidate needs verbal or written communication skills or both.

• Include various people the professional will interact with, such as the executive team or external partners, to ensure they feel comfortable communicating.

• Mention the need to adapt communication styles based on the setting.

Assessing the skill

Evaluate the candidate’s communication skills by asking teamwork or communication interview questions.

Roles where this skill excels

Many roles benefit from active listening and communication. Below are a few examples of how communication skills are important across various industries:

• Nurses and other medical professionals: Fast, effective communication between nurses, doctors and other medical staff members ensures patients get quality care.

• Human resources specialist: A human resources specialist needs to communicate with and listen to all employees who need their help. They also need to communicate with other HR team members to ensure all duties are covered.

• Project manager: Project managers keep projects on track, which involves communicating with various departments and sharing changes to the budget, timeline and objectives. Listening to others is also essential for identifying potential issues with projects.

2. Conflict resolution

It’s natural when people have different backgrounds and areas of expertise for conflict to arise among employees from time to time. When team members know how to handle disagreements, sharing differing viewpoints can help generate the best ideas.

People with strong conflict-resolution skills help keep the team on track. They also keep the group dynamics positive and help maintain relationships between team members.

How to hire for conflict resolution

To emphasize conflict resolution skills in your job description, try these ideas:

• Identify situations within the role where conflicts may arise and highlight those in the job description.

• Mention the need for strong conflict resolution strategies directly.

Assessing the skill

Consider asking conflict management interview questions. These questions can be most beneficial if you ask about conflict scenarios that might arise in the specific role.

A role-playing exercise related to conflict on the job lets you see the person work through the situation. For example, you might have a customer service representative candidate take a mock call with a frustrated customer.

Roles where this skill excels

Jobs that require conflict resolution often include:

• School counselor: School guidance counselors work with students, staff and parents in high-conflict situations. They might handle disputes between parents and teachers, between students or between staff members.

• Human resources specialist: Human resources specialists and generalists work with all employees, so they deal with conflicts often. They may encounter mistakes with payroll, confusion over policies, disciplinary actions and other difficult situations.

• Mediator: A professional mediator helps two parties work through a dispute and come to a resolution.

3. Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage one’s own emotions while being aware of others’ emotions. Having high emotional intelligence allows an individual to better understand their colleagues. They can adjust how they interact with people in the workplace to reduce conflicts and increase productivity.

Candidates with high emotional intelligence also contribute to a positive work environment. They interact effectively with others and manage their emotions well, which helps the team discuss issues and complete tasks efficiently.

How to hire for emotional intelligence

When emotional intelligence is a priority, try these job description ideas:

• Clarify the need for emotional intelligence based on the job environment.

• Identify the various types of interactions this role has with people at different levels and with internal and external partners. Candidates should adapt their approach based on the emotional needs of those groups.

• Mention challenging situations or job duties that might require strong emotional intelligence, such as helping upset customers.

Assessing the skill

Evaluating how each candidate responds to scenario-based interview questions regarding internal and external interactions may help assess their emotional intelligence. Tailored personality tests can also provide insights into how candidates might handle various situations.

Roles where this skill excels

People in the following roles often benefit from having high emotional intelligence:

• Public relations manager: A public relations manager needs to understand how the public might react and address situations accordingly to improve the company’s image. They might also mentor other PR department employees.

• Customer service representative: When interacting with customers, customer service representatives should pay attention to their emotions and adjust their interactions carefully.

• Principal: The school principal uses emotional intelligence to learn how different teachers, students and staff members handle situations. They help improve teacher collaboration with this knowledge.

4. Open-mindedness

Being part of a team requires an open mind and a willingness to consider different opinions. This flexibility allows the group members to share their expertise and consider everyone’s suggestions fairly. From there, they can discuss options and decide which one is best for the company.

How to hire for open-mindedness

Your job description can highlight open-mindedness with these considerations:

• Describe your company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion to emphasize the importance of being open-minded and accepting.

• Discuss the need for innovative ideas and the willingness to consider new approaches.

• Highlight the team makeup, including other experts, and note that all team members have valuable insight to consider.

Assessing the skill

Consider asking candidates about situations where they had to exhibit flexibility, open-mindedness and willingness to consider different viewpoints in the workplace. Personality tests can also demonstrate their flexibility and openness to exploring new ideas.

Roles where this skill excels

Open-mindedness is often important in these fields:

• Research scientist: When developing experiments, research scientists need to consider multiple options and listen to other researchers to get accurate results.

• Graphic designer: Graphic designers use their creative designing skills, but they often need to adjust their work based on feedback from clients and input from other team members.

• Executives: All executives benefit from being open to feedback and suggestions from team members. A willingness to consider these ideas shows the team that their opinions are valued, which can encourage greater collaboration.

5. Leadership and delegation

Team settings often include people of varying authority levels, but even teams made up of people at the same level can benefit from leadership skills. When one person steps up, they can guide the team in a positive direction. Delegating tasks also ensures all necessary actions are addressed, which helps keep the team productive.

How to hire for leadership and delegation

Use these tips to customize the job description for this skill:

• Describe any management or supervisor duties required for the job.

• Explain how much delegation the position requires.

• Include details on the team structure and why having a strong leader is important.

Assessing the skill

The candidate’s resume may reveal leadership roles, and you can ask leadership interview questions related to delegation or taking charge. For a simulation task, you might create a scenario that requires delegation. Ask the candidate how they would handle the situation and delegate the tasks to complete the project.

Roles where this skill excels

Leadership and delegation are often necessary in these positions:

• Managers: All types of managers, including general managers, need strong leadership skills to delegate tasks to the team and keep everyone on track.

• Senior accountant: In a large accounting department, senior accountants often have leadership responsibilities and support collaboration between other team members.

• Office manager: An office manager takes a leadership role within the office and delegates tasks to other administrative staff members.