1. Structure

Structure involves organizing ideas logically to help the reader understand the content. It’s one of the most essential written communication skills—whether your employees write social media posts or an annual report.

Well-structured writing guides the reader through the text so it’s easy to follow. It states the key concepts, explains them and ties the piece together with a conclusion or call to action (CTA) . This skill is generally useful in business writing across most industries.

How to hire for structure-related written communication skills

To attract candidates who can structure their writing effectively, you might write a job description that:

• Emphasizes the importance of writing skills, such as organization, logic and prioritization

• Notes the need for a clear information hierarchy in each piece

• Requests applicants who can structure professional writing for different audiences

Assessing the skill

Methods to evaluate a candidate’s structural skills may include:

• Writing samples: Ask for samples in different styles, and determine whether each has a clear and effective structure.

• Scenario: Present a scenario where the candidate must write about a topic. Ask how they would approach structuring the piece.

• Interview questions: Create questions that target the candidate’s experience structuring long or complex documents.

Roles where this skill excels

Structural writing skills can benefit roles, including:

• Technical writer: A clear structure makes manuals and other technical documentation usable for readers.

• Content writer: Because this role produces many types of written content, the employee must be able to select the correct structure for each piece.

2. Clarity

Clarity makes written content easy to understand. Employees who can write clearly choose words precisely and avoid unnecessary sentences.

Clarity is typically an important written communication skill in the workplace, regardless of your company’s industry. Clear communication can save time, reduce the risk of misunderstandings and ensure readers have the information needed to proceed.

How to hire for clarity

You may attract applicants who can write with clarity by doing the following in your job description:

• Include adjectives that convey the need for clarity, such as “active voice,” “brevity” and “efficient.”

• Reinforce the importance of simplicity, clarity and readability in written texts.

• Ask for applicants who are strong editors.

Assessing the skill

Consider assessing a candidate’s written clarity with the following:

• Writing samples: Request several examples of written work to see if the candidate can convey a message in simple, direct language.

• Practical tests: Ask candidates to complete a short written test to evaluate whether they can write clearly.

• Observation: Note whether the person’s emails or cover letter are easy to understand.

Roles where this skill excels

Clarity in writing can be a key skill for jobs such as:

• Business writer: Clarity is typically an essential written communication skill for a business writing role, which requires organization and accuracy across various projects.

• Senior project manager: This position often communicates extensively via email or collaboration platforms. Clarity enables effective information sharing and helps keep projects on track.

3. Audience targeting

Audience targeting involves writing for a specific group of people. Writers with this skill consider their readers’ needs to ensure the text is effective. They can explain unfamiliar concepts and choose language appropriate for the audience’s understanding of the subject.

Audience targeting requires making information accessible for readers. For example, a general audience may need simple explanations of engineering concepts, while engineers might benefit from a high-level discussion. Employees who adapt to the readers’ needs can often communicate effectively in a range of industries.

How to hire for audience targeting skills

When writing a job description, recruit candidates with audience targeting skills by:

• Making it clear the job involves readers from different backgrounds

• Mentioning the need for applicants who can write for varying audiences

• Listing relevant skills such as flexibility, empathy and emotional intelligence

Assessing the skill

Here are several ways to assess a candidate’s audience targeting skills:

• Writing samples: Request samples targeted to different audiences, and note how the candidate adjusts the language, tone, style and content for each group.

• Open-ended questions: Ask candidates how they approach the process of writing for an unfamiliar audience.

• Experiential questions: Inquire about the candidate’s experience writing for people with different levels of understanding.

Roles where this skill excels

Roles that require strong audience targeting skills typically include:

• Copywriter: This role often writes with a specific audience sector in mind. Copywriters must target the audience’s needs and emotions.

• Customer service representative: Agents who speak with customers via email or chat can benefit from an understanding of the audience to resolve problems.

4. Attention to detail

Writing requires attention to detail. Employees should proofread each text to reduce typos, grammatical errors and misspellings.

Attention to detail also helps employees produce quality content, which is useful in every role and industry. It ensures key points are addressed adequately, whether an employee is writing website copy or a team email.

How to hire for attention to detail

To recruit applicants with strong attention to detail, consider these tips when writing a job description:

• Highlight the importance of comprehensive written texts.

• Encourage applications from detail-oriented individuals.

Assessing the skill

Ways to assess a candidate’s attention to detail can include:

• Communication assessment: Review each applicant’s resume, cover letter and emails. Error-free documents can often demonstrate attention to detail.

• Written test: Use a skills test to assess a candidate’s ability to spot small errors in text and write clean copy.

• Interview questions: Ask attention to detail interview questions regarding the tools and strategies they use to produce clean, error-free content.

Roles where this skill excels

Attention to detail is an important skill for roles, including:

• Grant writer: This employee can support an organization’s financial stability, so they must pay close attention to all grant requirements.

• Design engineer: For safety and overall product success, engineers ensure every detail is correct when writing reports, specs and proposals.

5. Efficiency

Efficiency helps writers complete a task quickly. It’s essential in a professional setting where employees have short turnaround times. They must be able to use the available time wisely to craft documents that meet the project’s specific needs.

Employees who write efficiently grasp concepts quickly, organize their ideas well and write them down in a way that’s logical and compelling. This level of confidence and decisiveness is particularly effective in fast-paced work environments.

How to hire for efficiency

When you want to hire an efficient writer, consider including the following in your job description:

• Mention the position requires employees to write quickly and without extensive editorial input.

• Discuss the frequency of tight deadlines and quick turnaround times.

• Include desired skills such as brevity, time management and prioritization.

Assessing the skill

The following may help you evaluate a candidate’s ability to write efficiently:

• Skill tests: Give the applicant a set period to write a professional email or a short memo. Observe how they use their time, and evaluate the clarity and quality of the finished piece.

• Interview questions: Ask about the candidate’s experience writing professional pieces on short deadlines.

• Role-playing: Lay out a situation that requires the person to write a piece quickly. Ask them to walk you through their research and writing process to evaluate their ability to write efficiently.

Roles where this skill excels

Efficiency in writing is typically useful for positions such as:

• Journalist: Journalists often need to write comprehensive pieces on short notice, so they must be highly efficient and organized.

• HR manager: This role communicates with a range of internal and external people frequently, so efficiency is essential to workload management.

Written communication skills help employees succeed in various jobs. With a skills-based approach to hiring, you can gain access to applicants with strong writing backgrounds and other essential capabilities.