As an employer, you’re looking for a candidate who works well in teams. This means they should be able to adapt to different personalities and needs. They also need to be able to listen and communicate with members of their team. What to look for in an answer:

• Enthusiastic about working in a team

• Recognizes how different working styles compromise with each other

• Demonstrates listening and communication skills

There are many different kinds of interpersonal skills, but they all refer to how you interact and communicate with others. Ask your candidates interpersonal skills interview questions that test their definitions and comprehension. They should also be able to explain the importance and application of these skills in the workplace. What to look for in an answer:

• Able to list and describe several interpersonal skills

• Understands the value of interpersonal skills

• Demonstrates knowledge and application of interpersonal skills

Empathy is an important component of interpersonal communication. It's also referred to as emotional intelligence, and empathetic leaders and team members are able to more accurately understand the emotions and needs of colleagues and clients. Ask your candidate to define empathy and apply it to an example. What to look for in an answer:

• Able to clearly define empathy as an interpersonal skill

• Recognizes the importance of empathy in the workplace

• Demonstrates empathy in an example

Certain organizations have long-term or repeat customers who purchase their services or products. For someone in a project management, sales or customer success role, it’s important to build trust and rapport with a customer, so they'll continue to seek out your organization’s services. What to look for in an answer:

• Able to listen and respond to customers’ needs

• Takes responsibility for customer satisfaction

• Anticipates and prevents customer dissatisfaction

Even if your candidate is not applying for a leadership or management position, leadership qualities are still an important part of interpersonal skills. Aspects of leadership include motivating colleagues and making important decisions. By asking your candidate about their leadership style, you can also gauge whether their approach would fit in with your organization. What to look for in an answer:

• Confident in motivating and collaborating with colleagues

• Demonstrated interest in leadership

• Leadership style that fits your workplace culture

Having good interpersonal skills means that you can recognize your own needs, as well as the needs of those around you. By asking your candidate interpersonal skills interview questions that refer to their communication style, you can gauge how in tune they are with their needs and whether their preferences fit in with your organization’s style. What to look for in an answer:

• Clear definition of preferred communication

• Style of conflict resolution

• Expectations of management qualities

A leader with good interpersonal skills should have a clear and adaptable strategy for supporting their colleagues and team members. This type of situation requires the candidate to be able to think critically to solve problems. They also need to be able to empathize, communicate and potentially negotiate with others. What to look for in an answer:

• Compassion toward team members

• Ability to adapt communication to situations

• Desire to empathize with and support others

It’s important that a candidate for any role, including leadership positions, is able to receive and respond to feedback in a positive manner. Managers and other leaders should be able to make themselves available to hear feedback from their teams. This gives them an opportunity to make team members feel heard and to reflect on opportunities for personal development. What to look for in an answer:

• Willingness to receive feedback

• Desire to make sure team members’ voices are heard

• Eager for opportunities to improve professionally and personally

Project management wouldn’t be nearly as successful without interpersonal skills, such as teamwork, negotiation, listening and leadership. If your candidate might be hired for a project management role, ask them to describe why these skills are necessary for effective project management and how they might apply them. What to look for in an answer:

• Understanding how interpersonal skills and project management are related

• Demonstration of interpersonal skills in project management

• Specific examples

Nobody has mastered interpersonal skills. Understanding interpersonal skills means you understand that developing your skills is an ongoing process. A good candidate should demonstrate how they proactively develop their skills, rather than trying to step up their abilities as more complex situations arise. What to look for in an answer:

• Specific examples of interpersonal skills development

• Enthusiasm to develop interpersonal skills

• Ability to recognize personal opportunities for growth