Posted by Neil Faragher on
Communication is among the most important job skills. When recruiting new staff, most recruiters look for evidence of communication skills.
But which skills make up communication?
In this guide, we describe the 7 top communication skills. We also show you how to demonstrate communication skills on your CV, cover letter and in job interviews, as well as how to improve your communication skills.
Communication skills refers to the ability to receive and convey ideas. Effective communication is made up of many different skills, including both verbal and non-verbal skills. These include active listening, speaking, confidence and empathy.
Good communication skills enable information to be interpreted and dispensed efficiently. When people in the workplace have good communication skills, operations are likely to run much more smoothly. A lack of communication skills can lead to confusion and less efficiency in the workplace.
Active listening is one of the most important communication skills. Active listening refers to the process of observing the verbal and non-verbal messages of a speaker, before responding to what has been said.
Active listening is important because it enables the listener to understand the speaker’s point of view. It also establishes trust and understanding between the two parties. Poor active listening can lead to confusion and inefficiency.
One of the best ways to improve your active listening skills is to place your focus on the speaker, rather than yourself. Take time to monitor the speaker’s facial expressions and non-verbal cues.
People who speak with confidence usually speak with clarity. They also stand a better chance of getting their ideas across in a concise manner. As such, confidence is a key communication skill.
Empathy is an important communication skill because is enables us to understand the emotions and feelings of others. By understanding emotions when communicating, people are more likely to respond in the appropriate manner.
In communication, clarity refers to the process of speaking in a coherent and easy to understand manner. Ensuring your speech is neither too loud nor too quiet is important, as is omitting superfluous information. Speaking without clarity can result in confusion.
To improve the clarity of your communication, ensure to speak concisely and choose only as many words as you need to get your message across.
A large volume of communication is made up of non-verbal cues. This includes body language, eye contact, gestures, tone and facial expressions.
When communicating, focus on the other person’s non-verbal cues. This will help you interpret messages better and communicate more effectively.
You are much more likely to succeed at getting your ideas across if you show respect for other parties.
How can you show respect for someone when communicating?
You can demonstrate respect when communicating by maintaining eye contact and using the person’s name. Actively listening and allowing others to speak without interruption also demonstrates respect in communication.
Affability refers to the quality of having a friendly manner. Affability builds trust and urges others to communicate with you. When communicating with others, smile and demonstrate a friendly demeanour. This will build trust and improve relationships.
Your CV provides an ideal place to demonstrate your communication skills. The way that your CV is written can actually say a great deal about your communication skills. Use concise language on your CV and ensure your document is void of spelling and grammatical errors.
When writing your CV, you may also want to consider drawing attention to your successes that came about as a result of your communication skills.
View our guide on how to write a CV.
As with your CV, the way your cover letter is written and presented can demonstrate your communication skills. By using professional writing and concise sentences, you’ll show recruiters that you have sound communication skills.
View our guide on how to write a cover letter, which includes 6 cover letter examples.
When interviewing for jobs, interviewers will be assessing your communication skills. So, ensure to prepare for your interview in advance. Practise your active listening skills and ensure to hone your communication skills prior to your interview.
