Find out the kind of questions and answers you can use to assess communications skills in an applicant.
One of the skills employers look for in employees is communication skills due to its vital role in the success of the organization. Employees should have excellent verbal and non-verbal communication as well as get along well with others. To gauge the skills, the employer asks questions relating to the way you handle challenging situations, address issues, interact with colleagues/management or customers and resolve conflicts. This is to evaluate skills such as listening skills, non-verbal communication, confidence and clear responses. Some of the likely questions include:
Working with others
How do you work with other employees? The question is checking your interpersonal and teamwork skills. Explain how you have interacted with managers and colleagues. In case you have faced any challenges, explain how you overcame it.
How do you prefer working, in a team or independently? Give an answer based on job requirements. If a job requires teamwork, then you will need to be a team player to fit.
Challenging situations
Which challenging situation have you faced and how did you overcome? The question is meant to find out which situations you consider difficult and how you handle them. Answer it by explaining a difficult situation you encountered at work and how you remedied it. For instance, laying off employees when downsizing can be a difficult decision.
How would you approach communication breakdown at the office? Say that you would avoid miscommunication at a personal level by adjusting your communication style and daily interactions. Also indicate that you would raise the issue of communication breakdown with the management.
Communication style
What is your communication style? While answering honestly, base your answer to the position you are being interviewed for. If the job entails frequent interaction with customers, then being assertive and outgoing is desired.
What is your preferred mode of communication, verbal or writing? Base the answer on the kind of communication that the job requires most. However, indicate that you understand that each scenario calls for its kind of communication.
Do you prefer being a good communicator or a good listener? Answer by saying that listening and communication go hand in hand. You cannot be a good communicator without being a good listener.
Presentation skills
Tell us about a presentation you gave. How did you make sure that the audience understood the information? Explain the modes of communication you used to ensure that your audience understood such as using visual aids.
Persuasion skills
How did you convince someone to your viewpoint? A good communicator should be persuasive and can convince another to do something or to support their position. Explain how you were able to convince someone.