7 Communication skills interview questions you need to ask

Employers are increasingly recognising the importance of communication skills in the workplace as a critical factor for a company’s success. Knowing how to test communication skills by asking the right questions at a job interview ensures that they select employees that will be fit for the organisation and its unique culture of communication. Communication is found to be a soft skill, but it is one that is very important to company culture and development.

Companies ask communication skills interview questions to assess a candidate’s ability to communicate effectively with co-workers and external stakeholders, as well as to determine how well they would fit in with the company’s culture.

Communication interview questions are typically designed to assess a candidate’s ability to listen, speak, and write effectively, and handle a variety of communication scenarios. Good communication skills are also indicators of how well a person interacts and gets along with others. Asking these questions during an interview can help employers make an informed decision when it comes to hiring the right person for the job.

Communication interview questions focus on two categories: verbal communication and non-verbal communication.

Verbal communication questions gauge the candidate’s ability to articulate and express themselves in an effective manner.

These questions are usually open-ended in order to test whether the candidate can explain a concept or answer a question in an understandable way. For instance: “Describe when you had to explain a difficult concept,” or “How do you explain a complex idea to someone who does not have the same level of knowledge?”

When gauging non-verbal communication skills, the employer observes how well the candidate interacts with other people, listens to someone, responds to questions, and presents themselves.

Ask candidates these communication skills interview questions to find out how well they are able to analyze a situation, conceptualize messaging, and articulate them for stakeholders or a target audience.

What this shows: The candidate’s ability to read, process, and digest information, and convey it in a way that is easily understandable. When interviewing fresh graduates, they may give an example of the time they read a difficult chapter from a textbook and reported it in class. Ask them to describe the process of how they went about it, and whether they were successful in keeping their audience’s attention.

What this shows: If the candidate can tailor their message to their target audience. Whether amongst co-workers or with clients, this specific skill is important to make sure everyone is looped in with the correct set of information. With companies increasing their use of relationship marketing to attract and keep customers, the ability to create tailored marketing content is a must. A candidate who can conceptualize ways to reach diverse audiences may have the talent to communicate effectively with important stakeholders and co-workers from different backgrounds.

What this shows: If the candidate can politely disagree or present an opposing idea to a superior in a positive and patient manner. Differing opinions and approaches are essential to growth in the workplace and the system, however, combatant or ill-mannered delivery is a sign of a poor communicator.

What this shows: If the candidate can calmly diffuse a situation. It is an acceptable fact that some differences can escalate tensions. Someone with excellent communication skills can make sure that those differences won’t get in the way of business.

What this shows: The types of soft skills that the candidate knows in order to bring a team on the same page, especially about deadlines and goals. A lot of time, effort, and resources are wasted because of lack of communication between team members. Look for the candidate who knows how to keep everyone informed and working toward a common direction.

What this shows: If the candidate values criticism for improvement and can easily filter out negative comments without violent reactions. A good manager knows the difference between constructive criticism and ill-intended quips that the candidate will not see any added value to their work. The candidate can also see this, what matters is that they take in what is intended to improve their performance and set aside personal matters graciously.

What this shows: If the candidate knows the importance of feedback and monitoring as part of the communication cycle. Sending or transmitting the messages are only part of it. Dig around for their “follow-up” strategies to see if they make sure that their messages have successfully been understood.

In addition to assessing a candidate’s ability to communicate, these and similar questions that employers may ask can provide insight into a candidate’s problem-solving skills and interpersonal skills. For example, if a candidate is asked to describe a difficult situation and how they handled it, employers will get an idea of their problem-solving skills and how they handle difficult conversations.

By asking communication interview questions, employers can also get an understanding of a candidate’s other important traits, such as the ability to work in teams and their level of emotional intelligence.