How to identify candidates with good communication skills?

CV and cover letter are "steel evidence" to evaluate written communication ability

“There is an easy way for me to evaluate candidates' communication skills, specifically writing skills, which is through CVs and cover letters. I do not expect the candidate to be a golden writer in the writing world with beautiful, polished words if he is recruiting for roles not related to literature. What I pay attention to is whether what they write is easy to read and understand, whether the information is logically organized and free of spelling errors, whether their sentences flow smoothly or contain unnecessary words. , adjectives that do not add value and make their writing too complicated or not", shared Senior HR.

According to her, a CV has a clear structure, a concise presentation and a cover letter that goes straight to the point explaining why the candidate is interested in the company as well as the position applying for with the right tone. is a positive sign that your written communication ability is quite good.

If you still want a more accurate assessment, Ms. Nhu suggested: "You can give candidates a practical test. For example, if you need to hire sales staff, you can ask them to write an email explaining why the product can solve the customer's problem. If you need to hire an IT engineer, ask them to write a brief step-by-step guide on how to use certain software. Or if public speaking is part of the job, ask them to give a 5-minute presentation during an in-person interview or through video interview tools.”

“Communication impacts almost every aspect of the work environment, from employee actions on an individual level to the broader corporate culture.”

Pay attention to your first impression of the candidate's communication skills

That is the experience of Recruitment Team Leader, when evaluating verbal communication ability.

“When meeting a potential candidate for the first time, jot down your impressions. First impressions can say a lot, so if you have a good feeling about the candidate from the beginning, that's a good sign,” he revealed. “Accordingly, look to see if they make eye contact? Do they make neutral, friendly eye contact and appear to be actively listening? Or do they just keep looking around or staring strangely? Do they seem comfortable and relaxed, or quiet and withdrawn? Although a little nervous, a candidate who sits up straight, leans forward slightly when listening, and uses gentle and appropriate hand gestures when talking will show engagement and cooperation, making others feel comfortable. roof. On the contrary, crossed arms and a confused or dismayed facial expression are not signs of friendliness or openness.”

He also said that a candidate with good communication skills will do more than just answer questions in the interview. They should ask questions and show interest in the interviewer or anyone else participating in the conversation. “Candidates are there to learn about the position and the company as much as we learn about them. Those with good communication skills will ask questions during the interview and be open and friendly with what is asked," explained.

The right interview questions will give you a clear picture of a candidate's communication and behavioral skills.

“I think soft skills like communication are best assessed through behaviorally focused interview questions. This type of question forces candidates to tell about a time they applied communication skills and describe the situation in detail," expressed Recruitment Team Leader.

According to her, "A candidate with good communication skills will answer using the STAR technique - explaining the situation, tasks, actions and results achieved. Plus how to structure information reasonably, concisely and clearly, what's better?

Talking about favorite questions to evaluate candidates' communication skills, she also has some suggestions such as "Have you ever contributed ideas to colleagues or team members?" How did you do that?”, “Do you often disagree with your colleagues? How do you resolve those situations smoothly?” or “Tell me about a time when you had to communicate effectively with someone whose communication style was different from yours?”.

“A candidate's answers to behavioral questions like these must be open and not evasive or hesitant. It should also show details of the candidate's collaborative efforts. If instead there are egotistical explanations or negative feedback, then poor communication is an accurate assessment of the candidate," she commented.  

Good communication skills are considered necessary by most employers because without this skill, candidates will not be able to have quality "performances". They can be the best programmers or engineers in the world, but if they don't communicate well, they won't be able to work well with their teams, customers, and partners, thereby causing productivity to decline. stagnation and the business will not be able to grow. With such importance, screening candidates who know how to communicate is extremely necessary.