When you browse job ads, you’ll likely notice most positions have a few requirements in common – regardless of what sector or career level the job is in. This is because a few essential skills are necessary to succeed at most jobs.
Studies analysing online job postings to determine trends in in-demand skills have found that communications skills appear as requirements in almost all postings across industries – second only to ‘teamwork.’
In fact, one study released just last week – found that in a hot job market, where employers are struggling to recruit the staff they need – many are willing to loosen up their demands for years of experience. The interpersonal abilities and communication skills, though, are non-negotiable.
This survey of 1,000 organizations across Canada found that 77% of Canadian employers would hire a candidate based on their interpersonal skills rather than their job-related knowledge or ‘hard’ skills. Technical skills can be taught and learned on the job. Savvy communicators are in-demand.
So, what does it mean to demonstrate solid communication skills on the job? It involves efficient language use and the ability to express complex ideas simply. Still, it also encompasses a certain level of knowledge of how to use the many communication formats. These include public speaking and presenting, writing and emailing, video chat, social media and more.
Poor communications within a team can lead to misunderstandings, missed deadlines, and lost opportunities. That is why this is such a sought-after trait in new hires.
What makes good communication in the workplace?
A handy formula sums up the essentials of effective workplace communications nicely – experts call it the ‘Seven Cs of Communications.’ These C’s are that your message is transmitted in a clear, correct, complete, concrete, concise, considered, and courteous way.
Let’s take a look at each in a little more detail.
Clear – Nothing frustrates other people more in workplace communications than receiving a message they can’t understand – even on repeat reading or listening. Communicate with your audience in mind, and make sure that what you send out can be easily interpreted by others.
Correct – Double-check your facts and proofread your message. Sending out incorrect information will cause confusion and delays. (Or it could simply make you appear sloppy and unprofessional.)
Complete – Ensure you share all the necessary information in your message. It is generally inefficient communication that requires a great deal of follow-up and back-and-forth responses to fill in the details.
Concrete – When sending out workplace communications, stay on message and keep your content focused on the relevant details of the subject at hand. Try to avoid going off on a tangent or adding personal commentary.
Concise – Similarly, keep your communications as tight as possible. Include all of the relevant information, but then stop. Adding unnecessary details waters down the essential – and could lead to confusion. Be as detailed as you need to be, but as brief as you can be.
Considered – Consider who is receiving your communications, what they need to know, and what you expect the next steps. Always communicate with the bigger picture in mind. Consider the desired outcomes of your message and craft it to achieve those goals.
Courteous – Above all, be nice. Anything else is unprofessional and likely career-limiting. Remember never to send a message when you are feeling anxious or upset. Always take a moment – or more – to pause and then reread your message and carefully consider the tone and style before sending it out.
Understanding your audience means thinking about what you are saying from their perspective. Many organizations develop their language over time, making it difficult for outsiders or newcomers to understand. Often this is because of the overuse of workplace-specific jargon and acronyms – which can be useful when chatting with a colleague but will likely be gibberish to anyone else.
Speaking professionally
Speaking of developing one’s own language, when communicating professionally – watch out for the most commonly mispronounced words. We hear them all the time, and they can diminish the impact of an otherwise well-crafted and thoughtful presentation.
When speaking to others, talk slowly and clearly. Many people rush to fill the silence when they are nervous and start talking before fully formulating their thoughts. This is why many people begin to use filler words and phrases such as ‘uh,’ ‘like,’ and ‘um’ to buy time mid-sentence. The silent space in conversations always seems longer in your head than it really is. Take a breath, think of what you want to say, and speak as articulately as possible. Enunciate your words.
Even if it did seem like you took a few extra seconds to respond, the impression you make would still be better than stammering over your words.
Video conferencing
Much more business communications are taking place via video conferencing apps than ever. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations looked for ways to keep their operations going without putting people at risk by simultaneously being in the same room.
It is also just a consequence of technology advancing. The internet is faster than it used to be. The video calling apps are better too. And it can be much more efficient to get people together for a video chat than to make everyone drop what they are doing and travel to a specific location for a meeting.
Well, it’s more efficient if everyone is prepared and knows how to use the tools. A large time waster on many video conferences is people waiting until the meeting starts before trying to figure out how to use their microphone or camera or realizing that their location is too dark or too noisy.
Video chat like a professional. Pick a place where the lighting is right, and you won’t be disturbed, the background is not distracting (or use a virtual background), and test your camera and mic in advance.
Otherwise, you risk being among the most annoying people on a video call, and that’s not the impression you want to make – unless you’re looking to go viral, as many did.
Professional writing
Much business communication takes place by email, of course. Most of us have several email addresses for work and personal life, so we all know how to send and check emails. However, business correspondence is different from just keeping in touch with friends.
You should write work emails with a purpose. Most of us receive too many unnecessary work emails throughout the day. Try to limit your contributions to communicating information that is necessary to convey. I try to remember a helpful acronym for work correspondence: BLUF. It stands for Bottom Line Up Front, meaning get right to the point. Tell the recipients what they need to know without making them wade through a great deal of irrelevant text.
You should also reread your emails before sending them out to ensure that they follow the ‘seven Cs’ of communications and verify your grammar and spelling. A typo or misused word can create a poor impression of an otherwise carefully crafted and thoughtful email.
Here is how to proofread like a professional editor – a skill that will come in handy for future job applications and on-the-job communications.
Social media
Communicating on social media platforms has caused a new set of issues for candidates trying to make a professional impression on employers – and for workers trying to keep their jobs. If you want to use your communication skills as an asset to getting hired, you need to showcase these abilities publicly in every message you send out.
You won’t come across as a savvy communicator if you have a public Instagram feed, Twitter profile, or Facebook page full of misspelled words and bad grammar. Pay attention to detail, proofread your messages, or reconsider your privacy settings.
These settings can be vital if you are publicly identifiable online as an employee of the company you work for – then what you post online can impact your employment. Complaining about your boss or your job online can be grounds for termination. Anti-social behaviour and controversial political statements have also landed many workers in hot water. Never post anything online that you wouldn’t want your boss to see.
Texting
Most of us do a lot of communicating by text message these days. It’s faster and more efficient than a phone call and less time-consuming than an email. When it comes to your workplace, ensure that texting is an accepted form of communication before using it professionally. Not every organization is on board with this form of communication.
If your workplace is open to staff communicating with each other via text message, try to follow these 15 rules for professional texting.
Unspoken communications
Another factor to consider in your professional interactions is what you communicate without saying anything at all. Smiling and having a friendly demeanour, making eye contact and projecting open, confident body language can impact how the message you communicate is received.
Pay attention when other people are speaking – whether to you directly or to a group in a meeting. Staring at your laptop or phone screen while someone is talking to you communicates disinterest. And it is rude. Remember that courtesy is one of the pillars of effective professional communications. Practising good manners shows a great deal about you.
Conclusion:
Employers actively seek to hire candidates who can make a positive impression on their colleagues and clients – people who can convey information clearly and concisely, present updates to the team, and write effective emails and messages.
Your communication abilities are transferable skills that will benefit you in almost every job. Understanding your audience and communicating your message effectively and efficiently can be the keys to getting hired and noticed for the next step up the ladder at work.