Everyone knows that communication skills are invaluable to your professional and personal life to help you build connections and share your opinions, but what really are communication skills and why should you consider them an important tool for your working life?
Communication can consist of verbal, non-verbal, written and visual communication as well as listening well. It’s crucial for you and others to be able to understand, convey and interpret information. Being able to communicate well is considered one of the most sought-after skills, particularly for young employees and entry-level roles and it can take a significant amount of time to develop this skill fully. Being able to articulate effectively also makes it easier to form relationships in the workplace and these connections are invaluable to job success and future career progression.
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- Communication skills definition
- The 5 types of communication skills
- Verbal communication
- Non-verbal communication
- Written communication
- Visual communication
- Listening
- Top 5 communication skills that employers look for
- How to improve communication skills
- How to describe communication skills on a CV
- To sum up
Communication skills definition
Communication skills are the ability to share and convey ideas and information effectively. Good communication skills are crucial when working with others, regardless of the role or company. Common issues with communication can stem from not listening, being indirect when delivering information, avoiding hard conversations and simply not communicating. Poor communication skills can be a key barrier to delivering the highest quality work, hence why good communication skills are so important to employers. Developing your verbal, non-verbal, visual and written communication skills as well as your listening skills is a great way to guarantee improved success in job applications and interviews as well as the role itself.
The 5 types of communication skills
There are 5 different types of communication skills, all of which are extremely important. They are all listed below with a definition as well as communication skills examples.
Verbal communication skills
Verbal communication is any communication that is spoken, such as delivering a presentation or a conversation with your boss or a colleague.
Active listening
Active listening is a method of communication whereby you make an effort to ensure that not only are you hearing the words being said, but you are also understanding what this means. For effective active listening, you can’t be focusing on anything else. One of the best ways to demonstrate active listening is to be engaged with what is being said and provide feedback by asking questions and adding your own comments while being sure to avoid interrupting.
Speaking clearly and concisely
When communicating effectively, speaking clearly and concisely is essential. This will involve using the correct words at the right time, which is made easier by clear thinking before you start speaking. Slowing down to think about what you are trying to say and how you are going to say it is useful when trying to implement this. You may also find it useful to expand your vocabulary and improve your grammar if this is an area you feel needs improvement.
Speaking with confidence
Confidence when speaking allows you to portray your ideas with clarity. This skill is especially important when public speaking, but speaking with confidence is needed even in less formal conversations. The best way to improve your confidence when speaking is through preparation and practice. With time you need less preparation to speak with confidence. Try to avoid speaking too quickly or murmuring as well as filling silences with ‘um’ as this doesn’t convey confidence.
Non-verbal communication
Non-verbal communication refers to the expression of information and thoughts without using spoken language. This is important as it can demonstrate how engaged you are in a topic as well as how well you may be listening. It can help to increase trust and rapport and therefore accelerate relationship building. Non-verbal communication includes posture, facial expressions and eye contact.
Having the right posture
Standing or sitting in the right posture can represent levels of confidence and comfort. It can suggest openness which can help when trying to form new relationships in a working environment. Sitting or standing up straight without slouching and holding your arms by your side not crossed in front of you presents yourself as confident and comfortable and not closed off to interactions.
Having the right facial expression
Facial expressions are a great way to display being engaged or interested in a topic or task. You can use facial expressions to show attentiveness and respond to what is being said without verbally interrupting. They support social interactions well. Smiling in particular conveys confidence and ease as well as encourages interaction with new and existing contacts.
Using eye contact appropriately
Eye contact helps to improve understanding between two people when having a discussion. When presenting or public speaking, eye contact with different members of the audience helps to maintain engagement with what you are speaking about and provides a sense of personal involvement to the listeners. Strong eye contact also makes people feel more trusting so it can help to accelerate your professional relationships.
Discover how you can find out more about your communication style and how to deliver it to other people in this free online learning module.
Written communication
This is the way in which you convey messages through writing. Strong written communication skills are essential in most corporate environments. When trying to portray complex information, this is especially important. Written communication is very valuable for complex or extensive amounts of information as readers can re-read it to gain maximum understanding from it. Strong communication through writing must have clarity, a good tone of voice and correct grammar.
Clarity
When communicating through writing, clarity is crucial to ensure you present the right message to the reader. This can be done by knowing who you are addressing and writing in a style that suits the audience, creating sentence outlines and defining words that may be unfamiliar. Writing with clarity also includes giving the reader clear signposts and direction so the piece is easy to follow.
Tone of voice
Tone refers to the attitude of the writer towards the reader. This may be informal, formal, factual, humorous, optimistic, concerned, assertive or respectful as well as many others. The tone of voice depends on who the written work is directed at and it suggests a certain mood.
Grammar and syntax
Grammar refers to the rules of language while syntax is the arrangement of words. Both are crucial in executing effective written communication. These can both greatly impact the meaning and tone of your sentences. Grammar and syntax can be worked on and improved before you are in the working world through written work and exercises done during your time at school and university.
Visual communication
This is the action of using visual elements to present ideas and convey emotions. This may be through the use of images, graphs, charts, diagrams, slide shows and other elements.
Using different types of media to convey your message
This may be print, broadcast, the internet or out-of-home advertising such as billboards. This is important as different forms of media will require different styles of communication, for example being formal or less formal. The type of media must also be considered depending on who you are trying to reach and why.
Having an aesthetic sense
When presenting or designing forms of communication it is important to have pleasing aesthetics. Imagery, words or graphics that are visually appealing are more likely to be taken notice of and considered.
Knowing how to use space
Space is extremely important when engaging an audience. Standing in and moving around the space you have effectively keeps your listeners responsive to what you are saying. You may choose to stand still or to move around, depending on what exactly you are trying to communicate.
Listening
This is a key aspect of communication. Effective communication is impossible without good listening skills. It ensures messages are understood and implemented appropriately. To improve listening skills, you should practise active listening whereby you aren’t just mindlessly absorbing the information but proactively listening, considering questions you may have and understanding the information you are being told.
Paying attention
When you are listening to someone, you must pay attention to the words they are saying as well as their body language. Be sure to give them your full attention and display your engagement also through your nonverbal cues such as not slouching and giving them eye contact.
Responding appropriately
Making sure you provide the correct response when listening to someone can define how successful the communication may be. Feedback such as questions and your own thoughts on what they are saying is a great response to show you are engaged in what they said.
Top 5 communication skills that employers look for
Active listening
This is a valuable skill, truly valued by employers. Active listening helps to increase trust and the feeling of being valued in workplace relationships. Honesty and trust can help to accelerate the success of working relationships whether they are internal or external to the organisation you work at. Active listening also makes small errors or misunderstandings less likely, hence why it is a skill employers seek.
Verbal communication
Verbal communication is a key skill employers look for. It’s one of the main ways employees communicate with one another in the day-to-day. Expressing both information and opinions can be very effective through good verbal communication. It’s especially valued when discussing a contested topic or something that has some controversy among the team. Those with good verbal communication are more likely to succeed.
Written communication
From quick updates to your manager to longer pieces of content or reports, written communication is needed in many aspects of a job role. Similar to the other key communication skills, it may be with those inside or outside of your organisation so your tone must be adaptable depending on who you are trying to communicate with. Written communication skills can be displayed through a well-written cover letter or well-formed application question answers.
Presentation skills
Presentation skills include aspects of other skills discussed such as verbal communication, confidence and written communication. This is a skill highly valued by employers. Being able to deliver a clear and concise speech is a highly valued skill by employers and one that is pretty easy to practise.
Non-verbal communication skills
Accurate interpretation and use of non-verbal communication can help you to excel in the working environment, which is why it's a skill that employers look for. Sitting upright and making eye contact shows your potential employer that you’re engaged and enthusiastic. Once you are in the role, it’s also a crucial skill to form relationships with other members of your team.
How to improve communication skills
There are many ways in which you can improve your communication skills. Here are just 10 examples:
Ask for honest feedback
The first step in improving communication skills is assessing the specific areas you need to work on. You can do this by asking those around you for honest, clear feedback. This may be asking your university tutors or colleagues for their thoughts on where your strengths and weaknesses lie when communicating.
Think before speaking
When using your verbal communication skills, it’s important to be considered and formulate what you are trying to say before speaking. Sometimes, once thinking, you may realise that what you were going to say was not necessarily needed or valuable, or that you could rephrase what you would like to say to be more beneficial or impactful.
Take notes
This is a great way to ensure that you are listening actively. Notes are also valuable because you can refer back to them to ensure you understand what was spoken about and then always go back to your colleague or manager afterwards to confirm you have taken away the correct information.
Choose the right way of communicating
When sharing information or thoughts, carefully consider what type of communication carries this information the best. For example, key information regarding an upcoming event may be best delivered through a message or email, whereas thoughts and questions regarding a recent piece of work may be communicated better over the phone or in person.
Observe and learn
One of the most beneficial ways of improving all aspects of your communication skills is by watching how others communicate. When working in a team, consider who is communicating effectively and how or why their communication has been so effective. Think about what aspects of their communication would work for you and how you could try to implement them in how you communicate.
Practise writing
It is important to keep practising your written ability. Written communication has the benefit of being able to check over and edit before it is sent, unlike speaking. So ensure all of your written communication is as clear and effective as possible, as well as being relevant to the audience and type of media you are writing for. This can be easily done during your time at school and university when you are regularly completing written assignments. However, you should try to continue this when you finish your education by checking over your written work regularly and making adjustments and changes to improve it where possible.
Practise presenting
The skill of being able to speak and address a whole group is extremely valuable and is easy to improve through practice. You can watch other people performing strong presentations online and use these as inspiration when doing your own presentations.
Have a positive attitude and smile
When you interact with others with a positive attitude, it encourages a positive response. Employers like an enthusiastic, go-getter attitude and smiling and the use of positive language can increase the strength of many other working relationships. This is arguably the easiest communication skill to implement!
Check messages and emails thoroughly before sending them
Ensure that the message you are trying to convey is clear in your communications with others in your work environment. Checking over messages and emails is a good habit to get into. You can be sure you aren’t answering questions that have already been answered or missing key bits of information.
Over-communicate where necessary
Sometimes, to communicate effectively, you may feel like you are overcommunicating. However, this is a good way to hone in on your communication skills as you can ensure no details are missed and the correct information is being transferred between yourself and others whether that be through speaking and presenting or writing.
How to describe communication skills on a CV
When writing a CV, the best way to describe your communication skills is by demonstrating times that they have been utilised or developed. Although communication skills can be apparent through your CV it is still important to highlight them and times when you have demonstrated them well.
To sum up
Communication skills are the most sought-after skills by employers so improving them is beneficial at any stage. The ones to think about particularly are written communication, verbal communication and non-verbal communication. Certain communication skills will be more important in certain roles but a strong set of communication skills will set you up well for any role in any industry.
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