Communication skills are essential in the workplace. Therefore, when you have a job interview coming up, most likely, questions about your communication skills will be asked. These are commonly asked interview questions.
Expect to be assessed on your ability to communicate efficiently and effectively in the workplace. Interviewers want to hear from you how you talk about your communication skills, for example, by asking how you would handle certain situations or how you have handled specific situations in the past. These types of interview questions are called situational questions, which are hypothetical, and behavioral questions, that are about past work experiences.
So, what kind of communication interview questions can you expect? What types of communication are there? Read all about it in this blog.
Learn more about communication interview questions and how to answer them.
Types Of Communication
Communication can be described as the act of transferring information from one person, place, or group to another. Basically, there are four basic types of communication, being:
Verbal Communication
Any communication that is used to share information with others through words is verbal communication. Verbal communication ranges from speaking/articulating clearly, active listening, to reflecting and clarifying in a conversation.
Non-verbal Communication
Body language, gestures, how someone acts or dresses are all part of their non-verbal communication. For example, the tone of your voice can indicate an emotional state, and hand signals or gestures can contribute to spoken communication.
Written Communication
Written communication is everything from letters, social media, e-mails, books, magazines, internet content, and other forms of media.
Visual Communication
This communication category includes everything visual. Think, for example, of graphs, charts, maps, logos, and any other visual representations that communicate messages.
Why Employers Are Interested In Communication Skills
In the workplace, a lot of processes rely on effective communication. This is also the reason why employers are specifically interested in candidates that can prove they possess the right communication skills.
If communication processes within a team or company are not effective, this can negatively impact a business and could lead to misunderstanding, frustration, or even failure. Therefore, questions about your communication skills are asked to measure your ability to communicate in different situations with different personalities effectively.
What Communication Skills Interviewers Look For
During a job interview, interviewers will assess your ability to communicate clearly. They specifically look for candidates who are able to demonstrate their communication skills with clear examples of past work experiences.
Important communication skills are :
- Active listening
- Non-verbal communication
- Respect
- Friendliness
- Confidence
- Showing empathy
Learn more about important communication skills and how to discuss them.
Examples Of Behavioral Communication Interview Questions
Behavioral job interview questions focus on work situations that you experienced in the past and how you responded to them. The way you respond to these questions tells the interviewer more about your work methods and ethics.
- Describe a time you had a conflict and how you resolved it
- Tell me about a time you managed an important project
- How have you motivated others at work?
- What was the most challenging project you’ve worked on?
Learn more about behavioral interview questions.
Examples Of Personal Communication Interview Questions
Interviewers want to get a better understanding of your motivation, attitude towards work, career goals, and personal traits. The main goal of personal job interview questions is to get an understanding of who you are, what you like, and if all of that fits into the organization and position you’re interviewing for. Examples of personal questions:
- Tell me about yourself
- What motivates you?
- What is your greatest strength?
- Where do you see yourself five years from now?
Learn more about personal interview questions.
Example Communication Interview Questions
Below you’ll find some helpful communication interview questions. To prepare yourself for your interview, you can already think of answers you would give to these example questions.
- Describe yourself briefly
- What major challenges and problems have you faced? How did you handle them?
- Describe a difficult work situation/project and how you overcame it.
- What have you learned from your mistakes?
- What was it like working for your supervisor?
- How do you handle stress and pressure?
- What do you expect from a supervisor?
- What has been the greatest disappointment in your life?
- Do you prefer to work independently or on a team?
- What are you passionate about?
- What are your pet peeves?
- Give some examples of your teamwork in completing a critical project.
- What do people most often criticize you for?
- When was the last time you were angry? What happened?
- Why are you the best person for the job?
- Why do you want to work here?
- What can you contribute to this company?
- Tell me about your greatest accomplishment.
- What skills do you have that have prepared you for work in the communications field?
- Where do you see yourself five years from now?
- Tell me about a time of conflict and how you resolved it.
- What efforts will you put forth to ensure you’ll excel in your new communications role?
- Have you ever worked with the media or written press releases?
- How do you work effectively within a budget?
- How do you stay organized?
- Why should we select you for this position?
- What social media channels are you familiar with?
Job Interview Topics – Common Job Interview Questions & Answers
Below you can find a list of common job interview topics. Each link will direct you to an article regarding the specific topics that discuss commonly asked interview questions. Furthermore, each article discusses why the interviewer asks these questions and how you answer them!
- Accomplishments
- Adaptability
- Admission
- Behavioral
- Career Change
- Career Goals
- Communication
- Competency
- Conflict Resolution
- Creative Thinking
- Cultural Fit
- Customer Service
- Direct
- Experience
- Government
- Graduate
- Growth Potential
- Honesty & Integrity
- Illegal
- Inappropriate
- Job Satisfaction
- Leadership
- Management
- Entry-Level & No experience
- Performance-Based
- Personal
- Prioritization & Time Management
- Problem-solving
- Salary
- Situational & Scenario-based
- Stress Management
- Teamwork
- Telephone Interview
- Tough
- Uncomfortable
- Work Ethic
