Communication skills, in general, are essential to recruiting success. But one of these skills is frequently overlooked.
Listen up. No, really. Listen up.
If you’re not listening, truly listening—to hiring managers and job candidates—you’re missing important information.
Listen to Understand
“Too often, instead of listening we mentally rehearse what we want to say,” writes Scott McLean, author of Business Communication for Success. Instead, he advocates for active listening, and directs readers to Mind Tools, a provider of on-demand career and management solutions.
According to Mind Tools there are five active listening techniques:
- Pay attention
- Show that you’re listening
- Provide feedback
- Defer judgment
- Respond appropriately
This may sound straightforward, but each technique includes several elements. For example, paying attention requires that you look at the speaker directly; put aside distracting thoughts; not prepare a mental rebuttal; avoid being distracted by environmental factors, like a side conversation; and “listen” to the speaker’s body language.
Hearing with Your Eyes
Body language seems to be its own language—and it can speak volumes.
Nevertheless, it can be a mistake to allow cues you think you’re picking up from a speaker’s body language override what he or she is saying.
In a recent Forbes article, keynote speaker, author, and presence coach Carol Kinsey Goman, PhD, debunks several myths related to body language. One of these myths is “You can tell what someone is thinking by analyzing their body language.”
“No, you can’t,” Kinsey Goman writes. “Neither can I. We are not mind readers. While body language can offer insights into the emotional state of someone (angry, sad, happy, disgusted, fearful, contemptuous, etc.), it can’t tell why the person is exhibiting that emotion.”
More than Interpretation
However, engaging with the speaker will provide additional information.
As Mind Tools notes, this requires showing that you’re listening, and here you can use your own body language to convey your attention. Nod occasionally; smile and use other facial expressions; note your posture and make sure it is open and inviting; and encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like “yes” and “uh huh.”
Engagement also requires providing feedback. Here, Mind Tools points out that as a listener, your role is to understand what is being said—and that this may require you to reflect what is being said and ask questions.
You can reflect what is being said by paraphrasing, using phrases like, “What I’m hearing is,” and “Sounds like you are saying.”
Using questions can also help to clarify certain points. For example, “What do you mean when you say …” or “Is this what you mean?”
Additionally, summarizing the speaker’s comments periodically will keep you engaged in the conversation; let the person know you’re listening; and help avoid any miscommunication.
Deliberate Participation
Listening isn’t passive; it requires deliberate participation—and that participation can make a difference when communicating with hiring managers and job candidates.
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Paula Santonocito, Contributing Editor for Recruiting Daily Advisor, is a business journalist specializing in employment issues. She is the author of more than 1,000 articles on a wide range of human resource and career topics, with an emphasis on recruiting and hiring. Her articles have been featured in many global and domestic publications and information outlets, referenced in academic and legal publications as well as books, and translated into several languages. |