Communication matter in every matter of life and especially in almost all jobs today,
and it is obviously expected that you will be asked communication questions in an
interview.
This is preliminary to judge you that you are able to demonstrate that you have
the experience to communicate clearly, whether you're speaking or writing, and in
more senior positions it's clearly very important to show that you can interact
and communicate well others.
The biggest job interview mistake is to think that
how you communicate in the interview, will be enough to demonstrate your ability
to communicate.
How to answer Communication Questions: Three Steps to Follow
There are three steps to follow which will help you be better prepared to answer
communication interview questions :
Look at the questions below. Highlight the communication questions which are more
likely to apply to the job you're applying for.
Draw on your experiences at work and come up with at least two anecdotes to support
each question. The two examples should be contrasting to show the depth of your
communication skills. Practice answering each communication question by drawing
on your examples from work or your experiences outside work. Keep your anecdote
relevant. The STAR acronym may help to keep you focused.
STAR - For Answering Competence Based Questions
The STAR system is a highly recommended as a way of responding to structured interview
questions common in competency based interviews.
- Describe the Situation you were in
- Outline the Task that was involved
-
Describe the Action you took (remember to use 'I did this' rather than 'we')
- Explain the Result
Ten Interview Questions Testing Your Communication Competence
All the questions below are testing your ability to communicate effectively, listen
sensitively, adapt the style and content of your communication to different audiences,
and foster effective communication with others.
- Tell us about a situation where your communication skills made a difference?
-
Describe a time when you had to win someone over, who was unresponsive to what you
had to say?
- Describe a situation where you were able to influence others on an important issue.
What approaches or strategies did you use?
- Describe a situation where you had to explain something complex at work. What approach
did you follow and how well did it work?
- Describe a time when you had to communicate to someone knowing that you were right
and that they were wrong?
- Give us an example where your listening skills proved crucial to an outcome?
- Can you write? What makes you think that you are good at it?
- How do you prepare for an important meeting?
- Tell us about a situation when you failed to communicate appropriately?
- How and when have you varied your communication approach according to the person
you were addressing?