A new survey reveals employers are concerned about the quality of workers they are currently hiring—and they may be facing the same problems as you. A statewide skills survey conducted by the North Carolina Workforce Development Boards revealed that the No. 1 skill needed in the workforce is communication and interpersonal skills. The second most-needed skill was leadership and third was customer service—and let's face it, success in these areas requires good communication and interpersonal skills, as well!
With all the electronic methods of communication, many younger people need a refresher course on face-to-face communication. They've forgotten—or maybe never knew—the importance of eye contact and body language. And it's not just the young people. Most customer-service reps need a reminder of this, as well. Managers, think about it—a little eye roll here, a little talking on the cell phone while supposedly serving customers there. Next thing you know, your clients are going somewhere else. Can you afford that?
Don't make the mistake of assuming your employees are good communicators. Just because you trained them on what to say doesn't mean they know how to say it. There's a mighty fine line between efficient and rude. Caring is what people want.
When it comes to communication, your employees really need to understand the impact that body language can have, especially in regard to making eye contact—with the other person, not their Blackberry. Apparently, people think they can just sneak a peek at their electronic devices and no one will notice. Are they insane? Everyone notices. We have these crazy things called eyeballs that are drawn to furtive movement—and blatant rudeness.
They need to know how crucial facial expression is and how quickly other people can interpret theirs. Do you want to lose customers because one of your new employees rolls his or her eyes and sighs whenever asked to check on an order status?
Many companies need to examine (or even develop) their e-mail policies. What do you consider an appropriate response time? You might find that administrative people think an hour is sufficient while outside salespeople think a day is more realistic. How should the subject line—the most important part of an e-mail—be used? And, enough with the “reply all” button already!
Do your employees need presentation skills? Don't assume they have them. Texting friends all day does little to develop that skill set. Your employees represent your company; if their communication and interpersonal skills are weak, how can they possibly do a good job?
And here's an important question to ask yourself: Do you reward good communication skills? Let's face it, if I don't talk on my cell phone at work and I am treated the same as a co-worker who does nothing but talk on his or her cell phone all day, why shouldn't I start calling my friends? If, unlike my co-workers, I pay attention and don't spend all my time texting during meetings, but no one cares, why bother?
Here's the bottom line: Don't assume anything. Decide what communication skills your people need, get them the corresponding training, reward good performance and coach poor performance. And make sure you maintain eye contact when you do it.
Denise Ryan, MBA, is a certified speaking professional, a designation of excellence held by less than 10 percent of all professional speakers. She has a blog and her Web site is www.firestarspeaking.com.
