There are two types of skills you need to possess to be a great employee—hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills relate to your specific knowledge and qualifications (e.g., forklift operator and order picker). When it comes to intangible soft skills, one of the most important is being a great listener. Here are some ways having listening skills can help you excel in an interview and as an employee.
Better Understand the Position
You’re likely to have a lot of information thrown at you during a job interview. You’ll learn about the tasks you’ll be responsible for, the workplace environment, company culture and so on. To fully absorb this information, you need to be attentive and really listen to everything the interviewer has to say. This way, you’ll know whether it’s a position you would thrive in or you would be better suited for a different position.
Give a Well-Thought-Out Response
You’ll inevitably need to respond to an interviewer by providing feedback or asking them questions. By actively listening, you should be able to fully grasp everything they’ve said so you can give a well-thought-out response. For example, you might be able to give them examples of how previous experience makes you a top candidate or how your working style makes you an excellent fit for the job. But if you don’t really listen, your responses are likely to miss their mark.
Learn Quicker
After being hired, listening skills are critical for getting acclimated to your new position. Whether you’re being instructed on how to use a particular piece of machinery or a new technology, you’ll need to be alert and attentive. By doing so, you can reduce your learning curve and be a more productive employee in a shorter period of time.
Be a Better Co-Worker
Finally, there’s the matter of teamwork. It’s difficult to succeed as part of a team when you don’t really listen to others. This can hurt overall productivity and drive a wedge between you and others. However, active listening should make these relationships go much smoother and help everyone operate as a tighter unit.
The bottom line is listening is important both when you’re interviewing and when you’re on the job. Taking the time to brush up your listening skills is well worth it and should help you advance your career.
Need help with your job search? Get in touch with the friendly professionals at Encadria Staffing Solutions today.