Attracting and retaining great employees BEGINS with interviewing well. There are 10 abilities we believe every organization in every industry should be seeking out in their future employees. Today we're discussing how to discover an employee's ability to listen effectively.
3 Reasons Listening Skills Matter
Most People Listen Badly: Most people talk far more than they listen, and when they do listen, it's often ineffective. Watch for three types: the Monopolizer, who redirects every conversation back to themselves; the Defensive Listener, who's so focused on not being blamed that they miss the point; and the Pseudo-Listener, who nods and smiles without absorbing a word — often the most dangerous type, because you'll believe they got the message when they didn't.
People Don't Listen Well to People They Don't Like or Respect: When a listener doesn't find the speaker trustworthy — or simply dislikes their personality, they have a harder time giving that person focus and brain space. This doesn't mean becoming a doormat, but it is worth having a candid conversation to resolve relationship friction that's getting in the way of being heard. Leaders who build healthy, trust-based relationships get listened to more often.
Is Now the Time?: People spend far more time planning what to say than considering when to say it. A co-worker who isn't a morning person probably isn't ready for a lot of information at 8am; someone stressed or emotional may need a beat before receiving important instructions. Knowing your team's rhythms is a crucial (and often overlooked) part of getting quality listening.
2 Tips for HR Professionals
Note-Taking Does Not Indicate Listening: Listening and writing both demand focus, and few people do both well at once. Someone frantically transcribing every word in a meeting is often listening less, not more. If you see a room start writing everything down, pause and say, “let me give you a minute to write that down,” then resume most people miss key information when they're splitting attention between writing and listening.
Ask Questions for Clarity: There's nothing wrong with asking a listener to repeat back their key takeaways, or explain how they'd apply what you just said to their own job. Repetition is your friend — just be careful not to turn it into a “gotcha” moment, which tends to build distrust instead of confidence.
Ask the Right Questions: 10 Interview Questions
- In school, did you find it difficult to predict what would be on tests based on what instructors talked about in class?
- Do you find yourself focusing more on task completion or on details when receiving instructions?
- What do you think makes someone a “good listener”?
- In meetings you're not leading, how do you determine what action items need to come out of that time?
- Do you find it hard to listen to people you have personality conflicts with? What do you do about it?
- When receiving instructions, do you prefer them written, spoken, or demonstrated? Why?
- Do you tend to focus on the positive or the negative in critiques, and why?
- Have you ever sat through a presentation you found really boring? How did you extract what you needed for your job?
- Do you prefer being around people who are louder and more energetic, or quieter and calmer? Why?
- When giving instructions to someone else, what strategies do you use to make sure they're actually listening?
That's it for this week. Next up: The Ability to Organize/Prioritize and why "they just don't have great time management" might actually be a skill nobody ever taught them.
Talk soon,
Kristin
