Evaluating Communication Skills in Administrative Candidates

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Your administrative team keeps the company running smoothly, so you need to hire very carefully. It’s important to choose a candidate who has both exceptional written and oral communication skills, because they’re both necessary to be effective in the job.

Find out how to determine if the administrative talent vying for an opening at your company has what it takes to excel at the job.

3 Tips to Assess Written Communication Skills

Review the Job Application

When you first review a job application, you probably zero in on the person’s skills and experience, which could cause you to miss subtle signs their written communication abilities aren’t up to par. After weeding out the first round of candidates, give the applications a second look with a fine-tooth comb. Seek out everything from spelling errors to poor word choice that would make the person’s writing hard to understand.

Pay Close Attention to Email Correspondence

As a busy hiring manager, you probably skim emails quickly because you don’t have a lot of time. Make an exception for any messages from administrative candidates, because this is a great way to evaluate their writing style. Take note of issues like poor sentence structure and questionable punctuation, because beyond being unprofessional, this can cause considerable confusion on the receiving end of the message.

Administer a Test

The best way to assess a candidate’s skills is to witness their abilities firsthand, so give top candidates a test. For best results, choose a responsibility the person will have if hired — e.g., drafting a memo or responding to an email — to see how they perform.

3 Ways to Evaluate Oral Communication Skills

Gauge Their Listening Skills

Many people are very nervous in job interviews, but if the candidate keeps asking you to repeat yourself or doesn’t follow directions well, this is a red flag. Listening skills are a huge part of oral communication. If an administrative professional can’t get information straight, they won’t be able to convey it to the rest of the team.

See How They React to Different Audiences

Your office is a bustling place filled with all types of people, so you need an administrative professional who can adjust their communication style accordingly. During the interview process, have the candidate meet with a diverse group of personalities, and take note of how they engage with each individual.

Take Note of Their Speaking Skills

After meeting with each candidate, reflect on your interactions with them. Think about whether they mumble or tend to trip over their words because these are things that could cause communication issues down the road.

If your Los Angeles or Ventura County company needs to hire administrative talent, team up with Barrington Staffing to find the very best fit. Our team understands how crucial these positions are to the success of your team, so contact us today to start your search!

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