Essential Soft Skills for Career Success, Part 4

Communication: The Weakest Link of all Soft Skills

Organizations hire people who possess all the hard skills and soft skills to do the job… or as close as possible.  Hard skills are taught extensively in colleges and universities.  There are also apprenticeships, internships, certification programs and technical schools that offer hands-on instruction.  Even many workplaces offer on-the-job training programs.  From pilot to programmer and from aviator to architect, most jobs require extensive learning to master technical skills.

Soft skills, on the other hand, aren’t really “taught” in any formal, detailed way.  They’re essential yet not explored, instilled or practiced much.   Teachers and trainers mention soft skills in passing.  Communicate clearly.  Work as a team.  Be on time.  Be professional.  It’s not until a person’s been on the job a while that a supervisor might discover that an employee lacks a certain soft skill.  And that skill weakness often emerges at the worst possible time, such as during a crisis, a pressured deadline or at a moment when the spotlight shines. That’s when an HR manager or supervisor might send the employee to a webinar or seminar or asks them to shadow a more skilled colleague to help strengthen that soft skill.  Sometimes this works.  Often it doesn’t.

In fact, a Cengage / Morning Consult survey found that 75% of employers today say they have a difficult time finding college graduates with the soft skills they need.  This is dubbed the Soft Skills Gap. Managers across industries, company sizes and demographics continually complain that employees “lack people skills”, “are missing the ability to communicate” or “display unprofessionalism.”  They’ll grudgingly comment that their new hire “has no work ethic” or “doesn’t work well with others”.  If there is no improvement, the employee is terminated.

So which soft skill causes the most job terminations?  Communication.  Here’s why.

The Communication Bucket of Soft Skills

First, communication as a soft skill is really a bucket of skills that includes:

• active listening,
• empathy,
• verbal communication (including what’s said, how it’s said, pitch, tone, inflection, etc.)
• non-verbal communication (including body language, facial expressions, posture, etc.)
• interpersonal skills
• conflict resolution
• persuasion
• negotiation
• the ability to give and receive feedback, and
• written communication 

And related to and intertwined with communication come other skills like emotional intelligence, leadership, teamwork, collaboration and more.  So, communication is a plethora of skills that tap into different abilities and is intricately tied to other important soft skills.   Being able to communicate effectively, efficiently, clearly and in a way that is understood and well-received is fundamental to practically any career.  However, nearly 55% of employers say they have a difficult time finding candidates with strong communication skills.  That is because solid communication skills are not so simple to learn and master. 

Although most everyone can communicate, this seemingly straightforward skill really involves a complex interplay of factors like clear expression, active listening, reading subtle non-verbal cues, adapting to audiences of different age and gender, and navigating cultural nuances.  That makes it challenging to consistently do well, especially in diverse workplaces with varying communication styles and expectations.  And younger people are increasingly struggling to communicate comfortably or effectively face-to-face because it’s a skill learned primarily through repetition.  So those who aren’t communicating face-to-face much are sure to have trouble becoming proficient at it.  Talking through the safety of a screen versus standing directly in front of a human being is just not the same.  Bolstering those real-time, face-to-face communication skills can be quite challenging for those who have less experience due to the prevalence of technology.

While there’s no exact statistic on how often people are fired for poor communication skills in the U.S., studies and reports consistently highlight that poor communication is a big factor leading to termination.  It’s cited as one of the top reasons employees are let go, especially when combined with other performance issues.  And some surveys even indicate that a substantial percentage of firings involve individuals with inadequate communication abilities, particularly among recent graduates entering the workforce. 

However, no one wins if employees are regularly fired because they are ineffective communicators.   The employer loses because finding and replacing an existing employee is expensive.  The terminated employee loses because there is nothing more disheartening than being terminated from a job, especially one where they can do the technical aspects of the job masterfully.  And employee turnover is even hard on those who remain employed because it adds to the workload and lowers morale.   So what is an employer to do to avoid or remedy a Communication Skills Gap and what can an employee to do to overcome poor communication skills?

Recruit and Hire for Communication Skills

Since it was already mentioned that improving an employee’s poor communication skills is not easy, the first step for any employer is to avoid the problem altogether.  That means recruiting and hiring candidates who possess not just strong technical skills but also soft skills, especially communication.

To ensure new hires have strong communication skills, thoroughly assess their communication abilities during the interview process, incorporate communication-focused exercises in the onboarding process, provide regular feedback, and foster a company culture that values open and clear communication, including both verbal and written forms. 

1. Thoroughly screen candidates – Hiring managers need to ask behavioral questions that probe into past communication experiences and utilize role-playing scenarios to assess how candidates handle different communication situations. Pay attention to both verbal and non-verbal cues during the interview.  See how comfortable they feel speaking to others and read their tone, choice of words, ease and body language. Communication skills to assess include:

• Active listening – The candidate should be able to fully understand the hiring manager’s message by paying attention and asking clarifying questions. 
  
  
• Clarity and conciseness – The candidate should clearly convey information without unnecessary jargon or rambling. 
  
  
• Adaptability – The candidate should be able to adjust their communication style to different audiences and situations.  That means there should be people with very different styles involved in the interview / screening process.
  
  
• Written communication – The candidate should be able to write a well-structured and grammatically correct written document.  This activity should not be very time-consuming nor should the candidate be asked to produce a work product that the company can use later, such as a sample Sales Plan.  But each candidate should be asked to write a response email or memo.
  
  
• Non-verbal communication – The candidate should demonstrate appropriate body language and tone of voice during every aspect of the interview, including how they speak to and treat the receptionist.

2. Conduct onboarding with a focus Communication – Design specific onboarding modules that explicitly address communication skills.  Incorporate active listening exercises and feedback sessions and provide opportunities for new hires to practice communication with colleagues in different situations. 

3. Provide continuous Feedback and Development – Regularly provide constructive feedback on communication skills, including both positive reinforcement and areas for improvement.  In providing that feedback, preface any negative comment with a positive one, discuss the area that needs improvement, and then close with another area of praise.  Also, encourage peer feedback to provide that person with diverse perspectives.  If there are several people or a team that is struggling with communication, offer communication skills training or workshops for the group.  It’s like chicken soup; it can’t hurt and it might help. 

4.  Ensure company culture mirrors effective communication – Establish clear expectations for communication across all levels of the organization and encourage open and transparent communication channels.  Then lead by example.  Have leadership also demonstrate strong communication practices both in person and written. 

Boosting Communication Skills

Most everyone can communicate.  But not everyone communicates efficiently, effectively, clearly and concisely.  So, what is someone to do if they really struggle with communication?  While improving communication skills is not easy, it is also not a lost cause.  To boost weak communication skills at work, an employee can start by focusing on the things they can easily control. 

• Listen actively – Pay full attention to the speaker, avoid interrupting, and summarize key points to ensure understanding.  Turn notifications and sound off on your cell phone.  Take mental notes if written ones aren’t practical. 
  
  
• Be mindful of your body language – Be aware of your body language, maintain eye contact, and use gestures that align with your message.  For example, sit or stand with good posture.  Uncross arms and legs.  Don’t let your eyes wander.  Nod to confirm that you are listening. 
  
  
• Keep it professional – Be mindful of tone of voice, speed of communication (which varies depending on who you’re speaking to) and word choice.  Maintain a positive and professional tone in both verbal and written communication. 
  
  
• Seek feedback regularly – Regularly ask colleagues and supervisors for constructive feedback on your communication style. Even if this feels uncomfortable, ask “Am I being clear with my communication?” or “Is there anything I can do to improve?”
  
  
• Clarify a message – Paraphrase what you heard.  Ask questions to ensure you understood the scope of the work fully.  Confirm key points and next steps after discussions. 
  
  
• Ask clarifying questions – Make a conscious effort to understand others’ perspectives and communication styles.  To ensure that communication is clear, ask questions like: “Could you please rephrase that?”, “Can you provide more details on…”, “Do you mean that…”, “To clarify, are we aiming for…”, “Just to confirm, what is the deadline for this task?”, or “Could you explain how this aligns with our overall goals?”
  
  
• Be concise – Structure your messages to be straightforward and avoid unnecessary jargon. 
  
  
• Prepare for presentations – Practice your delivery and use visual aids to enhance understanding. 
  
  
• Resolve conflicts – Address disagreements directly and constructively, focusing on finding solutions.  Don’t spread rumors or discuss a problem with others who aren’t involved. 

For employees who don’t have a lot of experience communicating face to face with people, it is possible to practice communication by joining a group like Toastmasters, which helps with public speaking, writing essays, creating YouTube shorts, recording yourself, and role-playing.  When it comes to the soft skills of communication, practice really does make perfect… or at least better. 

Next week, we’ll take a look at another area of soft skills that is important to most every organization; namely, collaboration and teamwork (which are not the same thing).  Stay tuned!

Quote of the Week
“There is now very hard evidence that you have to have soft skills in order to succeed.”
James Heckman, Nobel Prize-winning Economist

© 2025, Keren Peters-Atkinson. All rights reserved.

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