Digital natives need to work on face-to-face communication skills
Digital natives are natural online communicators, but recruiting experts Hays warns that for many it’s come at the
expense of face-to-face communication skills.
According to the recruiter, employers are increasingly vetting candidates’ skills in this area.
“Digital natives have grown up using the internet and mobile phones, and while they can quickly grasp the latest online
communication tools, face-to-face communication has been the cost,” says Nick Deligiannis, Managing Director of Hays in
Australia & New Zealand.
A recent study found that globally, 65% of Gen Z and Millennials communicate with others more digitally than in person.
Consequently, employers are increasingly factoring a candidate’s face-to-face communication skills into their
recruitment decisions. Why? “No matter how much technology evolves, face-to-face communication is fundamental for
employee learning, productivity, wellbeing, relationship-building and ultimately, career progression and good business,”
says Nick.
“Nothing can replace the human interaction needed to build lasting professional relationships that businesses still rely
upon. And just because you are a digital native, it doesn’t mean you don’t have the face-to-face communication skills
needed to thrive in the world of work. It’s just a case of taking proactive steps to prove this in an interview.”
To do this, Hays advises:
1. Prove you can build a rapport with others
“When you arrive for your interview, greet everybody you are introduced to, regardless of whether they are your
interviewer or not, with a warm smile, eye contact and a firm handshake. While these people won’t make the final
decision, they will often feed back to the interviewer.
“Listen to your interviewer as they speak, and be careful not to interrupt. After all, listening is a key part of
effective communication.
“Body language also plays a big part in face-to-face communication and rapport-building. Looking around the room,
leaning back in your chair or fidgeting can imply your mind is elsewhere. But positive body language, such as sitting up
straight, leaning forward, and nodding and smiling as you are spoken to, will show that you are paying attention and are
engaged in the process.”
2. Answer the interview questions with confidence and clarity
“Another common concern that we hear from our clients is that because digital natives communicate so much online, and so
are used to being able to edit what they are about to say before they hit ‘send’, they are sometimes less confident and
concise when it comes to speaking in front of others. Employers worry that this will be a hindrance when it comes to
speaking in meetings, giving presentations or talking on conference calls.
“You can tackle this concern during your interview by answering questions confidently and clearly. Before your
interview, it may help to follow some recommended confidence boosting steps, such as taking deep breaths, picturing
positive outcomes and speaking with your recruiter who can put your mind at rest.
“Practice answering common interview questions, and sticking to a structure like the STAR technique (Situation, Task,
Action and Result) in order to keep your response concise and relevant to the question asked.”
3. Be responsive in your communications, both before and after the interview
“Your interviewer won’t just be assessing your communication skills during the interview itself,” advises Nick. “They’ll
also be looking at how communicative and responsive you are before and after as well. For instance, they may well
consider how quickly you respond to phone calls, and how forthcoming you are in opening up the lines of communication
yourself. So keep your phone close by and be proactive in contacting the interviewer after the interview to thank them
for their time and reiterate your interest in the job.”
Hays is the most followed recruitment agency on LinkedIn in the world. Join Hays’ growing network by following Hays
Worldwide. You can also get expert advice, insights and the latest recruitment news by following Hays on Twitter
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Hays, the world’s leading recruiting experts in qualified, professional and skilled people.
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