Ten Interview Questions to Test Your Communication Skills

Every Interview has Communication Questions

Communication skills is an essential competence required in almost all jobs today, and you’ll almost certainly be asked communication questions in an interview.  In an interview you’ll need to be able to demonstrate that you have the experience to communicate clearly whether you’re speaking or writing, and in more senior positions it’s essential to show that you can interact and influence others.  A common job interview mistake is to think that how you communicate in the interview itself will be enough to demonstrate your ability to communicate. It isn’t!

How to answer Communication Questions: Three Steps to Follow

There are three steps to follow which will help you be better prepared to answer communication interview questions:

1. Look at the questions below. Highlight the communication questions which are more likely to  apply to the job you’re applying for.


2. Draw on your experiences at work and come up with at least two anecdotes to support each question. The two examples should be contrasting to show the depth of your communication skills.


3. Practise answering each communication question by drawing on your examples from work or your experiences outside work.  Keep your anecdote relevant. The STAR acronym may help to keep you focused.

STAR – For Answering Competence Based Questions

The STAR system is a highly recommended as a way of responding to structured interview questions common in competency based interviews.

1. Describe the Situation you were in


2. Outline the Task that was involved


3. Describe the Action you took (remember to use ‘I did this’ rather than ‘we’)


4. Explain the Result

Ten Interview Questions Testing Your Communication Competence

All the questions below are testing your ability to communicate effectively, listen sensitively, adapt the style and content of your communication to different audiences, and foster effective communication with others.

1. Tell us about a situation where your communication skills made a difference?


2. Describe a time when you had to win someone over, who was unresponsive to what you had to say?


3. Describe a situation where you were able to influence others on an important issue. What approaches or strategies did you use?


4. Describe a situation where you had to explain something complex at work. What approach did you follow and how well did it work?


5. Describe a time when you had to communicate to someone knowing that you were right and that they were wrong?


6. Give us an example where your listening skills proved crucial to an outcome?


7. Can you write? What makes you think that you are good at it?


8. How do you prepare for an important meeting?


9. Tell us about a situation when you failed to communicate appropriately?


10. How and when have you varied your communication approach according to the person you were addressing?