Effective Listening

Takes responsibility for understanding others.

Sample Behavioral Indicators

  • Uses open body language and appropriate eye contact while attending fully to the person speaking.
  • Asks questions and paraphrases what is said to confirm understanding; avoids making assumptions or jumping to conclusions.
  • Rarely interrupts others and allows silence while others are pausing to communicate.

Sample Behavioral-Based Interview Questions

  • Describe a time you used effective listening skills to better understand what someone else was communicating.
  • Tell us about a time you jumped to a conclusion or made an assumption and how you fixed the situation.
  • Tell us how others would describe your listening skills.

Recommended Resources

Core Competencies Supported by this Functional Competency