Effective employee communication depends on the establishment of a positive organizational culture, through clear communication policies, programs, and assistance with organizational change. Employee communication will help employees become well-informed about their organizations and encourage them to express their views to management. The topics discussed in this chapter are employment communication. On completion of this chapter students will know how to prepare a résumé, write a cover letter, prepare for an interview.
Chapter 10 Employment communication Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 10-1 Learning objectives On completion of this chapter students will know how to: • prepare a résumé • write a cover letter • prepare for an interview Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 10-2 Personal résumé The personal résumé is also referred to as: • a curriculum vitae (CV) • a personal profile • a personal information sheet • a personal inventory • biodata Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 10-3 Personal résumé (cont.) • Bishop-Firth (2004, p 39) recommends keeping your résumé to two pages, highlighting only relevant information • The aim of a résumé is not to document your life story but to get an interview • Employers often only skim read résumés when making their initial selections so ensure that the layout and headings make the document easy to read quickly and to find the relevant information Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 10-4 Personal résumé (cont.) There are five main headings to a résumé: • Heading • Education • Work experience • Extracurricular activities • Referees Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 10-5 Heading The heading includes: • your name • home address • telephone numbers • email address Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 10-6 Heading (cont.) • In the past, date of birth, marital and health status were included in a résumé but in many countries, including Australia, it is now illegal for the employer to ask for this information and it is therefore not needed • You not need to write the words ‘Name’, ‘Address’ or even ‘Résumé’ in the heading because the information tells the reader what it is Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 10-7 Activity • Complete Activity on pp 212–213 of your textbook Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 10-8 Education • Deciding whether to place ‘Education’ or ‘Work Experience’ first in the résumé depends on what you wish to highlight • Do not include information about your primary school education • Include a brief account of secondary and tertiary university education, including dates, place of study and final qualifications • You may wish to mention briefly any outstanding achievements or leadership positions Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 10-9 Activity • Complete Activity on pp 213–214 of your textbook Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 10 10-10 Different kinds of interviews • ‘One-to-one’ interviews • Interviews where the individual applicant faces a panel • Group interviews to assess how individuals interact with others and demonstrate effective interpersonal skills • Stress interviews designed to see how applicants cope with stress – Respond in a calm and assertive way and rephrase inflammatory questions so that they can be framed more neutrally Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 40 10-40 Activity 18 • Complete Activity 18 on p 228 of your textbook Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 41 10-41 Video conference interviews • Try to phone the interviewer before the video conference to develop a rapport • Arrive in good time to become accustomed to the equipment • Speak clearly at a normal speed • Avoid slouching • Avoid looking down when being videoed • Try to look lively and alert (Bovée & Thill 2005, p 561) Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 42 10-42 Interview stages • Stage usually involves building rapport and reducing nervousness Appear friendly but professional • Stage involves making opening statements The interviewer provides some general information about the organisation and the advertised position • According to some commentators, interviewers make 50 per cent of their decision within the first 60 seconds (Bovée & Thill 2005, p 571) Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 43 10-43 Interview stages • Stage is the main part of the interview It involves either ‘open’ or ‘closed’ questions – Open questions invite applicants to respond at length – Open questions often begin with ‘Why’, ‘How’, ‘Please describe …’ or requests such as ‘Tell me about yourself’ – Avoid rambling – A closed question is usually used to verify information and is answered with ‘yes’ or ‘no’ – Some closed questions are actually open (e.g ‘So you tend to prefer working in groups?’) – The main part of the interview usually lasts between 10 and 25 minutes Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 44 10-44 Closure of an interview • Closure is indicated when you are asked if you have any questions or when you are told when the outcome of the interview will be communicated • An applicant who is able to end on a positive yet assertive note is likely to make a good impression (e.g ‘This job really seems to require all the kinds of things I enjoy working on’) Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 45 10-45 Closure of an interview (cont.) • It is inadvisable to raise the question of salary but, if you are asked, be prepared to discuss the issue Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 46 10-46 Activities 19–21 • Complete Activities 19, 20 and 21 on pp 229–230 of your textbook Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 47 10-47 Careful editing of the résumé • Edit carefully to create a favourable impression • An application is seen as a reflection of you as a person • Employers’ number one pet hate is poor spelling (Eggert 1997, p 71) Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 48 10-48 A final word • Practise to diffuse nervousness • Prepare answers ‘out loud’ • Review any achievements that are likely to be of interest to the employer • Visualise a successful performance • You not have to pretend to be someone you are not, but as Kitty Locker (2006, p 555) advises, ‘Be your best self at the interview’ Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 49 10-49 Summary • Keep your résumé to two pages with headings that make the document easy to read quickly • Use reverse chronological order (starting with the most recent activity first) • Use powerful and positive words and provide specific evidence of any strengths or skills • When writing about interests, ensure their relevance to the employer is emphasised • Write personal profiles carefully because they provide a first impression Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 50 10-50 Summary (cont.) • Only use referees that you trust and who know you well • Research up-to-date ideas on writing an effective application • Edit your résumé and cover letter carefully • Be prepared for interviews that explore your qualifications and experience more deeply • Prepare by anticipating questions and planning answers Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 51 10-51 Summary (cont.) • Take into account the different kinds of interviews possible in your preparations • Research an organisation thoroughly prior to making an application or attending an interview It will provide you with valuable information and impress your interviewer • Remember: you don’t have to pretend to be someone you aren’t but you should be your best self at the interview Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 52 10-52 References • Bishop-Firth, R 2004, The ultimate CV for managers and professionals, How To Books, Oxford • Bovée, C & Thill, J 2005, Business communication today, International Edition, Pearson Prentice Hall, Sydney • Eggert, M 1997, Creating a successful résumé, Simon & Schuster, Sydney • Locker, K 2006, Business and administrative communication, McGraw-Hill Irwin, Sydney Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 53 10-53 References (cont.) • Satterwhite, M & Olson-Sutton, J 2003, Business communication at work, McGrawHill Glencoe, New York • Windschuttle, K & Elliott, E 1999, Writing, researching, communicating: communication skills for the information age, 3rd edn, McGraw-Hill, Sydney Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 54 10-54 ... advancement Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 26 1 0- 26 Activities and 10 • Complete Activities and 10 on pp 217– 218 of your... 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 1 0- 7 Activity • Complete Activity on pp 212–213 of your textbook Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia... 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Communication Skills, by Bretag, Crossman and Bordia 1 0- 9 Activity • Complete Activity on pp 213–214 of your textbook Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia