How to Improve Employee Social Skills

by Kate McFarlin, Demand Media Google

In an ideal world, every employee you hire already displays strong social and interpersonal skills. However, in the real world, this is not always the case. The right candidate for the job may be lacking in the social skills department. It is necessary to help improve employee social skills, particularly if the employees interact with the public on a regular basis. You want your company to be known as people friendly, and helping your employees build these necessary skills is an essential part of management.

Step 1

Define the skill sets that your employees need socially. Ask yourself do they need to be good listeners to hear customer complaints and solve the issue, or do they need to be able to speak to the public to publicize your company? Determine which social skills your employees are currently lacking and which skills are important parts of their daily jobs. This will help you develop a training program for them.

Step 2

Institute mandatory training classes for employees. This will be an extra expense for your company, but it will be returned as your employees display better social skills and are able to interact more appropriately with your customers. The training should encompass the areas that you defined as needing the most work. Consultants or etiquette experts are an economical choice for smaller companies without the budget for expensive training. For larger companies with bigger budgets, companies specializing in social skills training programs may be a better fit.

Step 3

Monitor employees, and offer constructive criticism. Social skills are not learned overnight, and employees may need some time to develop these new skill sets. Keep an eye on your employees as they interact with the public, and then later, pull them aside and offer constructive advice to help them improve their social skills.

Step 4

Set a good example. The manager or owner of a company often sets the tone for the entire workplace. If your own social skills need some work, take advantage of the training you offer your employees, and attend workshops geared towards management level social skills. As your employees view the way you interact with the public, they will begin to emulate you.

Step 5

Reward employee progress. Consider instituting an employee of the month program or other reward system to recognize employees who display the best social skills. This will help improve employee motivation to apply what they have learned to their daily jobs and work on their own to improve their social skills.

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