Are you a great communicator? Human resources professionals must communicate with candidates, employees and management on a daily basis, tailoring how they speak for eah.

If you feel your communication skills could use some polish, take some tips from the philosopher Aristotle as he identified them eons ago (according to a January 17 blog post at the Harvard Business Review online).

According to the article, Aristotle identified three critical elements of communication: ethos, pathos and logos.

First, ethos. This is your credibility; do people trust that what you say is true? Do you have the background to back up your statements? Do you walk your talk?

According to the article, “today’s leaders build ethos most effectively by demonstrating technical expertise in a specific area…., and by displaying strong levels of integrity and character…. .” Human resources professionals are expected to lead all levels of a company by example. What example are you setting?

Pathos is the emotional connection you have or make with your audience (whether one person or an arena full of individuals).

In other words, do people believe that what you’re saying matters to them? “Giving people your undivided attention, taking an active interest in your team members’ career development, and being enthusiastic about both the organization’s progress and the individuals who enable it are ways that leaders do this well,” according to the article. Such connection can be critically important when working with candidates and current employees.

The third element of good communication is logos: do the people to whom you’re speaking understand what you’re trying to get across? “Logos,” according to the article, “is your mode for appealing to others’ sense of reason, ergo the term logic. Employing strengths in strategic thinking, problem solving, and analytical skills are how today’s leaders express logical ideas in clear and compelling enough terms to influence outcomes.”

All three – ethos, pathos and logos – rely on each other to get your message across. Leave one out and your audience may not truly hear, understand or embrace what you’re trying to say.  Improve in just one area, according to the article, and you’ll improve your communication skills and results tremendously.

Communication skills are crucial if you want to move ahead in your human resources career. They are especially so if you wish to move into a high management or executive position.

To learn how to communicate in a more professional manner, you could join Toastmasters International (and learn how to speak in front of groups of people), take a theater/speech class at your local college and, if all else fails, make a point of following Aristotle’s three requirements each time you open your mouth.

Have you made a pointed effort to improve your communication skills? If so, have you noticed a rise in the way your colleagues, candidates and superiors view you?

Whether you’re looking for a new position for yourself or you need to fill positions for your Redlands or Ontario company, contact the recruiters at Arrow Staffing today. We look forward to learning how we may be of service.