How do you listen actively and empathize with employees and candidates?

An essential human resources skill for leaders is the ability to actively listen to others. Hearing is one thing, listening—really listening—is quite another. Active listening requires our focused attention. It’s not enough to listen and be focused on what people are saying. People need to know we are listening to them. We need to show our attentiveness when others talk. **Listen with attention. We hear noise and other sounds. Listening, however, implies attention. Pay attention to their words. It is sometimes helpful to repeat what employees are saying with your inner voice. We need to understand what they are saying as they says it.

I have come to learn active listening can be best achieved when you put yourself in the shoes of the speaker.This could also mean not letting previous experiences (your previous interaction with the speaker) , knowledge (what you know before about what the speaker is saying) and just be in the moment. This has always helped me practice active listening.

Have read it somewhere sometime back and it is now engraved in my mind- active listening is like a trampoline where you reflect back on what others say not like a sponge where you just absorb but not react. Active listening helps to build trust and also makes other feel important

Plan your interview questions to guide the conversation, and then treat it as a conversation. Active listening is definitely the key. Bring your curiosity, and ask good follow-up questions, those that drive the conversation forward and also show you're listening and thinking about the candidate's input and how it applies to broader concepts, including the open job.

Active listening also mean being curious about what the person is saying. Curiosity will deepen your understanding and enable you to focus on what the person is expressing rather than think about how you will respond.

I couldn’t agree more. Empathy is a great tool for HR professionals and any empathetic HR would easily win the trust of their colleagues and this is for the good of all. When there is a good relationship between HR and the members of the team, it’s a step closer to creating an inclusive and healthy working

I agree- empathy is like a built-in emotional GPS or a human emotional radar that helps you sense what the other person might be feeling. However, the point to note is that it involves not only recognizing the emotions of those around you but also responding with genuine understanding and support. It's the friendly nudge or the warmth in your voice when a friend's upset, the shared laughter over a coworker's triumph, and the genuine happiness to see someone happy.

As HR we deal with humans, and being a human by ourselves we need to set the synergy in order to create a safe environment for everyone. This environment and space helps to resolve issues and conflicts without any issues

Empathy and active listening also help you feel the undercurrent of what the person is saying. Sometimes people find it difficult to talk directly about what is concerning them. Combining active listening and empathy enable HR professionals to sense what the person is getting to and ask the questions that will help the person open up.

The ultimate employee experience is a journey where listening acts as the catalyst. In the diverse tapestry of today's workforce, regardless of generational tags, employees crave being heard. Research by experts like Gallup also backs that active listening is the bedrock of engagement. It fosters a culture where ideas are valued, concerns are addressed, and trust thrives. 📌 Acting on what we "listen" acts as the fuel Listening is only part of the equation. When employees see that their insights translate into tangible changes, it fuels a sense of ownership and investment in their roles, and creates a continuous loop of them giving more feedback. This continuous feedback loop is where true employee engagement thrives.

Empathy and Human Resources, in my view are synonyms. Empathy is a behavioral competency which directly reflects in actions. As a HR, sensing others feeling by putting self in their shoes is the only way to experience it. While mostly its a natural way of approaching problems of employees however few times HR has to practise and learn this skill. It helps in relationship management at work with peers, employees, reportees, etc. One can sense by looking at other's face expressions and body language. Empathy leads to compassionate way of approaching issues at workplace which helps employee to open up to HR. Listening them will result in employee satisfaction and organization success at large.

Empathizing with your current employees or prospective employees is very crucial and for that it is very important that you should follow some basic tips: 1. Be non-judgmental: Avoid jumping to the conclusion and avoid making any assumptions at first. Just listen and try to understand his perspective. 2. Be present: Avoid any kind of distractions; be it phone, laptop etc 3. Be respectful and supportive: This goes without saying. You will be able to empathize only if you are respectful and supportive so that the other person shouldn't hesitate to seek for help from you.