One of the most underrated skills in the workplace is interpersonal skills. Teams don't break down because of lack of experience or education. They falter when people don’t understand each other. That’s why communication style awareness is quickly becoming a must-have focus area for HR teams - especially when hiring, developing leaders, or resolving conflict.
Karen Pooley, VP of Senior Management and Executive Search at People First HR, shared that these are more than soft skills. It’s the art of decoding how people think, act, and engage with others at work. “Most of the time when people fail in roles, it’s not because they’re not capable. It’s because of how they show up - how they communicate, how they fit in with others, and how self-aware they are.”
Style Drives Understanding - and Misunderstanding
Think of communication styles as operating systems. Some people process information logically and speak in bullet points. Others are emotionally driven, prefer storytelling, or are highly collaborative. Neither is better than the other - but mismatches between styles can quickly lead to frustration, disengagement, or performance challenges.
Karen emphasizes that many HR leaders assume experience or skill level is the key to leadership success. But what’s often missing is how someone connects and leads others. Tools like DISC, EQ-i, or Insights Discovery bring those hidden traits to the surface.
In hiring, these tools help organizations avoid costly misalignments. “When we're helping hire a new leader,” Karen explains, “we often get the request: ‘Find us someone completely different from the last person.’ But sometimes what they really need is someone with a better awareness of how their style fits into the broader team.”
A Strategic Tool for Teams
Awareness of communication styles is helpful at the leadership level, and, teams at all levels benefit when individuals understand their own tendencies. This can reduce misunderstandings, improve decision-making, and increase trust.
Karen points out that this doesn’t need to be a massive investment or overhaul. “It can be as simple as helping your team understand each other’s work DNA. That awareness alone can be a game-changer.”
Even short sessions unpacking communication styles can build empathy. For example, a team may discover one member needs time to process before responding to complex issues, while another thrives on quick brainstorming. When these preferences are understood and respected, collaboration becomes much smoother.
A Competitive Advantage in Retention
In a market where retaining high performers is increasingly difficult, communication style awareness gives employers an edge. It shows employees that the organization values what they do and how they work. That level of understanding can reduce interpersonal stress and improve workplace culture.
This also reinforces psychological safety - employees are more likely to share ideas, take risks, or ask for help when they feel seen and understood.
Where HR Comes In
HR and People and Culture teams play a critical role in embedding this kind of awareness into the organization. It starts with onboarding and leadership development, and it involves creating a shared language for how people show up and communicate.
Whether it’s using assessment tools, building manager training programs, or incorporating style awareness into succession planning, the goal is to equip teams with better understanding - and better outcomes.
Ready to build more self-awareness into your hiring and leadership practices? Connect with us to learn how we can help.