What are Interpersonal Skills? Types and Tips to Improve

Key Takeaways

• Interpersonal skills define how you communicate, understand situations, handle disagreements, and build relationships within a team.
• Core interpersonal skills include communication, active listening, empathy, teamwork, conflict resolution, and emotional intelligence.
• Soft skills develop through consistent real-world interaction, guided feedback, observation of effective behavior, and deliberate adjustment in how situations are handled over time.

Technical skills help you get opportunities, such as being hired, because they show you have the required knowledge or ability to perform specific tasks. Once you are in that position, however, success depends on how you work with others.

Because many people have similar technical qualifications, the difference often comes down to interpersonal skills.

What are interpersonal skills?

Interpersonal skills, often referred to as people skills or soft skills, describe how individuals interact with others in professional settings. They influence how you communicate, understand situations, handle disagreements, and build relationships within a team. Unlike technical skills, which are tied to specific roles, interpersonal skills are used across all contexts, from team collaboration to client interactions and leadership situations.

The distinction matters because career progression often depends on more than technical ability. Many professionals reach a point where their progress is limited not by what they know, but by how effectively they work with others. The ability to lead, collaborate, and manage conflict becomes increasingly important as responsibilities grow.

This is also reflected in employer expectations. Research reported by Deloitte Insights found that 92% of companies consider human capabilities to be as important as, or more important than, technical skills. As the demand for qualities such as empathy, collaboration, and adaptability increases, these skills are often described as durable, meaning they can be developed over time through practice and experience.

More recent findings support this shift. A survey of over 1,000 employees across multiple industries found that the rise of technologies such as AI is increasing the need for interpersonal and non-technical skills. While digital capabilities remain important, employees are expected to combine them with the ability to work effectively with others. The same study found that 84% of employees and managers believe new hires should demonstrate these skills during the hiring process, with the figure rising further in larger organizations.

Interpersonal skills are not fixed traits. They develop through experience, particularly in environments where individuals are required to interact, adapt, and respond to different situations. Over time, they can be built to a professional level and applied consistently across roles.

Why interpersonal skills matter for career growth

The value of interpersonal skills increases over time. Early in a career, these skills help individuals fit into a team, communicate clearly, and build trust, which influences how quickly they are given responsibility. As roles become more senior, the focus shifts from completing individual tasks to working with and guiding others. At that stage in particular, success depends less on what someone knows and more on how well they can manage people and keep teams aligned.

This becomes more pronounced in international environments, where people come from different cultural backgrounds and communicate in different ways. What is considered clear or appropriate in one context may not be interpreted the same way in another. This requires individuals to adjust how they communicate, pay attention to non-verbal cues, and respond in a way that maintains clarity without creating misunderstanding. These abilities are developed through real interaction and exposure rather than theory alone.

Interpersonal skills also influence how individuals are perceived in high-responsibility roles. In positions that involve decision-making, client interaction, or leadership, how someone communicates and responds under pressure becomes part of how their effectiveness is judged. This is often referred to as executive presence, which reflects how composed, credible, and clear someone is in situations that require confidence and control. It is not something that can be demonstrated through qualifications alone, but through consistent behavior.

These skills are equally important in situations where conditions change quickly. During moments such as client issues, internal disagreements, or organizational shifts, the ability to remain steady, communicate clearly, and guide others becomes critical. Performance in these situations depends less on technical knowledge and more on how effectively someone can manage interactions and maintain direction.

Key types of interpersonal skills

There are many skills that fall under interpersonal skills because working with people is not a single, fixed situation. It involves different contexts, personalities, expectations, and pressures, each requiring a slightly different response. However, among the most important ones for today's business world are:

Communication

Communication is the ability to express ideas in a way that others understand and can act on. In practice, this means knowing how to explain something clearly, adjusting your message depending on who you are speaking to, and making sure your intent is not misunderstood.

At HIM, this is developed through a combination of coursework and experiential learning. Business roleplay simulations are one example, where students are placed in realistic situations and asked to respond in real time. Instead of preparing answers in advance, they have to think, communicate, and react under pressure. These experiences stay with them, so when similar situations arise in their careers, they already know how to respond.

Communication is one of the main skills that HIM students and alumni develop and use throughout their careers. Desiree Overhage, for example, highlights communication as one of the most important skills she developed during her studies. She notes that:

HIM prepared me to become a real business professional, and the multicultural environment allowed me to work and learn with students from different countries and backgrounds.

Working with people from different cultures plays a key role in developing this skill. It exposes students to different ways of communicating, different expectations, and different ways of interpreting the same message. Over time, this builds the ability to adjust how ideas are expressed, avoid misunderstandings, and communicate clearly across a wide range of situations.

Active listening

In many conversations, people hear what is being said but do not fully take it in. They are already thinking about their response, waiting for their turn to speak, or focusing on one part of the message while missing the rest. As a result, important details are overlooked, and responses do not fully address what was actually said.

Active listening changes that. It requires staying focused on the speaker long enough to understand both the message and its context before responding. This shows up in how someone engages in the conversation. They ask follow-up questions when something is unclear, reflect back key points to confirm understanding, and avoid interrupting or rushing to respond. They also pay attention to tone and what may not be stated directly.

In team settings and client interactions, this builds trust because others feel that their input is understood and taken seriously.

Empathy

In professional settings, it is easy to focus only on tasks, deadlines, or outcomes and overlook how others are experiencing the situation. This is often where communication breaks down. A message may be clear, but if it does not take into account how the other person is thinking or feeling, it can still create resistance or misunderstanding.

Empathy addresses this by shifting attention to the other person's perspective. It involves recognizing what matters to them, understanding how they interpret the situation, and responding in a way that reflects that awareness. In practice, this shows up in how conversations are handled, especially in situations that involve pressure or disagreement. Instead of reacting quickly, individuals take the time to understand the context before responding.

The impact is visible in how relationships develop. Leaders who understand their teams are better able to support them while maintaining expectations. In client-facing roles, interactions feel more considered, which strengthens trust over time. When people feel understood, they are more willing to contribute, which improves how teams function.

Teamwork

Working in a team involves balancing different perspectives, responsibilities, and working styles. Challenges usually arise not from the task itself, but from how individuals coordinate, communicate, and respond to each other under pressure.

Teamwork is about managing those interactions while keeping the group focused on a shared outcome. This includes following through on commitments, adjusting to how others work, and contributing in a way that supports progress rather than disrupting it. It also involves handling disagreement in a way that keeps the work moving forward.

At HIM, teamwork skills are developed through various group-based projects that reflect professional conditions. Students work with peers from different backgrounds and present their results to real companies, which creates accountability and makes the experience more realistic.

Marielle McElrath, another HIM alumna who went on to join Marriott's management training program, credits specific projects during her studies with helping her develop this skill. She points in particular to hands-on group work, such as the menu and banquet project, as key in building her ability to work effectively with others:

HIM group projects gave me confidence and allowed me to develop my teamwork skills. As we engage with people from different backgrounds and cultures, we build a certain understanding and humility which is essential in the hospitality industry.

Her experience highlights an important aspect of teamwork: working across cultures requires more than coordination. It involves understanding different perspectives and adjusting how you work with others.

This is also reinforced by Vladimirs Juzenko, who emphasizes the long-term impact of this skill:

The most important thing is teamwork. No matter where you go in life, I guarantee that being a team player is what will elevate your career.

Such perspectives reinforce the idea that teamwork is not just about completing tasks with others, but about how effectively individuals work together.

Conflict resolution

Conflict is a normal part of professional environments. The skill lies in managing it without damaging relationships or slowing progress. This begins with identifying the source of disagreement and separating it from personal reactions.

Effective conflict resolution involves staying composed, addressing issues directly, and working toward outcomes that both sides can support. When handled well, disagreement can improve decisions rather than disrupt them. Individuals who can manage this consistently are particularly valuable in roles that require coordination across teams or direct interaction with clients.

Emotional intelligence

In many situations, the first reaction is not always the most useful one. Pressure, frustration, or uncertainty can lead to responses that make a situation more difficult rather than resolving it.

Emotional intelligence is what allows someone to pause, recognize what they are feeling, and choose how to respond. In practice, this shows up in how someone handles feedback, manages stress, or reacts when something does not go as expected. Instead of reacting immediately, they assess the situation and respond in a way that keeps the interaction constructive.

This becomes especially important in leadership and client-facing roles, where reactions influence not only outcomes but also how others respond in return. People who manage their emotions well create more stable environments, which improves both decision-making and working relationships.

Denis Cheryomuskin, an HIM alumnus who co-founded a design and branding studio, reflects on this in the context of his career:

If you understand your own emotions on a deeper level – you're already way ahead of the competition.

When individuals understand and manage their reactions, they are able to respond with intention rather than impulse. In situations where others may react quickly or emotionally, this creates a clear difference in how decisions are made and how effectively challenges are handled.

How to Improve Your Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal skills improve when you actively work on how you interact with others in real situations. To do this, you should:

• Seek constructive feedback: Ask mentors, peers, or managers for specific input on how you communicate and collaborate. General feedback is easy to ignore, but precise observations help you understand what to adjust.
• Observe and learn from others: Pay attention to how effective professionals communicate and handle situations. Notice how they open conversations, respond to challenges, and keep discussions focused.
• Practice intentional pausing: In situations where pressure is high, take a moment before responding. This allows you to process what is happening and choose a response instead of reacting immediately.
• Build experience in real environments: Interpersonal skills develop fastest when applied. Working in teams, handling client interactions, and engaging in practical projects expose you to different situations that require adjustment and awareness.

How to Highlight These Skills on a Resume

Interpersonal skills are often listed on resumes, but simply stating that you are a strong communicator or a team player does not show how those skills are applied.

A more effective approach is to embed evidence of these skills within role descriptions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Instead of naming the skill directly, describe situations where it was used and what result it produced. For example, rather than stating "strong communication skills," describe how you led a discussion, aligned a team, or resolved an issue, and include the outcome. This allows the skill to be understood through what you did.

Using specific action verbs also strengthens this. Words such as collaborated, negotiated, facilitated, or presented signal how you operate in professional settings and make your experience easier to interpret for recruiters.

Elevate Your Professional Standard

Due to its legacy in hospitality, HIM knows the value of interpersonal skills in all aspects of business.  As a result, the school still emphasizes the soft skills that are the core of interpersonal relationships and customer service in all aspects of business.

The Bachelor of Business Administration at HIM combines academic learning with three paid international internships of four to six months each, giving students up to 1.5 years of professional experience before graduation. Instead of having to adjust to professional expectations after graduating and starting a role, they are already familiar with how to operate within them. 

Elevating your professional standard begins with how you choose to build your education. At HIM Business School, the focus is on preparing students to progress across different roles, industries, and locations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between personal traits and interpersonal skills?

Personal traits describe how someone tends to think or behave, such as being introverted or detail-oriented, and they are relatively consistent across situations. Interpersonal skills, on the other hand, are how someone interacts with others in practice. They include how you communicate, respond, and handle situations, and they can be developed over time through experience and feedback, regardless of your personality.

What is the most difficult interpersonal skill to master?

Emotional intelligence is often the most difficult to develop because it requires managing your reactions in real time. In situations that involve pressure or frustration, the natural response is often immediate. Being able to pause, recognize what is happening, and respond in a controlled way takes practice and self-awareness, which is why it tends to take longer to build.

What is the most important interpersonal skill for a person to have?

Active listening is one of the most important because it affects how well you understand others before responding. When you listen carefully, communication becomes clearer, misunderstandings are reduced, and trust is easier to build.