What Are People Skills? Meaning & 10 Examples

People skills are the heartbeat of the workplace. They help you build trust, influence others, navigate conflict, and work harmoniously in a team. Plus, they make other people enjoy your company. And that’s something every company wants. 

In an increasingly automated world, people skills are more valued than ever, so let me teach you more about them! 

In this guide, I’ll explain:

• What are people skills? 
• How to improve your people skills?
• How to show your people skills in a CV and during a job interview?

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Looking for other skills guides? These may help:

• Analytical Skills
• Critical Thinking Skills
• Customer Service Skills
• Problem-Solving Skills
• Project Management Skills
• Time Management Skills
• Computer Skills 
• Teamwork Skills 
• Transferable Skills

What are people skills?

People skills (also called interpersonal or soft skills) are the abilities you use to interact, communicate, collaborate, and build relationships with other people. Good people skills help foster cooperation, reduce misunderstandings, and make teams stronger and more effective.

Whether you're working with customers, colleagues, or stakeholders, having strong people skills is a powerful trait. It means you can easily adapt to different personalities, handle difficult situations with grace, and make a substantial contribution to a positive and productive work environment. They’re relevant in every profession, from retail and sales to management and healthcare. They are also very helpful in everyday life.

People skills examples

Let me show you ten of the most important people skills valued across industries and workplaces.

1. Communication

Strong communication skills enable you to express yourself clearly, listen attentively, and tailor your message to your audience. Whether written or verbal, they are helpful in almost every aspect of workplace interaction, from emails and meetings to presentations and feedback.

2. Empathy

The power of empathy is luckily being noticed by employers. The ability to understand and share the feelings of others is extremely useful, as it helps you see things from another person’s perspective. This is particularly great for resolving conflicts, supporting teammates, or leading diverse groups.

3. Teamwork

Being a team player means collaborating effectively, sharing credit, and doing your part to support the group’s goals. Teamwork involves cooperation, reliability, and a willingness to listen and adapt when needed. It’s a hugely important people skill, as it enables you to focus on others while acknowledging the success of your team members.

4. Conflict resolution

Individuals with effective conflict resolution skills are a valuable asset to any team. They remain calm during disagreements, encourage open dialogue, and seek solutions that benefit everyone. This particular people skill is key to maintaining peace and fostering a healthy team culture. 

5. Active listening

Active listening involves focusing fully on the speaker, demonstrating understanding, and responding thoughtfully. It helps build trust and prevents misunderstandings, especially in fast-paced or high-pressure environments.

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6. Adaptability

Adaptability skill refers to your ability to adjust your behaviour or approach depending on who you’re dealing with. It’s a vital skill in leadership and customer-facing roles, but it is also helpful when interacting with other team members. Remember, everyone is different, and being able to adapt to other people’s behaviour is a vital people skill.

7. Patience

Not everyone communicates or learns in the same way or at the same pace. Patience allows you to give others the time and space they need. This people skill is particularly important in mentoring, customer service, and team development. Let’s face it—we all need patience to interact peacefully with others.

8. Positive attitude

A positive outlook enhances the team atmosphere and makes you more approachable. People who remain upbeat and solution-focused, even in challenging situations, are often regarded as leaders and motivators. Additionally, they are always a more positive company than pessimists.

9. Persuasion

Persuasion is a people skill that blends communication, empathy, and confidence. It helps you influence others, gain buy-in, and build consensus. All in a positive way, without resorting to toxic behaviours such as pressure or manipulation.

10. Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence means recognising and managing your own emotions while understanding the emotions of others. It’s an essential people skill example that helps you stay level-headed and respond appropriately to the needs and feelings of others. 

How to improve your people skills

Developing people skills is very much doable, no matter your starting point. Here are practical ways to boost yours:

1. Ask for feedback

Invite honest input from colleagues or managers. Ask them about how you come across in group settings. Listen carefully and use their observations to refine how you communicate or react in team environments to boost your people skills.

2. Observe effective communicators

Perhaps you have a colleague or a manager who’s very easy-going? Watch how they navigate conversations. Take note of their tone, body language, and the way they listen. Emulating strong communicators can help you naturally improve your approach to communicating with others.

3. Practise empathy

Working on your empathy is a great way to become a better person. Try to see situations from another perspective. In meetings or discussions, ask yourself, “What matters to them?” The more you do this, the easier it becomes to build mutual understanding.

4. Join team-based activities

Volunteer for group projects or organise social events yourself. This activity can significantly enhance your ability to work effectively with diverse individuals. You’ll learn to negotiate different roles, personalities, and viewpoints in a hands-on way. Plus, you’ll also boost your leadership skills.

5. Reflect on interactions

After meetings or challenging conversations, take a moment to recall what went well and what could have gone better. Did you dominate the conversation? Did you miss a chance to support someone? Or did you focus too much on yourself? These insights will help you significantly improve your people skills.

6. Manage your emotions

Respond, don’t react. That’s what individuals with strong people skills tend to do. Use stress-reducing strategies, such as deep breathing, taking pauses, or counting to ten, to stay calm and thoughtful in tense situations. Finding responses and solutions will become easier very quickly.

7. Improve your listening

Stop talking, start listening. Always wait until someone has finished speaking before responding. Show that you’ve understood what they said by summarising or asking clarifying, relevant questions. Listening well often makes others more open to your ideas, too.

8. Develop cultural awareness

In a rapidly changing world, understanding diverse cultural perspectives is essential. It helps you communicate respectfully and effectively across diverse teams. Reading, travel, or diversity training can expand your interpersonal awareness, and it will help you avoid faux pas along the way.

9. Be positive

A positive mindset makes others more likely to collaborate with you and trust your leadership. Work on maintaining a constructive, can-do attitude, especially during challenges. It can be difficult at first, but once you get used to it, it will improve not only your people skills, but also the overall quality of your life.

10. Role-play common scenarios

Practising people-heavy situations, such as giving feedback or handling complaints. Run some scenarios in your head to get prepared. This can help you build confidence and fine-tune your approach.

Why are people skills essential in the workplace?

Think of a job that doesn’t require interacting with other people. It’s not that simple, right? That’s because no role exists in a vacuum. Whether it’s a customer, a colleague or a manager, you will always cooperate with someone.

People skills are essential to almost every job. Practical interpersonal skills enable you to collaborate effectively with others, communicate clearly, and prevent misunderstandings. All that makes you a people whom others want to stick around with. And that alone makes an effective and enjoyable workplace.

Strong people skills also lead to better problem-solving, smoother team dynamics, and higher morale. Whether you're in HR, sales, education, healthcare, tech, art, or any other industry, your ability to interact positively with others plays a vital part in your long-term success.

How to present people skills in your CV?

From graduate CVs to CEO applications, people skills should be featured across multiple CV sections. So don’t just list them under your skills, but rather make other parts of your document reflect your interpersonal abilities.

1. Start with a CV profile focused on people skills

Your CV summary is a great place to demonstrate your interpersonal strengths. Use it to show how you collaborate, lead, or communicate in your role.

Example CV profile with people skills:

2. Show people skills in your experience

Highlight people-focused achievements in the bullet points from your work experience section. Think of team projects, client relationships, leadership responsibilities, or situations where communication was critical.

Example job description with people skills:

3. Highlight people skills in the CV education section

If you’re a recent graduate, your people skills may have developed through group work, volunteering, or extracurricular leadership activities. Highlight these clearly in your education section to demonstrate transferable skills and experience.

Example education section with people skills:

4. Add people skills to the CV skills section

Make sure the skills section is more than a buzzword list. Include practical examples or keywords that reflect your ability to connect and collaborate.

Example people skills list for a CV:

5. Include people skills in extra CV sections

Extra sections let you show how you use people skills outside your core job. Look for areas where you’ve led, supported, or worked with others, both formally and informally.

Examples of people skills in extra sections:

How to present people skills in a job interview

You know how to show your people skills on a CV. Follow my guidance above, and you’re very likely to get invited for a job interview. So, how do you show you’ve got people skills during a face-to-face meeting with a recruiter?

Here are some tips on how to do it right:

• Focus on real-life examples of your people skills. Think about different scenarios where you helped others (empathy), ended a conflict (communication and conflict resolution) or persuaded someone to do something (persuasion).
• Don’t just list your people skills, but show them through examples instead. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to describe real-life scenarios where your interpersonal skills made a difference.
• Be polite, positive, and approachable. Make eye contact and use open body language. That’s people skills 101.
• Listen carefully, don’t interrupt, and respond thoughtfully to questions. That’s how you show most of the people skills examples I listed before.
• Show enthusiasm for the role and the team. Being positive is always more than welcome. And it’s a great people skill to show!

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Remember, good people skills don’t just make you easier to work with. They make you a key asset to any team. Whether you’re leading a project or lending a listening ear, the way you interact with others matters. Showcasing these skills on your CV, in your cover letter, and throughout the interview process can set you apart in a competitive job market.

How we review the content at LiveCareer

Our editorial team has reviewed this article for compliance with Livecareer’s editorial guidelines. It’s to ensure that our expert advice and recommendations are consistent across all our career guides and align with current CV and cover letter writing standards and trends. We’re trusted by over 10 million job seekers, supporting them on their way to finding their dream job. Each article is preceded by research and scrutiny to ensure our content responds to current market trends and demand.

Sources

• Van Bommel, T. (2025). The power of empathy in times of crisis and beyond (2nd edition). Catalyst. (2021).
• Learn and Grow: What is adaptability in the workplace?, It's Your Yale