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Table of contents

What are people skills? [synonyms + definition]
20+ people skills examples
How to list people skills on your resume
Tips for developing your people skills
More skills resources
People skills — key takeaways

What are people skills?

The term itself sounds like you’re saying, “People skills means you’re skilled with people.” That’s true, but it’s more than that.

Whether you’re looking for an example of people skills, synonyms or wondering how to add these words to your resume — you’re in the right place.

We’ve put together a guide that covers everything, including:

How to define people skills.
Synonyms you might use for this skill set.
A lengthy list of examples.
Advice on adding people skills to your resume.
Tips for improving your people skills.
Extra resources for other skill sets.

Are you updating your resume? If so, have you thought about using a resume builder? These tools are fantastic for crafting your resume efficiently — they also provide a wealth of people skills examples that you can easily add to your resume with just a click.

What are people skills? [synonyms + definition]

People skills are the abilities that help you interact effectively and harmoniously with other people.

When reaching for a synonym, instead of people skills, you can say interpersonal skills, social skills, soft skills or emotional intelligence.

Here’s an example. Let’s say you work in a day care. You’ll likely have a bunch of technical skills like child development knowledge and emergency response training, but you’ll also rely on soft skills like patience and creativity. In addition to that, you possess a subset of soft skills, such as making parents feel reassured and ensuring kids are safe and engaged.

People skills are important in nearly every industry. While they take on greater importance in people-centric professions like health care, teaching and customer service, they are increasingly important in technical fields such as engineering and information technology.

Next, we’re going to dive into even more examples of this skill set.

20+ people skills examples

People skills are fundamental to how we live and work. These skills help you build friendships, bond with your family and excel in your chosen profession.

As we covered above, another word for people skills might be “interpersonal skills” or “social skills,” but we can break it down into more specific pieces. Here are people skills examples across a range of categories.

Communication skills

Communication is how people connect with one another, explain complicated topics and express emotions effectively. Our relationships don’t work without good communication skills, whether they’re interpersonal or in the workplace. Here are a few examples:

Active listening.
Articulating thoughts clearly.
Nonverbal communication.
Providing constructive feedback.
Persuasive speaking.

Management skills

Effective managers are skilled at handling people and projects. They guide, support and direct their teams toward achieving organizational goals. Here are some people skills that fall under the umbrella of management:

Delegating tasks efficiently.
Fostering positive team dynamics.
Setting clear objectives.
Mentoring and coaching employees.
Making informed decisions.

Problem-solving skills

Another subset of people skills is problem-solving skills. These skills help you resolve conflicts and help people get along better, creating a more harmonious and effective workplace. Here are a few of the words you can use for this:

Mediating disputes.
Negotiating compromises.
Developing solutions collaboratively.
Managing crisis situations.
Adapting strategies to new challenges.

Cultural competence

Truly understanding and appreciating people requires a certain level of cultural competence. It involves recognizing, respecting and valuing the differences among various cultural groups. Here are some skills that fall under the umbrella of cultural competence:

Adapting communication styles to diverse audiences.
Showing sensitivity to cultural nuances.
Building inclusive environments.
Understanding global perspectives.
Respecting traditional and cultural practices.

Collaboration skills

This one is obvious, right? Collaboration is all about people! Here are some other words for collaboration that give you a better sense of the way these skills manifest themselves.

Team building.
Coordinating with others.
Sharing responsibilities.
Respecting diverse viewpoints.
Synthesizing group ideas.

How to list people skills on your resume

Your people skills mean a lot more if you put them to good use. These skills shine even brighter on your resume.

Here are a few steps you can take to fill your resume with people skills.

Step 1

Find people skills in the job listing

Start with the job post. Every job post includes a list of duties and responsibilities, as well as qualifications. There, you will find keywords that are essentially the equivalent of skills.

These keywords are important because employers, including the vast majority of Fortune 500 companies, use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to weed out candidates. There’s nothing malicious about this — they simply want to narrow down the mountain of applications they receive for every new opening.

Well, you can turn this to your advantage by using the exact language from the job description.

Here’s how to find and highlight people skills in the job description (skills are in bold):

Lead and motivate a team of 20+ employees in achieving sales targets.
Ensure effective communication among team members to maintain high morale and group cohesion.
Manage customer complaints and resolve conflicts to enhance client satisfaction.
Conduct performance reviews and provide constructive feedback to foster professional growth.

The next step? Creating your skills section.

Step 2

Add a skills section (or two) to your resume

Once you have your skills lined up, it’s time to return to your resume.

Start by adding a skills section.

There are different types of skills sections, and they go by different titles. You may want to call your main section “skills,” “relevant skills” or core competencies. Then, consider creating additional skills sections to emphasize specific skill sets most relevant in your industry, such as computer skills.

Finally, if you find yourself wanting to focus on skills instead of a limited work history, a functional resume is right for you. This resume format is perfect for job seekers just starting out or transferring from other industries because it downplays work experience in favor of skills and abilities. Next, we’ll show you how to add people skills to the rest of your resume.

Pro Tip

Here’s an important formatting note — use bullet points. Your resume should be easy to read, and bullet points are a perfect way to guide the reader’s attention from line to line.

Step 3

Include skills throughout the rest of your resume

With the skills section out of the way, let’s look at the other sections for opportunities.

At the top, you should have a professional summary or resume objective, which are both excellent places to insert a couple of your top skills. On most resumes, the biggest section is work experience, where you have ample opportunity to highlight how you’ve used the skills you found in the job ad.

Here’s what that would look like:

Operations Manager
XYZ Corporation
City, State — January 2018 to May 2024

Led a project team in a high-profile product launch, motivating and guiding team members to exceed company targets.
Managed day-to-day operations, ensuring effective communication and collaboration across departments.
Developed conflict resolution strategies that improved team dynamics and increased productivity by 30%.

Pro Tip

Believe it or not, some applicants even include skills in their education section. You can do that when you list your relevant coursework or special projects you completed.

Step 4

Last stop — your cover letter

In many industries, you’re expected to include a cover letter with your application.

That’s good news — cover letters are just another opportunity to highlight your people skills!

Review some cover letter examples to get a sense of how to write a cover letter, and where to place your skills. If you’ve already added skills to your resume, you’ll have trouble updating your cover letter.

Tips for developing your people skills

It’s never too late to build your people skills. In fact, there are a number of steps you can take right now to make your people skills much stronger. These are just a few ideas:

Join a club or organization. Participating in groups like Toastmasters or a local hobby club can enhance your communication and social interaction skills as you engage regularly with other members.
Volunteer for a cause meaningful to you. Volunteering at organizations like Habitat for Humanity or your local food bank not only contributes to a good cause but also improves your teamwork and empathy by working closely with others toward common goals.
Attend workshops or training sessions. Enrolling in workshops offered by groups like Dale Carnegie Training or local community centers can provide you with structured learning and practical exercises in interpersonal communication and leadership.
Attend networking events. Going to industry meetups or conferences, such as those organized by professional associations in your field, helps you practice your small talk and networking skills in a professional setting.
Take an online course. Websites like Coursera or LinkedIn Learning offer courses in areas like communication, leadership and emotional intelligence, which you can take at your own pace to improve specific people skills.

Let’s end with a few resource guides and takeaways to support you on your journey.

More skills resources

People skills are just one part of your skill toolbox. Here are guides covering some of the other skills you might want to sharpen:

People skills — key takeaways

People skills can strengthen every aspect of your life

Whether applied to personal relationships or in the workplace, a strong set of people skills will aid you in your journey.
There are many synonyms for people skills

When people use this term, they also mean interpersonal skills, social skills, soft skills and emotional intelligence.
People skills are critical for managers

When you oversee a group of people, you need to be extra sharp in skills like communication, conflict resolution and empathy.
There are many ways to develop this skill set

Join a club. Start giving public speeches. Volunteer in community services or participate in group sports activities.

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Don is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with more than 10 years’ experience creating digital content, including four years helping job seekers develop their careers. He holds an M.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University.