UNIT 5

COMMUNICATI
ON IN THE
WORKPLACE
(9 hours)
TOPIC 1

EFFECTIVE
WORKPLACE
COMMUNICATION
THINK-PAIR-SHARE. Study the words
in the illustration. What do these words
mean to you? Are they important? Why?
WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION
Process of exchanging information
and ideas, both verbal and non-verbal
within an organization.
It is tremendously important to
organization because few jobs are solo
acts. It takes good communication to
work on a team and good communication
increases productivity and efficiency.
(Sherman, 2019)
 COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR
WORK PLACE SUCCESS
 POSITIVE FEEDBACK – giving praises
and recognition.
 OPEN MINDEDNESS – enter into any
conversation with flexible, open mind.
 RESPECT FOR PEOPLE AND IDEAS
 NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION – body
language, eye contact, hand gestures, and
tone of voice all color the message you are
trying to convey.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR
WORK PLACE SUCCESS
 FRIENDLINESS
 ACTIVE LISTENING
 CLARITY AND CONCISENESS
 CONFIDENCE
 CHOOSING THE RIGHT MEDIUM – try
not to overuse electronic communication.
 EMPATHY
THE POWER OF GOOD
COMMUNICATION IN THE
WORKPLACE
1.Good Communication Mitigates Conflict.
2.Good Communication Increases Employee
Engagement.
3.Good Communication Creates Better Client
Relationship.
4.Good Communication Results in More
Productive And Talented Workforce.
Employee Engagement is a significant factor in
the productivity of a workforce. Besides,
contributing to increased employee
engagement, communication skills can also
help foster a more productive and talented
workforce in many other ways.
 Understanding team talents and skills.
 Achieving more buy-in
 Innovation and creative thought
 More strategic team building.
Tips for Effective Workplace
Communication
1. Makework fun. Making work fun will keep workers
motivated and productive.
2. Don’t just hear, listen.
3. Take your emotions out of the equation.
4. Make employees feel like owners.
5. Understand your coworkers.
6. Give positive feedback
7. Revive the great art of lost communication.
8. Handle conflicts with diplomacy.
 APPLICATION

Group yourselves into 5. Develop a script on

one of the following situations. Then, perform
in 3 to 5 minutes to illustrate effective
communication in the workplace.
1. Amanager meeting his/her subordinates to
solicit their opinions regarding the conduct
of the 1st year anniversary of the company.
2. Parents
attending a quarterly meeting which
was presided by the classroom adviser.
 APPLICATION
3. A client is complaining to the head
regarding the indecent behavior of a newly
hired employee to the company.
4. A department head explaining to the
employees the new policies of the
organization.
5. A police officer meeting his men to decide
on how they are to carry out a police
operation in the different barangays in town.
Rubric:
CRITERIA EXCEEDS MEETS APPROACH
EXPECTATIO EXPECTATI ES
NS ONS EXPECTATI
ONS
Script 5 4 3
Mastery 10 7 5
and
Delivery of
lines
Adherence 2 1 1
to the rules
Overall 3 2 1
Performanc
e
Express your agreement or
disagreement on these statements.
Defend your stand.
1. Evenwhen you disagree with an employer,
coworker, or employee, it is important for you to
understand and respect their point of view.
2. Think about what you want to say before you
say it.
3. Youshould think about the person with whom
you wish to speak, if they are a very busy
person (such as your boss, perhaps), you might
want to convey your message through email./
 FEEDBACK

Select 5 communication skills covered in this unit.

Describe the skill and give a specific example of each.
Examples: 1) Make work fun: I could ask my co-workers if
they want to have a pot-luck lunch on Fridays. 2) Don’t
just hear. Listen: When other people are talking, I could
listen and not just think about what I am going to say next,

Rubric: 2 points each: 1 point for the correctness of information

and example, and 1 point for the mechanics and clarity of
thought.
Topic 2:

Communication for
Employment:
(The Cover
Letter and the Resume)
Using the compare and contrast chart below, write anything that you know about resumes and cover
letters in the big rectangular boxes at the top. Write differences in the two rectangular boxes on the
side. Then, determine also the similarities of the two terms by writing in the circle.
 Cover Letter
It serves a vital purpose: it presents the case for
why you should be interviewed and hired and it
distinguishes you from other candidates.
It is where you can show your knowledge about and
passion for the position and the company, and
highlights your most relevant qualifications.
Remember to customize your letter by:
 Addressing the letter to the appropriate
person in the organization;
 Highlighting your relevant qualifications
and experiences;
 Explaining anything unusual on your resume
that may catch the employer’s attention;
 Making sure your letter is perfectly edited
with no errors.
Cover Letter Writing Tips
1. Include a salutation. - The greeting you choose depends
on how much information you have about the company.
 Use “Dear” and their formal title. Make sure to use the
hiring manager’s proper title like Mr., Ms., or Dr. If you
cannot tell from their name what the manager’s gender is,
address it to their full name.
 Ending the salutation with a comma is typically all right,
but if you want your letter to be more formal, use a
colon.
Cover Letter Writing Tips

2. Write the first paragraph of your letter

– This is where you will mention the job for
which you are applying and how you found
the job listing. It only needs to be 1 to 2
sentences in length.
Cover Letter Writing Tips
 3. Write the body paragraphs of your letter.
Make sure to talk about…
Why you are a qualified candidate for the position.
What work experience you have that fits the listed job
requirements.
Why you want to work for that company specifically.
What tangible actions and improvements you could make in
this role.
Cover Letter Writing Tips
4. Write the final paragraph of your letter
Sum your qualifications up in one compact sentence
to remind the manager why you are the best person to
hire.
Give your contact information. Include your email
address and phone number to make sure the manager
can get in touch with you. Mention any attachments
you have included. Always end with a thank you.
Cover Letter Writing Tips

5. End your cover letter with a

respectful closing statement.
“Best” or “Sincerely” are both classic
options. Then, type your full name and
affix your signature.
Resume
a document created by an applicant to
present his/her background, skills, and
accomplishments.
 typically limited to one or two pages of size A4
or letter-size, highlighting only those
experiences and qualifications that the applicant
considers most relevant to the desired position.
The curriculum vitae (CV)
used for employment purposes in
the UK (and in other European
countries) is longer and much more
detailed than a resume.
A sample resume
COMMON RESUME’ FORMATS:
1. Reverse chronological resume
 A resume that lists a candidate's job experiences in
chronological order, generally covering the previous 10 to 15
years.
 This is most commonly used by professionals who are taking
advancements in the same vertical. In using this format, the
main body of the document becomes the Professional
Experience section, starting from the most recent experience
and moving chronologically backwards through a succession
of previous experience.
COMMON RESUME’ FORMATS:
2. Functional resume
 A resume that lists work experience and skills
sorted by skill area or job function.
 This is used to focus on skills that are specific to
the type of position being sought. This format
directly emphasizes specific professional
capabilities and utilizes experience summaries as
its primary means of communicating
professional competency.
COMMON RESUME’ FORMATS:
3. Combination resume
• Combines the features of the first two kinds of resumes
• The contents should include the following:
• a. Personal Information
• b. Educational Qualifications
• c. Employment Records
• d. Summary of Skills and Abilities
• e. Membership/Officership in Professional Organizations
• f. Character References
COMMON RESUME’ FORMATS:
4. Online resume
 Many employers now find candidates' resumes
through search engines.
 Employers use Applicant Tracking Systems to
search, filter, and manage high volumes of resumes.
Job ads may direct applicants to email a resume to a
company or visit its website and submit a resume in
an electronic format.
COMMON RESUME’ FORMATS:
5. Infographic, video and website resumes
 Asthe Internet becomes more driven by multimedia,
job-seekers have sought to take advantage of the trend
by moving their resumes away from the traditional
paper and email media to website or e-resumes.
 Video,infographic, and even Vine resumes have
gained popularity, though mainly in the creative and
media industries.
Reminders in Writing Resumes
1. Do not write the word RESUME in the
heading.
2. Arrange the parts of the resume
according to your purpose.
3. Keep sentences brief yet informative.
4. Check the contents to avoid errors.
5. Edit your work for clarity of thought and
correctness of grammar
Reminders in Writing Resumes
6. Avoid the first-person pronouns “I, me
or my”
7. Try not to have “character references
available upon request”
8. Be emphatic by using more than one
font type, but never overuse them.
9. Use appealing font style with readable
size.
Reminders in Writing Resumes
10. Properly format headings,
margin and spacing.
11. Affix your signature to
authenticate its content.
12. Include your latest photo.
13. Use high quality paper for
printing
 Application
 Write your ideas briefly but intelligently. Look for a partner and
discuss these questions with him/her. Come up with a common
response. Then, share to the whole class the result of your
discussion.
1. Why should you include both a resume and a cover letter when
applying for a job?
2. Is it a good idea to have someone make a resume for you? Justify
your answer.
3. What do you think is the most important part of a resume?
4. Why do we need to ask permission from your character references?
 Application
Bring to class a sample cover letter and resume. It
can be yours or someone else’s. If it is not yours,
please cover the name of the person it belongs to.
Let your classmates comment/critique the cover letter
brought to class. They are to give the good points and
the points for improvement of the cover letter
presented to class. Of the resumes brought to class,
they are to identify the format adopted by the
applicant.
 Feedback

Imagine you have already graduated

from your present course/degree. You
wish to apply in a company/agency for
a position/job related to your
educational preparation and
qualification. Make a cover letter and a
resume.
You are graded on your output using the
following rubric:
Criteria Exceeds Meets Approache
Expectatio Expectatio s
ns ns Expectatio
ns

Content 10 8 6
Mechanics 5 4 3
(Grammar,
Spelling,
punctuatio
n)
Organizatio 7 5 4
n
Overall 3 2 1
TOPIC 3

COMMUNICATION
WITHIN A COMPANY
(THE
MEMORANDUM)
Complete the K-W-L chart below. Write in the first column your prior knowledge
about memorandum. In the second write your questions about the topic. Finally,
after finishing this unit, complete the third column by writing the new information
that you have learned.
M E M O R A N D U M
What do you know What do you want to know What have you learned
about this concept? about this concept? about this concept?
MEMORANDUM
 More commonly known as a memo, is a short message
or record used for internal communication in an agency,
company, or business.
 It can move horizontally and vertically in a company. It
is usually sent by a person occupying a high position to
the subordinates. However, there are instances when a
memorandum is sent to individuals having the same rank
with you, in this case “Memo for” instead of “Memo to”
should be used.
Types of Memorandum
 1. Memorandum that requests.
 This document asks a favor
 Start immediately with the request and
the reason for it. End your document
politely by stating the deadline for such
request and the reason behind the
deadline.
Types of Memorandum
2. Memorandum that responds.
 used when there is a prior document that
needs a response.
 To facilitate this, use boldface headings
to emphasize or clarify groupings. Close
politely by making an assurance that you
are willing to be of service again.
Types of Memorandum
3. Memorandum that informs
 usedto state, explain, or clarify a policy,
issue and others. As such, it should be
concise and clear. To start with,
summarize the main idea and explain the
reason behind it if necessary. Close by
mentioning the benefits.
Writing Effective Memos
Be clear, be focused, be brief yet complete.
Take a professional tone and write as if the
world could read it—that is, do not include
any information that is too sensitive for
everyone to see, especially in this age of
"click and forward" copy and paste.
Format
Start with the basics: to whom the article
is addressed, the date, and the subject
line. Start the body of the memo with a
clear purpose, state what you need the
readers to know, and conclude with what
you need readers to do, if necessary.
Writing the Heading of the Memo
 1.Type “MEMORANDUM” at the top of the
page. State that this document is a memorandum at
the outset. Label the page “MEMORANDUM” 1.5
inches (3.8 cm) from the top of the page. Put the word
in bold on the first line. You can either center it on
this line or left-align it. You might also choose to
make the font larger for this word.
*Double space between this line and the next line
of the heading.
Writing the Heading of the Memo
2. Address the recipient appropriately. A
memo is a formal business communication,
and you should address the reader formally as
well. Use a full name and title of the person to
whom you are sending the memo.
*If you are sending a memo to the entire
staff, you might write: “TO: All Employees.”
Writing the Heading of the Memo
3.
Add additional recipients in the
CC line. The “CC” line indicates who
will receive a “Courtesy Copy” of the
memo. This is not the person to whom the
memo is directed. Rather, this is someone
who may need to stay informed about
policies or issues that you’re addressing in
the memo.
Writing the Heading of the Memo
4. Writeyour name in the
“From” line. The heading
needs to include who is writing
and sending the memo. Your full
name and job title go in this line.
Writing the Heading of the Memo
5. Include the date. Write the
complete date, spelling out the
month and including the date and
year. For example, write: “DATE:
January 31, 2019” or “DATE: 31
January 2019.”
Writing the Heading of the Memo
6. Choose a specific phrase
for the subject line. The
subject line gives the reader an idea of
what the memo is about. Be specific
but concise.
 t
TO: Name ad Job
e and job title
FROM: You nam n
e memo was writte

Writing the Heading of the Memo

when th e way)
DATE: Compl et e date
emo is ab ou t (h ighlighted in som
) What the m
SUBJECT: (or RE:
the text.
tw een sections and align the memo.
in g, be su re to double sp ace be
rate th e head in g from the body of
g the head is will sepa
*When constructin al l th e way across the page. Th
go es
e heading that
may ch oo se to add a line below th
*You
Writing the Body of the Memo
1. Consider who the audience should be
2. Skip a formal salutation.
3. Introduce the problem or issue in the first paragraph.
5. Give context for the issue at hand.
6. Support your course of action in the discussion
segment.
7. Suggest the actions that the reader should take.
8. Close the memo with a positive and warm summary.
 Application
A. Discuss the following with a partner. Then write the result of
your discussion in a pad paper. (5 points for a well-written response
per item: 3-content; 2-organization; 1- mechanics)

 1. Why is a memorandum written?

 2. What
is the difference between a Memorandum To and
Memorandum For?
 3. Explain vertical and horizontal movement of a memorandum.
 4. When do we say that the memorandum was effectively
written?
 Application

B. Download samples of memos or bring to class

copies of memorandum sent to employees. In a
group, identify what type of memos are the
downloaded/brought samples. Also, comment on the
format of the sample memo focusing on the heading
and body of the memorandum. Write your
observations in a sheet of paper. Then, revise the
original if you found out that the memo written was
erroneously written
Feedback

Imagine that you are the head of a

company/agency. Write a memorandum
to all department heads in your
company/agency asking them to attend
a meeting with you. Provide all of the
details needed in the memorandum.
You are graded using the following rubric:
Criteria Exceeds Meets Approache
Expectatio Expectatio s
ns ns Expectatio
ns

Content of 10 8 6
the Memo
Organizati 7 5 4
on and
Mechanics
Adherence 5 4 3
to Rules
Overall 3 2 1
TOPIC 4

THE JOB
INTERVIEW
Look at the image shown below? What could be happening in the scenario?
Have you been interviewed? Have you ever watched someone being
interviewed by a prospective employer? What should be remembered during
an interview? What could be some of the possible questions an applicant
might be asked during an interview. How should an applicant respond to these
interview questions?
JOB INTERVIEW
 A conversation between an applicant and a
representative of an employer to assess an
applicant.
 Typically precedes the hiring decision.

 An increasingly common initial interview

approach is the telephone interview.
Job Interview Tips
 Read and review the job description
 Research the Company
 What to Wear in a Job Interview
 Plan your Journey to the Job Interview
 Plan how to Act in an Interview
 DO’S AND
DONT’S IN A
JOB
INTERVIEW
What Should you Do:
 Dress to impress - clean, ironed and presentable
clothes.
 Make eye contact, and begin with a strong
handshake.
 Sit still, with your feet firmly on the ground.
 Remember your CV details particularly the experience
most relevant to the role you're interviewing for.
 Make a note of your questions.
What should you not Do
Turn up late to the interview.

Dress inappropriately or sloppily.

 Smoke before your interview.

 Volunteer your weaknesses or your shortfalls

unless asked directly.
Criticize your current or previous employer.
COMMON JOB
INTERVIEW
QUESTIONS
Personal Qualities
Tell me about yourself.
What is your greatest strength/weakness
?
Tell me about something that's not on yo
ur resume
.
Do you consider yourself successful? W
Your Previous Job
Why do you want to change your job?
Why were you fired/laid-off?
Why did you quit your job?
Why did you resign?
Why have you been out of work so long
?
Compensation
What were your starting and final levels
of compensation?
What are your salary expectations?
What are your salary requirements?
Why would you take a job for less mone
y?
Academic Qualifications and Preparation
Are you overqualified for this job? Why?
Tell me about your educational background.
What can you do better for us than the other c
andidates for the job?
What part of the job will be the least/most ch
allenging for you?
What philosophy guides your work?
Job Performance
 What do people most often criticize about you?
 What problems have you encountered at work?
 Why weren't you promoted at your last job?
 Tell me about something you would have done
differently at work.
 Ifthe people who know you were asked why
you should be hired, what would they say?
Work History
 What were your expectations for the job and to what
extent were they met?
 What were your responsibilities?
 What
major challenges and problems did you face?
How did you handle them?
 What did you like or dislike about your previous job?
 What was the biggest accomplishment/failure in this
position?
Management and Teamwork
 Describe your ideal boss/manager.
 What do you expect from a supervisor?
 Have
you ever had difficulty working with a
manager?
 Describe how you managed a problem employee.
 Doyou prefer to work independently or on a
team?
Outstanding Characteristics
Why should we hire you?
Why shouldn't we hire you?
What can you contribute to this
company?
Knowledge on the New Job and the Company
How is our company better than your current
employer?
What interests you about this job?
What do you know about this company?
Why do you want to work here?
What challenges are you looking for in a
position?
Looking Ahead
 Tellme about the trends in your profession and
industry.
 What are you looking for in your next job? What
is important to you?
 What is your professional development plan?
 Where do you see yourself five years from now?
 What will you do if you don't get this position?
One Last Question
Do you have any questions for m
e?
 Application
A. Using the grid, fill in the needed information.

What three What two What one question

learnings you have information you you have regarding
had from the want to know more the lesson
module? about the topic? discussed in the
module?
1. 1. 1.

2. 2. 2.

3.
Application

B. Go out in the community and look for

a successful professional. Prepare
interview guide. Interview that
professional and record the interview.
Present to class the transcript or the
result of the interview.
 Feedback

Students look for a partner. Then decide who

shall be the interviewer and the interviewee.
The interviewer assumes the role of a hiring
manager who shall be ready with the
interview questions. The interviewee or the
applicant answers the questions
extemporaneously. Each pair has to present in
3 to 5 minutes. They come to class in a semi-
formal/professional attire.
You are graded using the following rubric:

Criteria Very Good Good Fair

Mastery 7 5 4
Ability to ask 10 8 6
and respond
to questions

Gestures/ 5 4 3
Expression
and Attire
Overall 3 2 1
performance
 UNIT SUMMARY
 Workplace communication is the process of exchanging information and ideas,
verbally and non-verbally within an organization. One who has
a communication skill will help one get hired, land promotions, and be a
success throughout his/her career. Good communication in the workplace is an
integral element to business success.
 A resume’ and a cover letter are documents used and created by an applicant to
present his/her background, skills, and accomplishments and highlights his/her
most relevant qualifications in order to get hired in a company.
 A memorandum is a short message or record used for internal communication
in an agency or a company. A memorandum basically informs, requests, and
responds.
 A job interview is a conversation between an applicant and a representative of
an employer to assess whether the applicant should be hired. One has to
prepare for it because it gives one an edge over others whose credentials might
just be better than yours.
Reflection

What information have you

learned in this unit? How
might you use these learnings
in your life, chosen field or
future career?