Developing Teamwork Skills Is an Investment in Your Career

You’ve probably heard the expression: “Two heads are better than one.” The importance of teamwork is evident in all kinds of situations. Football teams win when all the players work together to execute plays. If you’ve ever assembled a bookcase, you know you need at least one other person to be successful. In a business setting, teamwork is essential for problem-solving, innovation, and execution.

One of the best examples of teamwork skills in action is the ad agency brainstorming session. Some of the most memorable commercials and campaigns come from a group of copywriters and art directors sitting down together to plan a theme, visuals, and copy. But you don’t have to work in a creative field to see the benefits of teamwork. Logistics planning, budgeting, software development, and tons of other business processes all benefit from teamwork.

Let’s examine the nut and bolts of successful teamwork and how you can develop teamwork skills to become more effective at your job and advance your career.

The Importance of Teamwork Skills in Your Career

In the workplace, being an effective team member shows leadership potential. Even in companies that don’t use teamwork, your collaboration skills will set you apart and help you achieve the business’s goals. For that reason, a track record of working effectively on a team is one of the most sought-after qualities in job candidates. Hiring managers know that employees who show success working in team settings tend to perform well overall.

What Are the Components of Teamwork?

So, what’s a basic teamwork skills definition to use as your North Star? It all comes down to a group of people working together to achieve a goal. Here are some specific teamwork skills examples:

• Communication: Communication is the basis of teamwork and includes active listening, expressing ideas, asking questions, and body language.
• Ability to build rapport: Find common ground, show empathy, demonstrate respect, and approach situations with positivity.
• Accountability: Everyone needs to be accountable and reliable when the team is counting on them.
• Collaboration: When you work as a team on a common task, you’re working collaboratively. An example of collaboration is brainstorming.
• Critical thinking: Team members need to think reasonably, which means avoiding personal bias, emotional responses, and subjective opinions.
• Leadership: Every team needs a defined leader who motivates and empowers the team.

Remember That Teamwork Is Learned

Sometimes working as a team is easier said than done. Do you remember “group work” when you were in school? Typically, one or two people in the group did all the work. If you were shy, the process could be excruciating. And when the project was completed, some team members felt it was wrong that everyone got the same grade. How do we go from that to being an effective team member as an adult in business? Knowing how to work effectively in a group is a learned skill.

Perhaps you grew up in a large family where teamwork was an inherent part of your life from birth. If you played sports in school, you learned teamwork or didn’t make the cut. But how do you master the fundamentals of teamwork if you have no such experience?

How to Learn Teamwork Skills

What’s the best way to learn how to be a team player? You can practice in your everyday life by volunteering for a local charity or adopting a team mentality when it comes to housework. At work, you can find opportunities to work in groups to help you build your skills.

Here are some concrete examples of how to practice teamwork skills when planning a small meeting with a co-worker:

• Go in with a team mentality: We will plan the meeting together.
• Know your goal: We need to put all the meeting details on paper.
• Clarify your role on the team: My role is to create the slides for the meeting.
• Maintain a positive mindset: A small meeting room is cozy.
• Manage time efficiently: Budget 30 minutes for planning and stop on time.
• Do not fight for credit: Share enthusiasm about small wins, like getting invitations out on time.
• Be open to new ideas: Listen if your co-worker says, “How about holding the meeting outside?”
• Pay attention to nonverbal communication: Try to sense what other people are feeling, so you know when to ask, “Are you ready for lunch?” or, “Should we pick this up tomorrow?”
• Show responsibility: Compile a list of available meeting rooms before you’re asked.
• Keep each other motivated: Give small pep talks, like “We can get this done today!”

How to Demonstrate Teamwork Skills on Your Resume and in Interviews

Hiring managers and recruiters notice job candidates who show they have participated in teamwork projects. Resumes rise to the top of the pile when they show you’ve worked cross-functionally with another department to achieve a goal or teamed up with a co-worker to solve a problem.

When writing about your teamwork skills, resume experts recommend listing groups from work and community projects that involved teamwork. Use specific examples to highlight your experience. Write a short description of your role on the team and how the team goal was achieved. “I helped a multi-departmental team to…” or “I was part of a team that …” are good opening phrases. Be sure to use keywords such as team player, teamwork, team member, collaborate, contribute, and participate.

In an interview, the hiring manager is likely to ask you about your teamwork skills. This will often be worded in a behavioral question such as, “Tell me about a time you worked on a project as a team member.” Be sure to talk about your involvement, but don’t talk too much about yourself. Tell the story with enthusiasm to show you enjoy working in a team setting. This is the ideal time to use the STAR technique:

• Describe the situation. Include the size of the team and your role.
• State the task. Explain the goal and any challenges you encountered.
• Briefly outline the action in steps taken to achieve the goal and how you were involved in those steps.
• Specify the results and how your team achieved them to meet the goal.

Practice answering these additional eight questions Monster suggests employers ask candidates about their teamwork knowledge and experience.

Build Your Skills to Move Your Career Forward

Whether you’re a recent graduate or a mid-level professional looking to improve your teamwork skills to increase your job prospects, Monster is here as a resource for you. When you fill out a Monster profile and upload your latest resume, we’ll send you career advice articles based on your preferences, and recruiters can reach out to you with new opportunities. Make your first team project a partnership with Monster—we’ll work with you to reach your career goals.