Advice for Proving You’re the Candidate an Employer Should Hire
To consistently achieve customer satisfaction, customer service roles rely on a foundation of teamwork. A cohesive customer service team is better able to solve complaints, make sales, and personalize the customer experience.
Unfortunately, division within a team causes the opposite results. According to Forbes, 97% of executives believe lack of alignment within a team negatively affects the outcome of a task, including the quality of customer service.
Here, you’ll learn five ways you can show a company that you’re the candidate that they should add to their customer service department.
Examples of Teamwork in Customer Service Jobs
Cohesive customer service teams work as a unit to provide the best customer service experience possible, whether that be a perfect sales recommendation or the seamless resolution of a complaint. Effective teams are experts at:
- collaborating to improve the customer experience
- motivating each other to meet performance targets
- recognizing each other’s strengths
- resolving conflicts before they affect the workplace
- sharing the workload to serve customers more efficiently
Great teamwork provides clear and exceptional results for the organization and customers, and a morale-boosting and supportive network for you and your team.
How to Show a Potential Employer That You’re a Team Player
Teams are an integral part of a company’s customer service department. Demonstrate how you contribute to your team’s success by following these tips:
1. Do Your Research and Align Your Priorities
Search on LinkedIn for articles that the company’s executives have posted on the topic of teamwork. Check Glassdoor for reviews from employees about what it’s like to work there. Does the company emphasize an organizational hierarchy, or do they prefer employees to help where they’re needed? Do they track individual performance metrics, or are they focused on the team’s results?
Knowing what the company values allows you to emphasize where their priorities align with your own.
2. Show, Don’t Tell
Actions are more powerful than words. It’s not sufficient to say you’re a team player. Give a specific example of how you supported a co-worker who was overwhelmed with customer tickets. Recount a time when you moved a group project forward, despite some members struggling to get along.
Anecdotes show how you handled challenging situations in the past, and they’re a reliable predictor of how you’ll perform in the future.
3. Keep Your Examples Relevant and Recent
No two positions are identical, but the principles of teamwork can be transferred across roles and industries. Drawing parallels between your previous jobs and this position allows the interviewer to understand how you will fit within their team.
It’s ideal if you can use recent examples, preferably in the last year or two. Work experience is preferred, but you can also use examples from school, hobbies, or volunteering.
4. Use Positive Body Language
Candidates can appear confrontational when they cross their arms, which is not the impression you want to make when you’re speaking about teamwork. Keep your body language positive: smile, maintain eye contact, and nod to indicate you’re listening.
5. Be Honest While Focusing on Your Strengths
Generic answers that you found online aren’t useful for the interviewer, or you. Give genuine responses so that the hiring manager can understand how you will mesh with the rest of their team.
There’s a notion that being a good team player means you must be an extrovert who loves working in a group. This isn’t the case. Introverts or those who prefer working alone can still contribute to their team’s success.
The most effective teams include members with a range of strengths and preferences. Be honest about yours, while highlighting the unique contributions you will bring to the team.
Find Employers That Are Looking for Team Players
Are you committed to excellence in customer service? Do you thrive as part of a team? If so, submit your resume to Lakeshore Talent to advance your customer service career. The companies we serve have customer service jobs that are looking for a team player like you. Let our team of staffing specialists find the right job – and the best team – for you.