What Skills Do Social Workers Need?
3 February, 2025
Social work careers can be the best of both worlds; professionals in this area accomplish fulfilling work that makes a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals, communities, and the world. The social work field is broad, so graduates of social work programs can find a variety of careers that make use of their degree. However, the most common career for a Master of Science in Social Work graduate is that of a social worker.
Social workers can complete their work in a wide range of areas. They might assist individuals with challenges in everyday life, run support groups for individuals struggling with addiction, or develop organizational policies in outpatient clinics and hospitals to support patient needs. Social workers might work in hospitals, other healthcare and mental health organizations, nonprofits, public policy, or private practices.
No matter their specific role or area of expertise, skilled social workers can be important in securing positive outcomes for individuals, groups, and communities. Since social workers rely on a combination of skills and knowledge to enhance lives and effect meaningful change, it is vital for social workers to have a well-rounded toolkit of interpersonal skills. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the most important interpersonal skills — falling under the umbrellas of communication and ethics — that all social workers should have.
Communication
Communication is a highly critical set of skills that is vital in all areas of life. In social work settings, communication skills allow social workers to better understand the needs of communities and individuals. And, when communicating to outside agencies, medical providers, and public policy professionals, communication empowers social workers to secure positive outcomes in cases and policy implementation.
Communication is more than just the ability to clearly and effectively speak or write, however, as communication skills can also include setting boundaries, communicating empathetically, listening actively, and exercising patience.
Boundary Setting
Setting boundaries is important in everyday life, but can be especially critical to social workers who work on complicated or difficult cases. Setting boundaries professionally and personally can protect social workers and their work by enabling them to engage with those in need while mitigating certain risks. In addition to preventing inappropriate and ineffective communication, setting boundaries helps social workers by:
- Protecting their professional integrity
- Safeguarding their emotional well-being and preventing “compassion fatigue”
- Ensuring their privacy and safety
- Enhancing the effectiveness of the client-provider relationship
Empathy
Empathy is one of the most critical skills for social workers. While it is often confused with sympathy — which is a passive form of listening where one feels sorry for someone else without truly understanding their feelings — empathy involves active listening, attempting to understand someone’s feelings as if they were your own, and taking empathetic actions as a result of that processing. A strong sense of empathy allows individuals to ensure that they are genuinely aware of how their actions might impact others’ experiences.
For social workers, empathy is a crucial component when making the effort to effect meaningful change. On a broad level, social workers who develop and implement policy need empathy so that they know what changes to prioritize and what populations may need the most systemic support. And, of course, when working with individuals it is important to have empathy so that their needs and goals are effectively understood and supported.
A common misconception is that empathy is an innate character trait that people are born with, and that one can not “acquire” empathy later in life. While there is some evidence that we are born with some degree of empathy, fostering empathy is possible. Some strategies to strengthen your ability to empathize include:
- Being open and willing to grow
- Exposing yourself to new situations, people, and experiences
- Reading nonfiction and character-driven fiction
- Practicing finding common ground with people
- Asking questions in conversations
- Connecting with social movements
Active Listening
Active listening refers to listening in an engaged manner, which involves providing feedback and affirming that you understand what the other party is saying. Active listening is a critical skill for many social workers who must be not only tactful and skilled at communication, but also must understand the needs of those they serve. When working with individuals, families, and groups, active listening enables social workers to more deeply engage with their needs or concerns. If they have a role in policy development, advocacy, or implementation, it is important for social workers to actively listen to the concerns of populations with varied and broad perspectives.
Patience
Patience is an important skill in social work for a multitude of reasons. In individual cases, social workers may find that some clients are less willing to open up than others. Being patient demonstrates that the social worker is willing to wait for the client to open up at their own pace, which both honors the needs of the client and allows for the development of trust over time.
Aside from guarded clients, social workers will sometimes encounter complicated cases: they may offer limited options, or they may be drawn out or difficult due to a variety of circumstances. In cases such as this, maintaining a positive attitude, as well as a steady and patient approach, is vital to provide effective support to the individual, family, group, or population.
A social worker can demonstrate patience by:
- Consistently supporting a client, even when process is slow or takes a long time
- Actively listening to clients who struggle to verbally articulate their thoughts, feelings, and needs
- Addressing ongoing setbacks without blaming or expressing frustration with the client
When a social worker loses their patience, it may make the client(s) feel that they are fighting a losing battle, and that they may not be able to find the support they need. Losing one’s patience also may undermine a social worker’s ability to remain calm and rational, which can be critical for securing positive outcomes in the case.
Ethics
Generally speaking, ethics refers to the morality of action or the application of morals in practical ways. All social workers are subjected to certain codes of ethical standards, which vary depending on the specific association they join, that are usually rooted in the core values of social work. The National Association of Social Workers, for example, has an extensive code of ethics that is rooted in the values of:
- Service
- Social justice
- Dignity and worth of the person
- Importance of human relationships
- Integrity
- Competency
Policy-focused social workers use their skills and expertise in this area to develop policies that are ethically guided, emphasize the protection of an individual’s or group’s rights, and effect positive change at a community level. When working with vulnerable individuals, social workers rely on their ethical understanding to advocate for and protect the rights of their clients.
While ethics itself is a philosophy or knowledge base rather than a skill, the understanding and application of ethics does include a broad set of skills, including cultural competence and advocacy.
Cultural Competence
Cultural competence typically refers to our ability to communicate respectfully and sensitively in a cross-cultural interaction. A strong sense of cultural competency enables more effective communication and connection with others.
This is a critical skill for many social workers, especially those who work with individuals from various cultures and backgrounds. Whether working on cases with individuals or working in a policy role, cultural competence allows a social worker to make decisions that retain consideration for perspectives and lifestyles.
Cultural competence a foundational framework that allows social workers to tailor intervention and advocacy strategies to the unique needs and perspectives of historically excluded populations. This is vital for a range of scenarios for social workers, including:
- Advocating for recently immigrated individuals
- Engaging with individuals from marginalized groups
- Implementing systemic policies relevant to communities with varied cultural backgrounds and perspectives
At the Columbia School of Social Work, the Master of Science in Social Work goes beyond the basic principles of social justice, actively challenging systemic oppression of all marginalized peoples, with an emphasis on anti-Black racism.
Advocacy
The importance of advocacy in social work is difficult to overstate; the social work profession was founded within the context of social justice and change, and advocacy is the basis of meaningful change for individuals and policy decisions that will impact communities. For social workers who work in settings with highly vulnerable individuals, such as hospitals, schools, assisted living facilities, and inpatient mental health facilities, advocacy is a critical part of driving positive outcomes and fighting for justice.
Advocacy often relies on a broad and widely applicable set of skills, many of which overlap with other interpersonal skills discussed in this article. Some of the advocacy skills that social workers rely on to effectively advocate for their clients include:
- Clear and assertive communication
- Empathy and active listening
- Negotiation
- Curiosity and innovation
- Networking and relationship building
- Resource management
Prepare to Make a Difference With an MS in Social Work
A Master of Science in Social Work is designed to bolster the skills, knowledge, and expertise of aspiring social workers. The core curricula of these degrees prepare students to promote justice at the individual and systemic level, practice with populations, and accurately evaluate outcomes at the individual and community level.
At the Columbia School of Social Work, students will engage with a curriculum that incorporates critical concepts such as human behavior and the social environment, social welfare services and policies, social work practice, and research. In addition, the practicum component enables students to apply their knowledge and experience in a professional social work setting. Between the invigorating and challenging core curriculum, and the pathway options and specialization opportunities, this MSSW is designed to prepare students for a fulfilling and impactful career in social work.
About the Master of Science in Social Work Online Program Option at Columbia University
At its core, social work is about justice. With an emphasis on advocacy, human rights, and real-world impact, the Columbia University Master of Science in Social Work Online Program Option can help you become a mindful, self-aware practitioner who is empowered and equipped to create meaningful change on behalf of their communities.
Our program prepares you to embody the nine core competencies set by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and is grounded in our PROP framework, examining power, race, oppression, and privilege in the world and the ways they affect us all. Our expert faculty and comprehensive curriculum grant you the exact same top-tier education as our Residential Option program, which stands as one of the first and highest-regarded MSSW programs in the world.
With six pathway options, four method specializations, seven fields of practice, and hundreds of practicum placement sites across the United States, our MS in Social Work Online Option lets you align your education with your individual professional goals.
Request a brochure to learn more about the program, or get started on your application today!