What to listen for
- Recognition of what they can offer, while being perceptive about the ways their unique skills, background, or mindset can be beneficial in the workplace
- Specific examples of how they helped someone do their job better – for example, offering input that helped a coworker improve upon a project or avoid a costly mistake
What this question assesses
- Ability to grasp their potential to contribute something different and valuable to the team
- Willingness to share their strengths to lift up the people around them
What to listen for
- Mindfulness in viewing things through a different lens and applying what they’ve learned to make their own work better
- A non-dismissive process for understanding and assessing different viewpoints and comparing them with their own
What this question assesses
- Appreciation for diversity of thought, which can indicate their ability to challenge the status quo
- Capacity for empathy and understanding others’ perspectives, rather than having absolute, unshakable viewpoints
What to listen for
- Identifying opportunities for growth and change, plus an actionable idea of how to make things better
- Alignment between their reflections, what the company conveys, and fresh observations
What this question assesses
- Candor toward bringing about positive change, rather than assimilating and striving to fit in perfectly
- Preparedness for the interview and knowing how your company aligns (or doesn’t align) with their own values
Additional resources
Creative hiring tactics for any budget
15 tactics to attract the best candidates, regardless of your resources
Women transforming tech: Breaking bias
What women can do to break implicit and explicit bias and come out ahead
Brendan Browne leads recruiting for LinkedIn. Prior to joining LinkedIn, he led recruiting and HR at Microsoft, Northwest Mutual, and Sapient. A 15-year industry veteran, Brendan is passionate about nurturing high performing, healthy, scaleable companies.
Lilian Tham drives executive hiring at Airbnb, where she’s excited to help steer the company through their IPO and post-IPO growth. Lilian previously led executive hiring for Google and Howard Fischer Associates, and managed marketing at American Express.
Nick Gorski leads data engineering at Grand Rounds. Previously, he was an engineering manager at Twitter and a software engineer at TellApart, which Twitter acquired in 2015. Nick specializes in data platforms, machine learning, and distributed computing.
Deanna Fleming leads the sales organization at Newell Brands Technical Apparel (NBTA). Prior to joining NBTA, she was the vice president of marketing and innovation at Harmless Harvest, where she managed the company’s expansive growth.
