Emma Grede

People are good at performing in interviews the same way that they're good at performing on first dates, for example.

Now, I said it on my book tour, that being really good at dating around as a young girl makes you really good at interviewing.

And I stand by that.

Call it what you want, but

I know how to choose.

And the reason is the same because you learn to read people.

You learn to trust your gut and notice when something feels off, even when everything actually looks really right on the surface.

Every woman who's been on a bad date knows exactly what I'm talking about.

The resume's fine.

The experience checks out.

The conversation flows.

The shoes are good.

But something just doesn't sit right.

You need to trust that because that instinct is one of the most powerful tools you have as a hiring manager.

Here's what I'm actually looking for when I interview someone.

Number one, care.

I have incredibly high standards and my team would tell you that, but I also have a very fair way of making sure those standards are met.

I'm kind in how I ask for things to be done, but I have a very low tolerance for what I perceive to be a lack of care.

That's the thing that I'm scanning for in an interview, not whether they have the right answer,

whether they care enough to have thought about it at all.