Caroline Ostrander Thank you very much! Love getting this insight into your work and the thoughts that go into the interview process. What you describe as a people manager makes perfect sense. Here’s my answer:

For empathy: Ask the interviewee to expound upon their relationships in the workplace. An example would be, “Tell me about a time where you truly demonstrated genuine care for a co-worker, and how your actions led to a positive outcome or result for your project/or the company.” Right there, you’re leveling up on empathy. I’d argue all of us should LEAD with empathy! So it’s really a leadership question.

For curiosity: “Tell me about a time where you chose to learn something outside of your immediate job responsibilities that ended up benefiting you personally, and your organization professionally?” This is a great way to get someone to answer instinctively and to demonstrate how they thought and then acted “outside the box.” There’s a lot of ways you can go, but those are good places to begin.

I provide workshops on emotional intelligence to businesses and schools. Would love to discuss further with you if you feel this would be a suitable need for your organization. You can check me out at: http://chrisdconnors.com. Thank you for your thought-provoking questions!