Empathy is a leadership quality that doesn’t get as much attention as, say, confidence or integrity. Nonetheless, it’s an essential component of emotional intelligence, and something every leader needs if they hope to inspire teams to work together, despite the differences that always exist in groups of people.
In this week’s roundup, we’re reminded why developing empathy is important for every leader. Also, we learn the real reason why tech companies ask those oddball interview questions, and what it actually means when recruiters say, “We’ll keep your resume on file.”
Tanveer Naseer at his blog: A Timely Reminder About the Power of Empathy in Leadership
“Although I’m Canadian, it’s easy to relate to and understand the frustration and dismay many Americans have felt over the course of this election period, along with a good dose of wariness for what lies ahead after the election is over, regardless of who wins,” Naseer wrote earlier this week. “And yet, this current US election does provide an important lesson for leaders everywhere of just how important empathy is becoming to our ability to lead, as we’ve been given a concrete example of just how quickly things can fall apart when we divide people into groups of ‘us’ versus ‘them’.”
Naseer reminds us that “empathy allows us to bridge the gap between how we see things and how others experience them.” Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum politically, or what side of an argument you support at work, it’s good to remember to try to see things from others’ point of view. Without that, it’s nearly impossible to lead.
More on empathy in leadership at the original post.
Meghan M. Biro at TalentCulture: Brain-Teaser Interview Questions Serve a Purpose
“There was a lot of buzz a few months back, when news organizations began reporting on the odd — sometimes very odd — brain-teaser questions Google asks its interviewees. Odd: ‘Describe AdWords to a 7-year-old.’ Very odd: ‘How many haircuts do you think happen in America every year?’” Biro writes. “But believe it or not, there’s a method to Google’s madness when it comes to lobbing unexpected and unusual questions at potential job candidates.”
Why ask brain-teaser questions instead of, well, normal ones? To figure out how candidates think. For engineering and other highly technical jobs, brain teasers might even tell recruiters whether or not job seekers have the specific skills required for the role.
So, the good news is that hiring managers aren’t asking these questions to be mean — but the bad news is that they’re probably not going anywhere. Learn more about what to expect, here.
Michelle A. Riklan at Riklan Resources: The White Lies Employers and Recruiters Tell Unsuspecting Applicants Like You
Job searching is a lot like dating. You’re seeking a connection, trying to put your best foot forward, and spending an awful lot of your time trying to figure out if people mean what they say. In both situations, you’re likely to hear a lot of little white lies. They’re intended to save your feelings, which is nice, but they sure make it hard to know whether you’re still in the game.
What kind of lies? Well, there’s the old “we’ll keep your resume on file,” for one, and “we’ll get back to you,” for another. Find out why recruiters and hiring managers use these phrases, and whether there’s anything you can do to get things back on track, at Riklan’s post.
Tell Us What You Think
What’s the best career advice you’ve read this week? We want to hear from you. Tell us your thoughts in the comments or join the conversation on Twitter.
Leave a Reply