During my 10 years at Google as a VP, there were weeks where I would spend up to 40 hours conducting job interviews. So to make things easier, I always had one skill that I looked for in candidates before anything else: self-awareness.
Sure, your experience and skills matter, but they can be learned. And when someone is highly self-aware, they’re more motivated to learn because they’re honest about what they need to work on. They also relate better to their colleagues and managers.
Plus, it’s a rare trait: Research shows that although 95% of people think they’re self-aware, only 10% to 15% actually are.
How I check for self-awareness
I always watch for two words: Too much “I” is a red flag that they may not be humble or collaborative; too much “we” may obscure what role they played in the situation. There needs to be a balance.
I typically learn something revealing when I ask about their specific role. A positive answer would be: “It was my idea, but the credit goes to the whole team.”
I also ask how their colleagues would describe them. If they only say good things, I probe what constructive feedback they’ve received.
Then I’ll say, “And what have you done to improve?” to check their orientation towards learning and self-improvement, and to see whether they’ve taken that feedback to heart.
The self-awareness assessment
If you’re not self-aware, how would you know? Here are some telltale signs:
- You consistently get feedback that you disagree with. This doesn’t mean the feedback is correct, but it does mean that how others perceive you differs from how you perceive yourself.
- You often feel frustrated and annoyed because you don’t agree with your team’s direction or decisions.
- You feel drained at the end of a workday and can’t pinpoint why.
- You can’t describe what kinds of work you do and don’t enjoy doing.
How to build self-awareness
Becoming more self-aware is all about understanding why you work the way you do, and what you can contribute to your team:
1. Understand your…
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