Interview

Every interviewer has to have a set of tools in their arsenal.

In the architecture and design industry, there is one specific tool that, when executed properly, can mean the difference between hiring ideal candidates and hiring people that aren’t the best fit for the position.

This tool is called cognitive empathy.

Cognitive Empathy: The Tool of Choice for Every Interview

Cognitive empathy is a tool that can unlock a whole different level of interviewing for your hiring team. It can take your interviews from being predictable and routine to authentic and insightful.

As a company leader in the architecture and design industry, mastering this skill will help you to cultivate an open, expressive, trusting, and considerate workplace culture for your employees.

And the best part – Learning about the cognitive empathy tool is 100% free of charge to you. There’s no class to pay for or certificate to earn because recruiters want to set you up for success from the get-go.

So What Is Cognitive Empathy?

It is the ability to stay present, listen, observe, and open yourself enough to allow your perspective to be put in the shoes of another. When you show genuine concern for the other person’s thoughts and emotions, they will begin to trust and respect you enough to let you into their inner world a little more.

In turn, you both learn more about each other and can better decide mutually if the position is a right fit.

This tool is incredibly valuable and important because it:

    • Creates a calming atmosphere: If the candidate sees from the very beginning that you care about their emotional and mental well-being, they are likely to get over the “interview jitters” sooner and share more about themselves.
    • Allows the candidate to think more clearly and better express and represent their background: They aren’t nervous about judgment or criticism.
    • Allows for a more robust conversation: You both get more out of the experience because you get to know each other and build that trusting relationship from the very start.

Conducting an interview based on cognitive empathy also makes it easier for both parties to identify a bad fit and move on. Designers want to work at a firm they like and connect with. Design firms want employees who are aligned with their values and goals. Cognitive empathy makes it easier to get to these crucial conversations.

Not only will you hire the better-fit candidates for the job with cognitive empathy, but you will inevitably share more of who you are as a boss and firm, so the person knows exactly what they are getting themselves into before they are hired!

If you have any additional questions about recruitment, feel free to contact us now!

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