When Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer interviews job applicants, he likes to ask a couple of his favorite questions.
First: What’s the biggest misperception other people have of you? You can’t respond “unless you’re willing to share the real you,” the restaurateur told organizational psychologist Adam Grant during a March talk at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, which was released as an episode on Grant’s “WorkLife” podcast last week.
The question can help build an early level of trust between an interviewer and a candidate, hopefully leading to a strong working relationship between an employee and a boss, Meyer said.
“The only way to answer that question is to say, ‘Well, I’m really this, but the dangest thing is that people actually see me as that,'” said Meyer, who’s also the founder and executive chairman of New York-based restaurant group Union Square Hospitality Group. “It gives me a chance to actually see the person and see how they see themselves.”
Meyer’s other favorite job interview question, he said: Tell me about something that happened in your life, before you turned 12, that you think had more of an impact on you today than anything else.
“The point is that whatever that story is, you then get a chance to talk about how did it change who you are today,” he said. “I’m looking for honesty, vulnerability, willingness to grow, looking maybe for a little growth mindset.”
‘A chance to show my vulnerability’
For Meyer, candid questioning in an interview is an opportunity for him to reciprocate the level of openness displayed by a prospective hire to start forging trust. “It also gives me a chance to show my vulnerability,” he said.
Being vulnerable in the workplace is often valuable. Hiding how you really feel can increase your odds of burnout, bestselling author and researcher Susan Cain told CNBC Make It in 2022. You just have to pick appropriate moments for sharing, she said.
“This is not to say that leaders should feel pressured to share bold things that might feel private to them. But just opening up in ways that are comfortable is a way of inviting the other person to do the same,” Cain said.
If you’re ever struggling to figure out what’s worth sharing in a professional setting and what isn’t, consider some advice from Karen Lynch, CEO of CVS Health: Only share personal information when it directly helps you solve problems or build stronger relationships with colleagues. Otherwise, it’s better to avoid opening up too much, she told LinkedIn’s “This is Working” video series earlier this year.
“There’s things that you can talk about that can make a difference,” Lynch said. “And there’s a fine line.”
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