Empathy is a core piece of “emotional intelligence” that involves putting yourself in others’ shoes, trying to understand how they feel, and responding generously and graciously.
In an interview, rather than thinking only about what you would get out of the job—whether it’s higher pay, a better title, or a sense of fulfillment—consider what you can offer the company. Companies hire because they have a problem they want solved, whether it is a specific technical problem or simply the need to split up an overwhelming workload among more people.
By empathizing, or showing that you understand their plight, you can better demonstrate how you’d address the issue and speak directly to their needs. For example, if the company is suddenly growing their sales team a lot, you could say something like, “It’s so exciting to see so many open sales roles. I imagine that must mean the company is growing, but I know growth also means the team is feeling stretched. Given my previous experience, I’m confident I can hit the ground running and lighten the load.” Using your empathy during the hiring process will also show your interviewer that you would be an understanding coworker and teammate if hired.
Empathy is one of those skills you’ve likely developed throughout your life, but you might not realize how important it is in a job interview. So getting better at it in this context is in part a matter of awareness. And you can get a head start by putting yourself in the shoes of your interviewers as you’re researching the company and making educated guesses about what their needs and challenges might be.
Read More: How Strong Interpersonal Skills Can Help You at Work—and in Your Job Search