Why Curiosity May Be Your Team’s Secret Superpower
Curiosity looks like more than just an eager question. It’s the spark behind real breakthroughs, which can be debugging a sneaky bug at midnight, imagining a new feature that users didn’t even ask for, or re‑thinking a process everyone believed was “just how things are done.” When candidates bring stories of diving into the unknown like teaching themselves a new framework or poking around a system just “for fun”, most likely is a sign you’re getting someone who’s going to grow with you long after onboarding week ends.
Daily language check:
- “I couldn’t shake the feeling something was off, so I dug a little deeper…” (that’s curiosity in action)
- “I saw a pattern that felt off, so I wrote a quick script” (someone imagining better, acting on better)
Stop Chasing Keywords, Start Listening for Stories
Most job listings still list “team player” and “detail-oriented” as magic bullets. But those words have lost meaning. Instead, listen for the stories behind them:
Instead of… | Listen for… |
“I’m detail-oriented.” | “I noticed the build failed after I merged, so I traced it to a hidden typo.” |
“I work independently.” | “That was created on an idea that I had and felt compelled to pursue.” |
That kind of language is real. It’s human. And it shines a light on someone’s thought process, not just their resume fillers.
Real-Life Scenario: Interview Pivot
Imagine two engineers in onsite tech screens:
Interviewee A nails questions by regurgitating algorithms.
Interviewee B hesitates at a question and then says, “Can I think out loud?” But in that moment, Interviewee B takes your hand, walks through how he would approach a blind spot, and charts a path forward.
Who do you want on your team when unexpected challenges hit? Interviewee B will show up on day one and most importantly, every day after.
Tapping Curiosity in Onboarding and Culture
Hiring’s just step one. If you want curiosity to thrive:
Onboarding: Give new engineers a “sandbox” to choose a small curiosity-driven project (e.g., build a mini tool or explore a dataset) and demo it in week two.
Internal forums or “Curiosity Hours”: A weekly show‑and‑tell for these little hacks invites everyone to share what got them thinking and what happened next.
Peer recognition: A 30‑second shout‑out in standups, “They noticed latency creeping up in the reporting job and dug in before it became a big deal.” This reinforces that proactive exploring behavior.
Why This Matters in 2025
With market make‑up shifting, rapid tooling changes, and AI reshaping workflows daily, what used to work in 2015 doesn’t in 2025. In fact, LinkedIn recently highlighted that leading engineering teams are now hiring for adaptability while looking not just for coders but those “who thrive in ambiguity and iterate quickly” when building platforms, reducing incident response time, and making systems resilient. Candidates aren’t just hired for skills, but instead, they’re hired for adaptability, for the willingness to ask “what if?” and go find answers.
By spotlighting real, relatable language and centering stories over buzzwords, you will attract and surface engineers who don’t just fill a seat, but steer your team into the next challenge, long before it arises.
If curiosity is a trait, you’d like to see more of in your next hire but aren’t sure how to screen for it, we’ve been helping teams do just that for decades. Sometimes, it just takes the right conversation to shift what (and who) you’re really looking for. Have that conversation today at 630-789-2525 or contact@espocorp.com