Danny Meyer considers hiring to be among the most important parts of his job.
Meyer, 67, has spent the last 40 years as a restaurant executive. He opened his first restaurant in 1985, founded burger chain Shake Shack in 2004 and launched several other eateries and bars as founder and executive chairman of New York-based restaurant group Union Square Hospitality Group.
When he brings on new workers — from CFOs to dishwashers — he looks for a specific set of traits above all others. "I really don't give a damn what your IQ is," Meyer said at the Qualtrics X4 Summit on March 19. "We are hiring for HQ [hospitality quotient] ... What an IQ basically says is one's aptitude for learning. What HQ is, is the degree to which someone is happier themselves when they provide happiness for someone else."
Meyer assesses if an individual possesses a high hospitality quotient based on their mastery of six "emotional skills" which are consistently evident at elevated levels, according to him.
- Integrity
- Optimism
- Intellectual curiosity
- Work ethic
- Empathy
- Self-awareness
Honesty is Meyer's crucial emotional competency since it demonstrates having the 'discretion to make the correct choice, even when it doesn't benefit oneself,' according to him.
Meyer emphasized optimism as an excellent indicator for recruitment. He stated, “Optimistic individuals genuinely think they can improve another person’s life through their actions. This serves as a strong foundation.” Additionally, Meyer mentioned that preferred candidates should be eager learners rather than those who claim to know everything.
According to Meyer, an individual possessing all six emotional competencies strives for excellence in their work, empathizes sufficiently to grasp others' needs, and maintains teamwork even when experiencing a difficult period.
DON'T MISS: Ways to Begin a Side Business for Additional Income
Soft skills are becoming more crucial in virtually every contemporary workplace, according to numerous experts — this is especially true in the era of artificial intelligence. Professionals such as business people emphasize billionaire Mark Cuban to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy often preach their value.
"These include so-called 'human skills' like creativity, collaboration, resilience, and adaptability," stated Till Leopold, who was a principal contributor to the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Future of Jobs Report. mentioned DIwida.Blog & NewsUpdate It in February .
According to Meyer, locating individuals who are proficient in these soft skills proves to be more challenging than simply identifying them.
If you’ve received comments suggesting that you lack self-awareness, perhaps you may need to do some intentional self-interrogation Ask you and your friends questions such as, “What are my strengths?” “In what environments do I perform optimally?” and “What brings me the greatest satisfaction?” This advice was offered by neuroscientist Juliette Han in June 2023.
Individuals who may not be naturally inclined towards optimism can develop this ability by maintaining a gratitude journal. A technique employed by Justin McLeod, the CEO of Hinge. During his more exasperating times, he stated during an interview. episode from LinkedIn's "This is Working" podcast episode released on March 13.
"When I feel down or resentful or anything like that, I've found that jotting down a list of ten things I appreciate can immediately shift my perspective," McLeod stated.
Soft skills might "sound like second grade stuff" on the surface, but bosses who intentionally hire candidates who possess them will benefit greatly, Meyer added. "These are people who, in addition to being really good at the technical thing they were hired to do, whatever that job is, they're amazing at going over and beyond and doing things that were unexpected."
Want to earn some extra money on the side? Take DIwida.Blog & News's new online course How to Start a Side Hustle To pick up advice for beginning and tactics for achieving success from leading side hustle professionals, sign up now and apply the promo code EARLYBIRD to receive a 30% discount off the $97 price (+ taxes and fees) until April 1, 2025.
Plus, Sign up for DIwida.Blog & News' newsletter. To acquire advice and strategies for achieving success at your job, managing finances, and navigating everyday life.
