Why I Interview for Curiosity, Not Credentials

A man sits at a desk, curiously absorbed in his work on a laptop, surrounded by books and a cup of coffee in a cozy office setting.

I don’t have a degree.

That fact used to live like a shadow behind me — always there, always cold. Every job interview early in my career felt like I was apologizing for something. Like I was trying to prove I belonged despite what was missing from my resume.

But now? It’s one of my greatest assets as a leader.

Because I know firsthand that credentials don’t always tell the story.

What does? Curiosity. Grit. Growth. Self-awareness. Willingness to learn. The ability to ask better questions.

So now that I’m the one doing the hiring — especially in tech — I don’t lead with degrees, brand names, or GPAs.

I lead with curiosity.

Credentials Are Easy to Measure — But That’s the Problem

It’s easy to filter candidates by:

• School

• Degree

• Prior job titles

• Certifications

And yes, those things can matter. But they’re proxies — not proof.

They don’t tell me:

• How you think under pressure

• How well you communicate

• If you’ll learn fast when the world shifts

• If you make others better by being on the team

In tech, things move too fast to only hire what someone already knows. I need to know they can learn what they don’t know.

And let’s be honest — tech changes constantly. Frameworks evolve. Best practices shift. Tools go out of date within a year. So hiring someone for what they knew 3 years ago is like hiring a driver who only knows how to operate a Model T.

Curiosity, on the other hand, is timeless. It scales. It adapts. It keeps people relevant even when the landscape changes overnight.

Curiosity Is a Superpower in Tech - Interview For It

Here’s why I hire for curiosity:

• Curious people don’t get stuck. They ask why. They poke around. They investigate instead of freeze.

• They learn faster. Curiosity drives self-education. Documentation doesn’t intimidate them. Neither do unfamiliar tools.

• They collaborate better. Curious people want to understand other perspectives. They ask thoughtful questions in meetings. They listen.

• They grow into roles. Tech changes constantly. I’d rather have someone hungry to learn than someone who’s "been there, done that."

• They adapt during chaos. When the plan falls apart (because it always does), curiosity kicks in with: “What can we try next?”

Give me the person who says, “I haven’t worked with that yet, but I’d love to dig in” over the one who lists every buzzword from the last 10 years.

That attitude? You can’t teach that. But you can build with it.

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The Interview Questions That Actually Work

Over time, I’ve found a set of go-to questions that reveal curiosity more than any resume ever could.

1. "Tell me about something you learned recently that excited you."

   • It doesn’t have to be technical. I want to see what lights them up.

2. "What’s a tool or concept you used to hate, but now appreciate?"

   • This shows growth and perspective shift.

3. "How do you go about learning something you don’t understand?"

   • I’m looking for process, not perfection.

4. "What’s a mistake you made, and what did it teach you?"

   • Curiosity is tightly linked to humility. I want people who reflect, not deflect.

5. "What’s something in tech you wish more people asked about?"

   • This reveals not just what they know — but what they notice.

6. "Have you ever taught yourself a tool or language outside of work? Why?"

   • This one’s huge for me. I want people who explore outside the job description.

   
   

These questions don’t just test knowledge. They test mindset. They uncover whether this person is wired to evolve.

Software development team collaborates around a circular table, engaging in a focused discussion to brainstorm solutions.

Hiring for Curiosity Changed My Teams

When I started hiring for curiosity instead of credentials, everything shifted:

• Our onboarding got faster. New hires weren’t afraid to ask questions.

• Knowledge sharing improved. Curious people document what they learn because they value the process.

• Team morale went up. People felt empowered to grow instead of afraid to fail.

• Innovation increased. Curious minds don’t just fix — they improve.

We started seeing teammates teaching each other naturally, documenting edge cases, proposing tools that weren’t even on our radar. They weren’t just doing the work — they were reshaping it.

One of the best engineers I’ve ever hired had a background in customer support. No CS degree. No formal training. But he could reverse-engineer anything, had a mind like a sponge, and cared deeply about how systems made people feel.

He wasn’t hired for what he knew — he was hired for how he thought.

And he leveled up everyone around him.

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I’m Not Anti-Degree — I’m Just Pro-Depth

Let me be clear: I’m not saying credentials don’t matter.

Some roles need formal education. Some certifications show discipline. Degrees can open doors.

But I’m not interested in checking boxes. I’m interested in building teams that can adapt, communicate, and evolve.

So if you have both? Great. If you don’t, but you’re hungry to learn? I’m listening.

Curiosity doesn’t replace skill. It accelerates it. Curiosity doesn’t negate experience. It deepens it.

I’ll take an average resume with an exceptional mindset over the opposite any day.

How to Build a Culture That Rewards Curiosity

Hiring curious people is just the first step. You have to protect that mindset in your culture.

• Make questions safe. Don’t mock or dismiss people for not knowing something.

• Celebrate learning publicly. When someone teaches themselves a new tool or unblocks a problem through exploration, shine a light on it.

• Encourage "dig days." Give your team time to explore problems outside the roadmap.

• Pair people up across functions. Curious people thrive in cross-pollination. Let your devs shadow support, or your network engineers sit in on product planning.

Curiosity doesn’t survive in rigid environments. It needs oxygen.

If your meetings only allow for answers — never questions — you’re suffocating growth.

Final Thoughts

Credentials tell me where you’ve been. Curiosity tells me where you’re going.

And I care a hell of a lot more about the second one.

Because tech doesn’t stay still. And the people who thrive in it? Neither do they.

So when I interview you, I’m not just listening for your technical history. I’m listening for your curiosity, your questions, your why.

Because the best teams I’ve ever built weren’t full of "experts."

They were full of people who never stopped learning.

That’s who I bet on. Every time.