One critical skill this C-suite exec looks for in interviews—bankers, engineers, creatives all need it

Chidi Achara, global chief product officer at design and tech company Huge, knows his red flags when it comes to job candidates.

When he's looking at a resume that doesn't have a clear link to the job he's hiring for, that's a red flag, for example. He finds young people are often guilty of applying to jobs they're not qualified for. "They're just applying for a bunch of stuff because the title sounds cool, or they like the comp, or they like the location," he says.

When it comes to what he is looking for, there's one skill he believes can help employees regardless of field: storytelling.

When you have ideas to move the company forward, "you have to be able to present those ideas, frame those ideas, socialize those ideas, and secure buy-in and stakeholder support for those ideas," says Achara. That's storytelling.

It means clear, structured, persuasive communication that makes you more effective in your role.

If you can't make it clear why it's worth it for the company to invest, you won't be able to move projects forward, solve some problems for your employer, and maybe even succeed on the job.

The skill is "critical to success," he says — and not just in creative fields. Bankers, lawyers, engineers, they all need it, he says.

To assess candidates for this trait, Achara asks any number of questions.

"Can you just give me an overview of the arc or the trajectory of your career?" is one example. Or: "What have been the highlights, the achievements that you're most proud of? Where have you really added value?"

All of these give insight into how someone's communication brain works.

"If they don't answer the question directly," he says, "then I struggle to see how — in certain environments, when they need to step up and explain something very clearly with a limited period of time — they'll succeed."

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