A former Google exec asks job candidates to tell their life story so she can identify their core values. Here's what she does — and doesn't — want to hear.

• Former Google executive and Gusto COO Lexi Reese asks job candidates interview questions about the chapters in their life story to figure out what their core values are. 
• In an interview with Business Insider, Reese said that she generally hires a person more for their values than for role-related fit. 
• She's listens in for "I" statements in particular, which suggest that a candidate isn't interested enough in serving others. 
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"If your life is a book, tell me about the chapters of that book."

That's a go-to prompt for Lexi Reese, COO of human-resources software company Gusto, when she's interviewing job candidates.

Reese, who previously held management positions at Google and American Express, wants to hear what you've accomplished over the course of your life and career. But more importantly, she said, she's interested in why you made the choices you did.

Reese's question reflects a broader shift toward more holistic hiring practices that go beyond technical skills. HR execs at top employers like Salesforce and Zappos say they look for candidates whose values align with theirs. And research suggests that employees who share their organization's core values are more satisfied at work and less likely to quit.

A job candidate's values can be even more important than their technical expertise

When Reese asks candidates about their life story, "you can suss out things like ego," she said. "Is your ego focused on, 'I'm proud of doing the right thing in a way that's going to impact lots of people?' Or is your ego placed on, 'I did this and I did that and I am so great?'"

Specifically, she's listening in for a ton of "I" statements, which doesn't suggest a desire to serve others.

Reese added that she generally hires a person more for their values than for role-related fit. (Gusto's company website indicates that their company values include "go the extra mile" and "do what's right.")

The COO's technique sounds similar to online bra company ThirdLove's interviewing strategy. Ra'el Cohen, ThirdLove's chief creative officer, previously told Business Insider that her team likes to ask job candidates, "What was the last mistake that you and your last team made, and what did you learn from it?"

In ThirdLove's case, they're actively looking for the candidate to use the word "I" instead of "we," because it suggests that the person takes ownership and responsibility for mistakes instead of blaming them on others.

Reese looks for job candidates who have spent a lot of time thinking about their own values. 

"We try to find people who are really deliberate about where they want to build their careers and why they're trying to build them here," she said. 

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