Children can even help you connect to a future boss. Hiring decisions, while obviously based on your skillset, are also about likability and rapport. That doesn’t mean you should open with a story about how your toddler pooped on the potty for the first time that morning, but once you gauge the environment, you can be open about little Johnny. “[Mentioning kids] can go sideways but then to me that’s not the right place for you if your family is important to you and they aren’t willing to respect that,” Harvey says. Which is why I was OK when I didn't get a call back for a second meeting after that first terrible interview. I didn't want to work for someone who couldn't understand that having a child and being a great employee aren’t mutually exclusive.