September 4, 2013 at 8:05 pm
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Good and Bad Interview Questions
September 5, 2013 at 2:18 am
I agree whole heartedly with you on this one Steve. I’ve had some bizarre interviews questions -What kind of animal would you be and why?“ technical ones “What is the difference between delete and truncate”, “What does ACID stand for”. However both the jobs I’ve stayed at the longest had a similar format – technical stuff covered by being put in front of a PC and being told “Fix it – it’s bust”, “Restore database XXX for 10 pm yesterday” etc along with a very informal verbal session (part of one was in a pub) finding about me, what I like, how I think. So my potential employees knew I could do it before I started as well as how I would fit in with the team.
The HR team only came in with their normal bits and pieces as a formality after I had been offered the job (and yes I was given the “What sort of vegetable do you see yourself as” questions).
-------------------------------Posting Data Etiquette - Jeff Moden [/url]Smart way to ask a question
There are naive questions, tedious questions, ill-phrased questions, questions put after inadequate self-criticism. But every question is a cry to understand (the world). There is no such thing as a dumb question. ― Carl Sagan
I would never join a club that would allow me as a member - Groucho Marx
September 5, 2013 at 5:31 am
The "weird" questions are the converse of the "fizzbuzz" questions: You need to have a specific reason for them, not ask them "just because" or you're looking to "stump the chump".
I interviewed for a job one time where they asked: "If I asked you to make me a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich, what would you do?" In the context of the position I was interviewing for, it made perfect sense. We were dealing with people with disabilities and they were looking for people who would try to draw out someone further and even empower others by responding something like, "Tell you what, I'm hungry too. Let's both go make one. Have you ever made one before? Want to learn?" They would also follow up by dialoging with candidates about whatever they did answer.
In interviews for other types of jobs, I'd be looking for the guys with the white coats and butterfly nets were I asked the same question. Hiring is a difficult, risky process and any such question - if asked at all - should be something that's purposeful and part of a larger process.
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Just my $0.02 from over here in the cheap seats of the peanut gallery - please adjust for inflation and/or your local currency.
September 5, 2013 at 6:01 am
Microsoft interview did ask some odd questions.
1. Please give me driving directions from your home to our office.
2. You're in a room with three light bulbs (no windows) and there are three switches outside the room. You only get to go out and back in once - how are you going to figure out which switch runs with light bulb?
3. Describe yourself with a list of one syllable words.
The first two made sense...but the third was just silly.
September 5, 2013 at 6:51 am
I totally agree that 'fit' is at least as important as technical acumen. To that end, I try to create a scenario during an interview with a candidate where I intentionally make an incorrect statement about something technical, to see how they go about correcting me. If I see overly aggressive, defensive, or arrogant behavior, I cut the interview short and move on. I'm looking for an open mind, an ability to debate and discuss professionally, and some humility.
September 5, 2013 at 7:04 am
Though it's little out of context as against the topic but over the time I've observed few things about the technical interviews:
a. I knew almost 80% of the technical questions they were going to ask (as almost all who interviewed me till date have got those lists from net, I guess).
b. Some interviewers look out for the flat answers they have found along with the questions on net. Any answer other than that will be an invitation to problems.
I feel for a fresher technical person or with little experience, it's fine to go with basics BUT with a senior technical person, along with the basics, interviewers should check out for the experience they gained. Also if throwing a "situation", objective should eb to check the approach to solve the issue OR get nearer to it (for me both will do as far as they are trying with any approach).
For those funny questions, i have yet to experience few... 🙂
September 5, 2013 at 7:20 am
Hi Steve! Thank you for this topic!
You said "My interviews have often been very technical, but have included a number of "how would you.." or "tell me about a time when.." questions." I just wonder what were the most weird or, maybe, difficult non-technical questions on your interviews?
Thanks a lot!
September 5, 2013 at 7:29 am
Why is a manhole cover round?
How many cows are in Canada?
How would you cure world hunger?
On a slow day, when we're not on a coding sprint or putting out a fire, we'll huddle in the break room and discuss these type of questions. Otherwise, it typically doesn't come up. I'd never ask something like this during an interview. 😛
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho
September 5, 2013 at 7:45 am
I wasn't asked any weird questions but I was asked to solve a puzzle. It was one of those puzzles where you needed to only move a couple pieces to turn the shape into something else. I think it was arranged as a rectangle and you had to make it into a 'T'. I think, it was about 15 years ago.
I don't think that was the reason I didn't get the job, I think it was because I was looking for more money than they where willing to pay. I hope. 🙂
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we travel not to escape life but for life not to escape us
Don't fear failure, fear regret.
September 5, 2013 at 7:47 am
Eric M Russell (9/5/2013)
Why is a manhole cover round?
How many cows are in Canada?
How would you cure world hunger?
On a slow day, when we're not on a coding sprint or putting out a fire, we'll huddle in the break room and discuss these type of questions. Otherwise, it typically doesn't come up. I'd never ask something like this during an interview. 😛
I have been asked obsurd questions like this myself and I always love to play with interviewer's mind alittle by repsonding this way:
Why is a manhole cover round? Because they roll much easier that way.
How many cows are in Canada? A lot more than I care to know about.
How would you cure world hunger? The same way I learn how to stop the rain.
Interviewer: "Those are obsurd answers"
Me: "True, but those are obsurd questions.":w00t:
"Technology is a weird thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ...:-D"
September 5, 2013 at 7:51 am
wojzeh (9/5/2013)
Hi Steve! Thank you for this topic!You said "My interviews have often been very technical, but have included a number of "how would you.." or "tell me about a time when.." questions." I just wonder what were the most weird or, maybe, difficult non-technical questions on your interviews?
Thanks a lot!
Many years ago, I applied for a job opening at a major Top 10 insurance company. It was one of those interviews that are supposed to last all day long, and at one point they ask me to complete an "assessment test". It was the type that has like 200 multiple choice quetions and the answer is filled in with a #2 pencil, and one typical question that I still recal was the following:
You can't cook an omelet without breaking a few eggs.
- Strongly Agree
- Somewhat Agree
- Somewhat Disagree
- Strongly Disagree
There was no context or guidance for how to answer these questions. Really, I wish they had included "Don't Care" as an option, and I would have marked that for 90% of them. I decided to play it safe and marked half of them as "Somewhat Agree" and the other half as "Somewhat Disagree" thinking that it would balance out and it was probably the face to face session that would matter most. So, after completing the test, I then spent more than an hour sitting alone in a room until I got the creepy feeling that I was being watched. At that point I actually bailed and walked out.
What's weird is that they called me back several weeks later and wanted to offer me a job.
I declined. So damn weird; I wouldn't work for those guys.
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho
September 5, 2013 at 8:03 am
Eric M Russell (9/5/2013)
What's weird is that they called me back several weeks later and wanted to offer me a job.
I declined. So damn weird; I wouldn't work for those guys.
I respect your decision! The real omelette does not tolerate eggs!
September 5, 2013 at 8:52 am
I can remember a couple of times fielding very bizarre questions. The first one was a small consulting company where I had been referred by a friend of mine who worked for them occasionally as a hired gun. Let's say his name is "Fred". The first thing asked was "are you smarter than Fred?". I actually sat there in complete silence for probably close to 15 seconds without moving. I finally responded with some sort of BS answer like "how do define smart?" or something along those lines. I ended up working there for 5 years.
The second one I walked into a conference room with about a dozen people seated around a conference table. There were no empty seats so I stood at the head of the table. They asked my name, didn't introduce themselves and one of the guys asked me what my favorite movie was. I was kind of in shock but very quickly responded "Princess Bride". It took no time and the guy was grinning from ear to ear. He told me that was his favorite also, this felt like a complete pile of stink at this point. I asked him what his favorite scene was to see if he full of it. He responded that the wedding was his favorite part and started speaking it "mawwiage is wut bwings us here today...". At this point I was dying. I managed to pull it together and explained that my now father in law recited that entire speech at my rehearsal dinner before I married his daughter. This was quite entertaining and derailed the entire interview. I was given a seat and we sat around laughing for an hour never discussing anything real at all. I was then told this was the first interview just to see if I would fit in with the team. It turned out it was the management team and none of the technical people (which I did not fit well with at all on the follow up interview). All in all it seemed like a complete waste of everyone's time.
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September 5, 2013 at 9:08 am
wojzeh (9/5/2013)
Eric M Russell (9/5/2013)
What's weird is that they called me back several weeks later and wanted to offer me a job.
I declined. So damn weird; I wouldn't work for those guys.
I respect your decision! The real omelette does not tolerate eggs!
Occasionally I replay that day in my head and think about what if I had just taken the job. At the time, the company was fairly new, but it's a major insurance company today, so they obviously know what they're doing businesswise. My guess, with years of hindsight and experience, is that their intention was to pre-screen candidates based on compatibility metrics that they created. This makes sense considering it was an insurance company, so it's their tendency minimize risk (hiring the right employees) by objectively quantifying them using metrics.
However, in my opinion the interview process was perhaps well thought out but poorly executed and confused a lot of people. Perhaps there were not enough staff or consultants to conduct all the interviews and provide instruction. Taken out of context, that assessment exam made no sense. For example, I didn't know wether to interpret that omelet cooking question literally or colloquially.
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho
September 5, 2013 at 11:35 am
And for the lighter side of interviews:
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