February 25, 2011 at 9:08 am
bradmcgehee@hotmail.com (2/25/2011)
When I get questions that are not related to an interview, I ask what their point is, and if I don't get a good answer, I walk out of the interview. This has happened twice to me. I am not interested in working for a company that doesn't focus directly on who I am and what I can do for them.
Good point. Lots of this is some trendy management style fluff, and if some (ego driven?) interviewers think that by throwing parlor game puzzless at you, they can determine how you would work in the real world, I would have serious concerns about what it is like to work there.
I'd say most of those questions are less about thinking logically and more about stress response.
And even that is not a good test for most IT jobs, even those that require handling of stress type emergencies. Throwing an off the wall question at someone who is nervous says nothing about how they would perform when a real world issue in their area of expertise needed to be addressed (typically on a scale of hours or days, not seconds).
...
-- FORTRAN manual for Xerox Computers --
February 25, 2011 at 9:17 am
Good point. Lots of this is some trendy management style fluff, and if some (ego driven?) interviewers think that by throwing parlor game puzzless at you, they can determine how you would work in the real world, I would have serious concerns about what it is like to work there.
To some extent I agree. But in our line of work being able to handle ridiculously stressful situations gracefully is actually incredibly important. Anyone who's had to scramble in a disaster recovery situation knows how important it is to be able to keep your head despite the cluster that is going on around you. (And yes you can start making all the good points here for being prepared for these situations in advance so it doesn't get to that level of ridiculous stress.) While I'll readily admit it's a bit of a nasty play to throw at an already stressed interviewee some of the ridiculous questions do have value.
That said, 50 of them is absolutely ridiculous. 1, maybe 2 ridiculous questions should be all you need to gauge how someone handles curve balls.
February 25, 2011 at 9:18 am
Sarah B (2/25/2011)
The strangest interview question I was ever asked was: Why do think there is such a big homeless problem in the US?I don't remember my answer because it was so spontaneous, but they liked it. I got a job there.
That's sounds like one of the gate keepers in HR or upper management re-phrasing the question "Are you a good fit for our culture?".
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho
February 25, 2011 at 9:33 am
I've done a few interviews. A couple were for commercial analyst positions working directly for senior management. What I wanted to see is if the candidate was willing to fess up to flaws/failures and take responsibility for them. It's a very hard question to get a real answer for, because so many people lie. Many times it's hard to word or build a question for which the reason you're asking is not obvious. It's the only way to hedge the question to get more people to answer honestly.
In one interview with a potential analyst I asked my standard question, "What are your three worst qualities". Again the real question is 'will you fess up to failure and take responsibility for it'. Anyway this candidate would not give me the truth. All her answers were like 'I'm a work-a-holic' or other 'bad traits that are really good'. So finally I asked her (not sure if this is ok) 'Ok tell me three things about yourself you think I don't want to hear'.
I kind of defeated the purpose of my own question. She had already answered that she wouldn't fess up. She didn't get the job.
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My SQL Server Blog
February 25, 2011 at 9:35 am
Jeff Moden (2/25/2011)
Koen Verbeeck (2/25/2011)
I've seen that list of question before, and there are sure some legitimate ones in there, as they are just math quizzes in disguise.For example:
“Out of 25 horses, pick the fastest 3 horses. In each race, only 5 horses can run at the same time. What is the minimum number of races required?”
--> math. (But I would ask a question back: minimum number of races to do what? As it is not stated what is required.)
“You have a birthday cake and have exactly 3 slices to cut it into 8 equal pieces. How do you do it?”
--> math
“Given the numbers 1 to 1000, what is the minimum numbers guesses needed to find a specific number if you are given the hint “higher” or “lower” for each guess you make.”
--> basic math and algorithms
“If you had 5,623 participants in a tournament, how many games would need to be played to determine the winner?”
--> math
“There are three boxes, one contains only apples, one contains only oranges, and one contains both apples and oranges. The boxes have been incorrectly labeled such that no label identifies the actual contents of the box it labels. Opening just one box, and without looking in the box, you take out one piece of fruit. By looking at the fruit, how can you immediately label all of the boxes correctly?”
--> this is a rather well-know riddle. It can test your ability to think about complex puzzles.
“You are in a dark room with no light. You need matching socks for your interview and you have 19 gray socks and 25 black socks. What are the chances you will get a matching pair? “
--> basic statistics
And I could go on. There are some very well known riddles in there.
On the other hand, there are some real weird questions in there. 😀
However, some of them can be used for psychological profiling (such as the superhero question and the "scale of weirdness").
I think the most "stupid/oddball" ones are for testing the reaction of the candidate.
Koen Verbeeck (2/25/2011)
I've seen that list of question before, and there are sure some legitimate ones in there, as they are just math quizzes in disguise.For example:
“Out of 25 horses, pick the fastest 3 horses. In each race, only 5 horses can run at the same time. What is the minimum number of races required?”
--> math. (But I would ask a question back: minimum number of races to do what? As it is not stated what is required.)
“You have a birthday cake and have exactly 3 slices to cut it into 8 equal pieces. How do you do it?”
--> math
“Given the numbers 1 to 1000, what is the minimum numbers guesses needed to find a specific number if you are given the hint “higher” or “lower” for each guess you make.”
--> basic math and algorithms
“If you had 5,623 participants in a tournament, how many games would need to be played to determine the winner?”
--> math
“There are three boxes, one contains only apples, one contains only oranges, and one contains both apples and oranges. The boxes have been incorrectly labeled such that no label identifies the actual contents of the box it labels. Opening just one box, and without looking in the box, you take out one piece of fruit. By looking at the fruit, how can you immediately label all of the boxes correctly?”
--> this is a rather well-know riddle. It can test your ability to think about complex puzzles.
“You are in a dark room with no light. You need matching socks for your interview and you have 19 gray socks and 25 black socks. What are the chances you will get a matching pair? “
--> basic statistics
And I could go on. There are some very well known riddles in there.
On the other hand, there are some real weird questions in there. 😀
However, some of them can be used for psychological profiling (such as the superhero question and the "scale of weirdness").
I think the most "stupid/oddball" ones are for testing the reaction of the candidate.
I was actually given a test of about 50 such questions for one interview. I told the HR person that I'd first like to meet the person who I'd be working for if I were hired. I made a deal... I said I'd take the test if they could solve the following puzzle...
You're locked in a cell with a steel floor. At the center of the room is a pipe with massively thick walls securely welded to the floor all the way around and that's the only noticable thing there is in the cell. The only light is coming in through the bars. Inside the pipe and just out of reach of your fingers is a ping-pong ball and the hole in the pipe is just barely large enough to let the ping-pong ball in. You're given a piece of 1/4" thick 1" long piece of double braided rope and told that the ping-pong ball is attached to the key to get out and that if you can retrieve the key, you can let yourself out of the cell. How do you retrieve the key and how long will it take?
Neither the HR person nore the person I'd be working for could answer the questions in the 70 seconds I gave them (which is about how long you have to answer each question of a 50 question test in an hour). I told them both "Thank you very much" and that I didn't want to work for a company that would expect employees to pass a test when its managment couldn't answer such a simple pair of questions and left (at the time, I really needed a job, too!).
If you're a manager, make sure the test matches the job you actually want the person to do. A 50 question math test will help you find a person with very good math skills and, although math certainly does come into play, it won't necessarily help you find a good developer or DBA... at least not one with some common sense and experience.
I'm sorry, but that reminds me of a grade school puzzle.
You're trapped in a room with no doors or windows, with only a table and a mirror. How do you get out?
Looking in the mirror, you saw yourself, so you take the saw, cut the table in half. Two halves make a (w)hole, and you crawl out.:-D
February 25, 2011 at 9:53 am
amenjonathan (2/25/2011)
I've done a few interviews. A couple were for commercial analyst positions working directly for senior management. What I wanted to see is if the candidate was willing to fess up to flaws/failures and take responsibility for them. ....
"The last time a project went wrong for you: In retrospect why did it go wrong? What did you learn from it?"
...
-- FORTRAN manual for Xerox Computers --
February 25, 2011 at 9:57 am
You're locked in a cell with a steel floor. At the center of the room is a pipe with massively thick walls securely welded to the floor all the way around and that's the only noticable thing there is in the cell. The only light is coming in through the bars. Inside the pipe and just out of reach of your fingers is a ping-pong ball and the hole in the pipe is just barely large enough to let the ping-pong ball in. You're given a piece of 1/4" thick 1" long piece of double braided rope and told that the ping-pong ball is attached to the key to get out and that if you can retrieve the key, you can let yourself out of the cell. How do you retrieve the key and how long will it take
"How long will it take?"...depends on how full your bladder is.
The three biggest mistakes in life...thinking that power = freedom, sex = love, and data = information.
February 25, 2011 at 10:11 am
jay holovacs (2/25/2011)
amenjonathan (2/25/2011)
I've done a few interviews. A couple were for commercial analyst positions working directly for senior management. What I wanted to see is if the candidate was willing to fess up to flaws/failures and take responsibility for them. ...."The last time a project went wrong for you: In retrospect why did it go wrong? What did you learn from it?"
Well the point of my question is to see if they'll be honest without forcing them to answer the explicit question. So she actually answered my real question. I shouldn't have rephrased it, looking back. :hehe:
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February 25, 2011 at 10:11 am
Are you now or have you ever been dangerously stupid? 😎
February 25, 2011 at 10:12 am
The weirdest question I've ever been asked in an interview is: "If you were on a magazine cover what would the magazine be and what would the headline be?"
I answered, basically, "I have no idea". I was offered the job anyway. I'm not sure why they asked it, I have a feeling that one of the HR people had seen these types of questions and thought they'd try it out.
The problem I have with the most absurd of the hypothetical questions (What color would you be? etc) is that the answer doesn't mean anything. There is a presumption that the explanation of the answer will give the interviewer insight into the candidate, but I'm not convinced.
If I was asked a question like "How would you move Mt. Fuji?" My initial response would be along the lines of a lighthearted "I would call a mining company that does Mountain Top removal" (e.g. Let the professionals do it). Heck, for all I know they want to know my delegation skills. If they want to elaborate on the question and turn it into a mental game, that would be fine, but the real answer is "Why would I WANT move Mt. Fuji?"
--
JimFive
February 25, 2011 at 10:19 am
How would you move Mt. Fuji?
Define what we mean here by "move". Would simply renaming the mountain suit you?
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho
February 25, 2011 at 11:43 am
bradmcgehee@hotmail.com (2/25/2011)
When I get questions that are not related to an interview, I ask what their point is, and if I don't get a good answer, I walk out of the interview. This has happened twice to me. I am not interested in working for a company that doesn't focus directly on who I am and what I can do for them.
Ah! Thank you. I have thought the same thing, though I've never been bold enough to just stand-up and leave.
February 25, 2011 at 11:53 am
bradmcgehee@hotmail.com (2/25/2011)
When I get questions that are not related to an interview, I ask what their point is, and if I don't get a good answer, I walk out of the interview. This has happened twice to me. I am not interested in working for a company that doesn't focus directly on who I am and what I can do for them.
Right on Brad! I actually got ask once in an interview "What kind of relationship do you have with your family?" I promptly ended the interview contacted my lawyer and threatened a lawsuit. The manager was eventually fired.. A vicious bulldog of a lawyer comes in real handy sometimes.:-D
"Technology is a weird thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ...:-D"
February 25, 2011 at 12:00 pm
I was once given a 3 page (front and back) written test on the software and concepts used in the position because so many posers had been hired and fired for not knowing how to do the work. That was stranger than any of the cute questions HR types like to ask.
February 25, 2011 at 12:23 pm
amenjonathan (2/25/2011)
I've done a few interviews. A couple were for commercial analyst positions working directly for senior management. What I wanted to see is if the candidate was willing to fess up to flaws/failures and take responsibility for them. It's a very hard question to get a real answer for, because so many people lie. Many times it's hard to word or build a question for which the reason you're asking is not obvious. It's the only way to hedge the question to get more people to answer honestly.In one interview with a potential analyst I asked my standard question, "What are your three worst qualities". Again the real question is 'will you fess up to failure and take responsibility for it'. Anyway this candidate would not give me the truth. All her answers were like 'I'm a work-a-holic' or other 'bad traits that are really good'. So finally I asked her (not sure if this is ok) 'Ok tell me three things about yourself you think I don't want to hear'.
I kind of defeated the purpose of my own question. She had already answered that she wouldn't fess up. She didn't get the job.
Recruiters always tell you to prepare answers that are actually positive for that kind of question. I hate that game, since I'm just not interested.
Fully honest answers?
I'm chatty. Given the opportunity, I'll derail conversations and they'll go on indefinitely. I police it myself at work with reasonable effectiveness, but it can be a distration to myself and others if it gets out of hand.
I get bored easily by mindlessly repetitive work. Data entry and the like will take longer than it should, because I'll get distracted. One of the reasons I'm in the line of work I'm in is because I really hate repetitive work, so I tend to automate it and make the computer do it for me, wherever possible.
I have a really obscure sense of humor, and some people have trouble dealing with it. Mainly severe OCD cases, but a few merely neurotic types, will find my twists and perversions of the English language horrific. For example, I say things like, "we'll burn that bridge when we come to it". It's obviously a malapropistic mash-up of two different "bridge" cliches, and I find it amusing. I've had a couple of people spend prolonged periods of time trying to correct me on it, which amused me and put them in a state of semi-anguish.
You would probably accept those as honest points of negative self-assessment, which they are. BUT, I guarantee, they aren't "the worst three things about me".
Why wouldn't I tell you what I consider worse? Same reason as anyone else. Because that kind of confession needs to be private, held in absolute confidence, and otherwise "safe". A job interview is none of those things.
Do you lead into that question by stating, matter-of-factly, the three worst things about yourself? How about the three worst things about the company the person is interviewing for a position at? And I mean real issues. Things with meat to them. Not, "We demand a lot from our personnel, which is why we hold high standards in our hiring and pay top dollar. You'll be driven hard and really challenged." More like, "The CEO is sleeping with his whole secretarial pool, and everyone knows it, and it creates a lot of resentment and disaffection". Not, "I don't like to micromanage, so you'll be pretty much self-managing most of your projects, which is why we need to know that you're really self-motivated." Yes, "I won't really care what you do every day, so I won't want you to bother me with it during meetings and such. I just want you to make me look good so my annual salary reviews go well, and you'll do well to keep that in mind." (I doubt that applies to you or your company, I'm just making up examples. Don't take them at all personally.)
Would you really tell an applicant that kind of thing about yourself and your company? If not, why would you expect an applicant to turn over material to you that will cause you to disconsider him as an applicant? You're putting him into a "Prisoner's Dilema" situation, where he doesn't know if other candidates told anything real, or told "I'm a workaholic" style fables. That makes it inherently unsafe for him. If he tells the truth, will you believe it, and will you forgive it enough to not hold it against him? If so, why do you even need to know it, if it won't affect the hiring process?
Best bet in answering that kind of question is aim for just bad enough to be believed and to seem like a real answer, but not bad enough to matter. You have to know that's what most people are going to do, if they answer honestly at all. Which renders the question pointless, because the answers are just plays to keep in the game.
(Yes, I'm a bit cynical about interview questions of a variety of sorts. That offended someone enough recently that he went onto a week-long warpath against me in these forums. Maybe I should add that cynicism to my three bad traits.)
- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
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