I don't think I could be hired today

[FUEGO]

On the other side of the coin, DW sat on an interview board for an administrative position in a state government job. One of the rules was that all questions had to be determined prior to interviewing any candidates, and under no circumstances could any candidate be asked a question that deviated from the list. To ask one a different question from the others was not being "fair." Our tax dollars at work, I suppose.

I was going to say "imagine being the person forced to ask these questions of interviewees instead of pertinent relevant questions". Hiring is the same way where I work. When we used to hire people.

 

[ronocnikral]

My worst interview was with the largest oil company run by the dutch. The 1 hr interview was bad enough, talking about building a pretend space station or something stupid, but then they were to expand on it and make it last an entire day for those able to hurdle over their first interview. I hoped in the town car on the way to airport, hoping I would get an offer from another company so I wouldn't have to work for those clowns.

The behavioral questions are easy, once you understand how they work...I did on campus and on site interviews for ex-megacorp. If you have a good interviewer, they make them easy on you.

 

[Col. Klink]

The dumbest interview question I have ever had posed to me... "If you could be any kind of a ball, what kind of ball would you be?" I told the person that I had no desire to be a ball. The interview ended shortly thereafter and I did not get the job. On the other hand, at that point I did not want the job anyway if this individual was an example of the dimwits I would have to w&*k with.

 

[NW-Bound]

"A brass ball, and not just one but a pair!".

 

[BOBOT]

"A brass ball, and not just one but a pair!".

There once a man from Madras
whose balls were made out of brass.
When he banged them together
they played "Stormy Weather"
and lightning shot out of his a**!

I just highjacked my own post.
You're welcome.

 

[obgyn65]

I have had only one position interview in my life. And I got the position.

 

[MDJO]

Where do they come up with these idiotic questions?

 

[foxfirev5]

I had to put up with these questions during a job interview in '09 - for a job I had held for 29 years. Yeah, I told them what they wanted to hear. Now I would love to have the opportunity to have such an interview. What a difference a few years and FI makes.

 

[NW-Bound]

I looked through the list of the questions, and the following one seems quite reasonable to me, given that Trader Joe's is a small grocery chain that has quite a few gourmet items, and would expect its workers to know something about food.

"If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare for us?" – Asked at Trader Joe's

 

[grasshopper]

At my last interview I was interviewing with the GM. He looked at my w**k history, no read on an outcome. Than he looked my volunteer history, noted I was a Docent where his wife was a board member. Never talked about anything else for an hour, except how they loved The Desert Botanical Gardens in PHX. Got the job.

 

[utrecht]

On the other side of the coin, DW sat on an interview board for an administrative position in a state government job. One of the rules was that all questions had to be determined prior to interviewing any candidates, and under no circumstances could any candidate be asked a question that deviated from the list. To ask one a different question from the others was not being "fair." Our tax dollars at work, I suppose.

I can take that one further. In my police dept when there is an internal opening, someone wanting to transfer must be interviewed by a 3 person panel which must consist of one white person, one black person and one Hispanic person. Preferably one of them is a female. And yes, everyone must be asked the same list of pre-prepared questions. All of this is done because at some point in the past somebody complained that they didn't get the job because they were "insert wrong race or gender here"

 

[ERD50]

Some of these could make sense.

Quarters to reach the height of the Empire State building? It could be a measure of your ability to estimate (hmmm, a stack of maybe 6 quarters would be ~ an inch, how high is the Empire, divide by...), or ability to think creatively (some answers were zero, take the stairs; or $X - the cost of the elevator).

"How many balls would it take to fill this room?" are designed to test your creativity, critical thinking, and how you handle pressure.

Here's my answer: OK, one answer would depend on the size of the balls, how you pack them, and a bunch of variables, but I will give a definitive answer - one. Picture a balloon that is spherical when inflated, and larger than this room. Deflate it, bring it into the room, and then inflate it until it fills the room. One ball.

The penguin/sombrero Q seems ridiculous, but what if the job is for comedy writer? But for an engineering position, it would be tough to not give a smart-alek answer - but then I'd tell them that's the answer they should expect from someone serious about helping them make money. Spending time considering a hypothetical stacked on other hypotheticals is a waste of resources.

A talking penguin wearing a sombrero? Why is he there, what does he say? To announce this is your drug test, and you just failed because you are hallucinating? And why do they assume the penguin is a 'he' - is that sexist? Turn it on the interviewer.

-ERD50

 

[bondi688]

I have had only one position interview in my life. And I got the position.

I take it that you are a doctor, if that is the case you must have forgotten about the interviews you had when you applied to medical school ( was that not a requirement?) and post graduate training. And most likely you are being interviewed everyday by patients deciding whether they want you to be their doctor.

 

[FUEGO]

I can take that one further. In my police dept when there is an internal opening, someone wanting to transfer must be interviewed by a 3 person panel which must consist of one white person, one black person and one Hispanic person. Preferably one of them is a female. And yes, everyone must be asked the same list of pre-prepared questions. All of this is done because at some point in the past somebody complained that they didn't get the job because they were "insert wrong race or gender here"

That's how HR selects our candidates to be interviewed. You get a slate of maybe 4 real candidates that are qualified to varying degrees and 3 candidates that fit specific diversity criteria along the dimensions you have mentioned. Judging from some strange hiring decisions I have witnessed over the years, these efforts to encourage diversity seem to be effective at achieving diversity. The organization had a similar reputation (and discrimination claim losses) so I guess this is their form of remedial effort to ensure equal opportunity for all.

 

[veremchuka]

What a bunch of crap! Of all these dumb a$$ questions the only one that is answerable to any degree was 18. "Calculate the angle of two clock pointers when time is 11:50." – Asked at Bank of America, software developer candidate.

Being a very logical and analytical person I wouldn't know how to answer most of those and even those that would require analysis... just plain stupid.

In interviews we discussed what I have done and how I'd be qualified for the position. I've been on maybe 15 interviews but this was the 70's and 80's, no one asked stupid $hit like these questions!

I am SOOOOOOO glad I'm retired, I would never make it in todays job environment!

 

[Walt34]

The answers are also sometimes a hoot. I was on an interview panel for police officer applicants and of course one question was "Why do you want to be a police officer?"

To our collective astonishment one guy said "So I can carry a gun and shoot people."

He did not get the job there, and I hope, anywhere else either.

 

[Meadbh]

From my personal archives:

Q: What characteristics of coworkers make it challenging for you to work with them?

A: I have always found it difficult to work with men. Recently I have found it more difficult to work with women.

Conclusion: this person can't work with anybody. Next!

 

[Bestwifeever]

Many of the questions in the OP's list were for associate or analyst positions, so I am guessing they were asked during campus recruiting interviews of people with not much applicable employment histories to discuss or base an employment offer on. They are probably just looking at reactions and how well the questions are handled and not the content. Just step one in the wonderful world of work.

 

[obgyn65]

I was born in Europe and interviews were not needed 30 years ago to go to University.

I take it that you are a doctor, if that is the case you must have forgotten about the interviews you had when you applied to medical school ( was that not a requirement?) and post graduate training. And most likely you are being interviewed everyday by patients deciding whether they want you to be their doctor.

 

[obgyn65]

That made me laugh aloud. Maybe this person should take my job. Today I was working at a clinic, only 1 receptionist, 2 MAs, and 2 RNs. All females. I love it! !

From my personal archives:

Q: What characteristics of coworkers make it challenging for you to work with them?

A: I have always found it difficult to work with men. Recently I have found it more difficult to work with women.

. Next!

 

[Meadbh]

That made me laugh aloud. Maybe this person should take my job. Today I was working at a clinic, only 1 receptionist, 2 MAs, and 2 RNs. All females. I love it! !

I am presuming, since you are an obstetrician / gynecologist, that 100% of your patients are female. I guess you just have to get along with women! Although I do recall an OB from my student days who was quite misogynistic.

 

[freebird5825]

Copied and pasted the first 20 questions from Top 25 Oddball Interview Questions For 2013 | Glassdoor Blog

Just for fun, my answers are in BOLD

1. “If you were to get rid of one state in the US, which would it be and why?” – view answers. Asked at Forrester.
I would not get rid of 1 state because of the cost to redesign the flag, and produce and distribute the newer flag (with 49 stars). It would be wasteful.
I would however be very willing to reduce the number of US Senators by 2.

2. “How many cows are in Canada?” – view answers. Asked at Google.
Enough to eat the grass that grows in Canadian cattle ranch fields.

3. “How many quarters would you need to reach the height of the Empire State building?” – view answers. Asked at JetBlue.
It all depends on the current cost of admission to go up the ES building elevator. Whatever the cost is, round it up to the nearest multiple of 25 and divide by 4.

4. “A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he here?” – view
answers. Asked at Clark Construction Group.
Penguins cannot survive without cold water. He would not be able to walk through any door unless we were in Antarctica. Any penguin walking, with a sombrero, and talking would have to be an animatronic device. In which case, he would only say what he was pre-programmed to say. I will guess "Hola".

5. “What songs best describes your work ethic?” – view answers. Asked at Dell.
Too many choices...I will select "Hard Days' Night" by the Beatles.

6. “Jeff Bezos walks into your office and says you can have a million dollars to launch your best entrepreneurial idea. What is it?” – view answers. Asked at Amazon.
May I borrow your computer to google "Jeff Bezos" ? Then I will answer.

7. “What do you think about when you are alone in your car?” – view answers. Asked at Gallup.
I think about the speed limit and traffic/weather conditions, and keep an eye out for drivers talking and/or texting on their cell phones.

8. “How would you rate your memory?” – view answers. Asked at Marriott.
Excellent memory. I'd like to add that I already answered this question. Don't you remember? (wink)

9. “Name 3 previous Nobel Prize Winners.” – view answers. Asked at BenefitsCONNECT.
Mahatma Ghandi
Mother Teresa
I will need to borrow your laptop again to come up with a 3rd recipient.

10. “Can you say: ’Peter Pepper Picked a Pickled Pepper’ and cross-sell a washing machine at the same time?” – view answers. Asked at MasterCard.
Only if I want to offend the customer.

11. “If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare for us?” – view answers. Asked at Trader Joe’s.
Whatever you requested beforehand. I would check ahead to make sure there are no food allergies or special dietary needs to consider.

12. “How would people communicate in a perfect world?” – view answers. Asked at Novell.
Frequently, clearly, and without malice.

13. “How do you make a tuna sandwich?” – view answers. Asked at Astron Consulting.
With lettuce, tomato, cheese and toasted bread. Open can, remove tuna, add mayonnaise, stir with a fork, spread on toast with a spatula, add condiments. Cut in half, place on a plate and serve immediately.

14. “My wife and I are going on vacation, where would you recommend?” – view answers. Asked at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Wherever you can afford to go.

15. “You are a head chef at a restaurant and your team has been selected to be on Iron Chef. How do you prepare your team for the competition and how do you leverage the competition for your restaurant?” – view answers. Asked at Accenture.
I would rent (or download) a collection of past competitions and use them as training films.

16. “Estimate how many windows are in New York.” – view answers. Asked at Bain & Company.
Enough to allow people to work and live happily in their offices and residences.

17. “What’s your favorite song? Perform it for us now.” – view answers. Asked at LivingSocial.
Freebird, with air guitar movements.

18. “Calculate the angle of two clock pointers when time is 11:50.” – view answers. Asked at Bank of America.
A circle has 360 degrees. A clock measures time on a circular surface, and is divided into 60 marks (= 1 minute) on the clock face. Every minute mark equals 6 degrees. Therefore, 10 minutes = 12 degrees. However, the larger hand on the clock will not be pointing exactly at the numeral 12 at 11:50. So I will estimate the angle at 8-10 degrees.

19. “Have you ever stolen a pen from work?” – view answers. Asked at Jiffy Software.
No

20. “Pick two celebrities to be your parents.” – view answers. Asked at Urban Outfitters.
Sean Connery and Olivia De Havilland

​

 

[NW-Bound]

20. “Pick two celebrities to be your parents.” – view answers. Asked at Urban Outfitters.
Sean Connery and Olivia De Havilland

All "fun" answers there, FB. Much better than what I could improvise.

I had to look up Olivia. Hmmm... I wonder if they would be each other's type, so as to get romantic. But I would never know such thing. I am clueless when it comes to things like that.

Anyway, I was thinking some more about this question: “Name 3 previous Nobel Prize Winners.”

I am ashamed to say that whom I thought of were all political and controversial recipients, instead of people who were universally accepted. Would the interviewer hold anything against me if one of them was Yasser Arafat? Would they then demand how I remember these winners? See how this kind of questioning may not be good, as it is really open-ended and may lead to areas outside my field of work and totally unrelated?

 

[Brett_Cameron]

I am sorry I read this thread. It triggered bad memories.

 

[freebird5825]

All "fun" answers there, FB. Much better than what I could improvise.

Thanks

The "dodge" answers were actually an admittance of not knowing the answer, but either trying a best estimate, or straight logic, or knowing how to use resources to find the answer.
I would never say "I don't know".