How to answer really off-the-wall job interview questions? - Page 2

onewhippedpuppy · 08-01-2014, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

That does not always work.

I'd been courted by Nokia for a couple of months.

Finally gave in and went to meet with them.

Everything went great right up until they gave me the psych eval.

It was subtle, they tried to work it into the conversation but I picked up on it right away.

One of the questions was something like 'how do you handle stress in the workplace" I answered honestly, "I have a cape in my office, I put it on and do a lap of the building with my arms out while making engine sounds with my mouth" or "I have a very distinctive voice, I pick up a phone somewhere in the building and page myself to my extension then walk around and watch people try to figure it out"

As I was leaving pretty sure the security guy had been told to shadow me and make sure I got off the property.

I would argue that it worked out perfectly. Would you rather quit your current gig and go through the upheaval of changing jobs, only to find that their culture is a terrible fit? Not being yourself and giving BS answers is a great way to get a job that you really don't want.

on2wheels52 · on2wheels52's Garage

My last interviews were in 1973. I don't recall being asked any questions like that.
Jim

island911 · 08-01-2014, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

...How should I answer?

You say I don't know.

It is that simple.

No one want's to hire a BS'er.

Nostril Cheese · 08-01-2014, 03:29 PM

I once got asked (for an engineering gig) which woman I'd most like to be stranded on a desert island with.

I asked the interviewer "how do you know I'm not gay?"

I got the job regardless.

island911 · 08-01-2014, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nostril Cheese

I once got asked (for an engineering gig) which woman I'd most like to be stranded on a desert island with.

I asked the interviewer "how do you know I'm not gay?"

I got the job regardless.

You could have just answered: Hillary Clinton.

Nostril Cheese · 08-01-2014, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by island911

You could have just answered: Hillary Clinton.

Huh? why would I pick her?

Nostril Cheese · 08-01-2014, 03:38 PM

Oh wait, thats right, you cant get through one day without spouting off your narrow minded political views on others. Seriously, dude.. get a life and keep it in PARF. P.s. I'm not a Democrat.

island911 · 08-01-2014, 03:50 PM

Calm down, it would simply be a way to say what you said.

Hiring- I want people who are comfortable in their own skin. Levity never hurts. And if it does, you likely don't want to work there. Wait wait, I take that back. You might want to work there.

stomachmonkey · 08-01-2014, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

...Would you rather quit your current gig and go through the upheaval of changing jobs, only to find that their culture is a terrible fit? ...

It's why I resisted visiting them to begin with, I knew it was not a fit.

Pretty much the only reason I did go was my CEO was aware of the poaching.

Enough people had signed on to Nokia already that I knew my CEO would have known I was there within 5 minutes of me hitting their lobby.

He stopped by my office the next morning and asked "so, what's your plan"?

I said it's not for me, we both know I'm not going anywhere, althoughhh, the compensation package was VERY attractive and I'm going to have a hard time explaining it to the wife if they do make me an offer and I turn it down.

He said "fair enough, I'll fix the compensation"

Said thanks, and that was that.

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

I'm so glad all of my interviews have centered on technical competence and experience - relevant stuff. I wouldn't have any patience at all for this kind of psychological BS. Either I'm a good fit or I'm not. Either I can do the job or I can't. Don't waste my time with this stupidity.

When I give interviews I keep it relevant too. Technical, personality, interests, experience, etc. I don't have time for head games and I don't like having my time wasted. I extend the same courtesies to others.

onewhippedpuppy · 08-01-2014, 05:10 PM

The psychological BS is so the clueless HR people have something to ask. I've been a hiring manager as well as being an evaluator in many interviews, nobody whose opinion matters puts much stock in them, unless you just make a fool of yourself.

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

Obviously, they're asking these questions to fk with you, right? See how you handle off the wall questions with grace, can think on your feet, blah blah blah. So you're smart enough to look this crap up (or maybe you genuinely know it off the top of your head). It's not pertinent. So don't give some soul-sucking super-technical answer. No one wants to be bored out of their minds with minutia. That's not good for sales. Instead, give a quick 1 or 2 sentence answer to the question. Answer it honestly (don't make crap up) to show you know the answer, but you don't have to go into details. If they ask follow-up questions, then go ahead and give as detailed an answer for which they're probing.

Plus, I agree with Matt, above.

Tishabet · 08-01-2014, 07:18 PM

My company (a well respected company you all have heard of where it is notoriously difficult to get hired) actually has a policy against questions like this in interviews... some people claim they reveal something about the interviewee and how they reason but imho they exist to throw the applicant off their game and make the interviewer feel smart/superior. They are questions asked by people who don't know how to interview.

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

What is the maximum airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

The psychological BS is so the clueless HR people have something to ask.

I don't think so in this case. This company's CEO does the second round of interviews and he's a pretty well-known and respected guy. You've probably heard of him.

Bill Douglas · 08-01-2014, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john rogers

I asked him to ask me about real troubles they were having (plenty), what would I actually do and we talked for nearly two hours and I got the job.

Ha, good skills. I wish I'd thought of this years ago. I always came second or third in their choice

Evans, Marv · 08-01-2014, 09:37 PM

If you've done so much homework (good thing), you might know some things about the company you could offer suggestions for or some improvements. If it were me, I might consider telling them you are thorough in preparing for situations that may lead in unanticipated directions and have already done your homework and know about the questions they are about to ask. Then mention some things about the job/company/product about which you might have some positive input on. Or you might tell them you already know what they are going to ask and what the answers are and ask them to think of another question of that type not on their list.

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

I have been on both sides of this for the residency interview process. I do pretty well when I have a group of people pimping me with random questions. I would not play Torquemada though when I was on the other side of the table though, hence was not asked back to be an inquisitor a second time. One prospect listed welding on his CV, and Bill, one of the other guys with us, has some welding skills. Bill started tossing out questions about welding, then throws in the bogus question with no right answer and the guy gets a little bent because we are talking about metal shop in a surgical residency interview. He got one of the spots. Bill said he did not want to work with anyone who would let him lay BS on them without griping, which sort of makes sense, but was still crap.

sand_man · 08-02-2014, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

I'm so glad all of my interviews have centered on technical competence and experience - relevant stuff. I wouldn't have any patience at all for this kind of psychological BS. Either I'm a good fit or I'm not. Either I can do the job or I can't. Don't waste my time with this stupidity.

When I give interviews I keep it relevant too. Technical, personality, interests, experience, etc. I don't have time for head games and I don't like having my time wasted. I extend the same courtesies to others.

We take the "no head game" approach when we interview candidates. However, I hear from more and more people, out in the job market, that potential employers are interrogating interviewees with bizarre questions. I worry that if I find myself in the market, I might actually be perceived as "difficult" or "evasive" if I try to steer the interview towards relevance. I got no time for the mindless jibba jabba...

911SauCy · 911SauCy's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

The psychological BS is so the clueless HR people have something to ask.

IMO, Clueless HR people are the reason many good people don't score a gig.

I had an HR lady assure me bc she had been "doing it" for 30 years she knew my motives for employment, despite what she knew was completely incorrect.

Better yet, I have 7 years of sales experience and by no means an expert, but have really polished myself since leaving school. Same HR lady tells me that my sales experience is the same as any exiting college grad because I'm just not old enough. WHAT!?

So they hired a college grad with a mech engineering degree to build a sales territory from scratch. That individual will fail.