Some interesting questions there, will have to try some of them. Mind, as part of a technical interview, and in between properly technical questions, to get an idea of the applicant's personality.
For example, being able to explain things in simple, clear language is a definite asset when talking to management or customers, which our engineers have to do from time to time.
Job Interview for IT Pro: Guide for HR Managers
41–50 of 51 posts
Re: Job Interview for IT Pro: Guide for HR Managers
#42Earlier quoted context omitted.
> But honestly, there is an expectation of some level of competency/knowledge when trying to "claim" a hobby, because people consider a hobby as something you involve yourself in at more than a surface level. No. In fact, the very definition of a hobby refutes this. A hobby is purely anything you have taken interest in for mere pleasure or to fill leisure time. Hobby's synonyms are pastime, leisurely activity, leisur…
>In fact, the very definition of a hobby refutes this I don't care much for definitions - because dictionaries are often years or decades behind how words are literally used. In this case it's a matter of breaking expectation - and not because the statement is "wrong". The statement would be correct but goes against what people are expecting when they ask such a question. If someone were to tell you "My hobby is draw…
> I don't care much for definitions - because dictionaries are often years or decades behind how words are literally used.
I don't care that you don't care for definitions. Words have meaning, whether you care about them or not.
The whole premise of your anecdotes are based upon your experience and the way your brain operates. That's the definition of bias. That's the reason why dismissing someone based upon your perceived lack of mastery of their hobby, something by definition is something someone does just for fun, is horrible for any sort of hiring needs or purposes.
Telling me "I do this as a hobby" and "I am this" are two completely different statements.
Re: Job Interview for IT Pro: Guide for HR Managers
#43I have a question - do HR actually have any input into hiring these days? My experience mostly startups for many years is that HR people are concerned with paper work, health care, 401K, payroll etc. My experience has been that the "recruiter" is now the gatekeeper. They decide who's resume is seen by a team looking to hire. And I think this is rather unfortunate as recruiters seem to be short term employees. I also…
> do HR actually have any input into hiring these days ... my experience has been that the "recruiter" is now the gatekeeper. What department are recruiters part of if not human resources?
In the tech world at least recruiters are distinct from an an HR generalist.
In an org chart though yes recruiters are likely to be part of the HR department but they are not the same HR that you go to when you have a problem with a paycheck or health insurance.
I wasn't referring to third party recruiters but I have a suspicion and maybe someone could confirm this that many recruiters are actually contract workers - 3 months, 6 months etc and not regular employees of the company despite having a company email address. The reason I suspect this is that at most of the tech companies I have worked at recruiters seem to come and go at an alarming frequency.
Re: Job Interview for IT Pro: Guide for HR Managers
#44I don't discuss my hobbies, politics, medical history, or where I go on vacation.
I don't want to hear about others' at the workplace, and no one needs to know about mine.
Re: Job Interview for IT Pro: Guide for HR Managers
#45Earlier quoted context omitted.
Lying about these things is trivial to see through. One or two follow up questions and now the candidate is a likely liar. I'm definitely biased against liars.
So that's where we're at now? "Don't lie; we'll find out your real hobby is needlepoint"
Even when you hobby is watching porn?
Re: Job Interview for IT Pro: Guide for HR Managers
#46Guessing candidates personality and look at life based on hobbies is perfect receipe for hiring based on various biases, prejudices and wrong guesses HR manager will make about hobbies he/she knows little about. Savy candidate will pick a hobby that will make him look good anyway. (Don't mention metal or rap, don't mention you actually don't have one, don't mention stereotypically girly hobby, do mention reading and…
Lying about these things is trivial to see through. One or two follow up questions and now the candidate is a likely liar. I'm definitely biased against liars.
That assumes interviewer knows enough about randomly chosen hobby and ignores the fact that most people dont have deep hobbies.
In any case, if my hobby is something I am not comfortable to talk about with strangers (because they are likely to make weird gueses for example), you are not entitled to that information.
Re: Job Interview for IT Pro: Guide for HR Managers
#47Earlier quoted context omitted.
That is such a weird expectation to have. I play the Beethoven Sonata's I play well. I'd have to answer with dunno to all those questions. My piano teacher did have a professional jazz pianist as a student, because he wanted to learn some more traditional techniques. Yesterday I went to a class of a famous Brazilian percussionist. When I asked him about whether there is a dictionary of the rhythms, so I can at least…
The third person who failed to notice I put ability before knowledge. Also the second person to bring up someone with talent as an example when the original argument is that talent shouldn't matter, and I'm saying there is an expectation that it does. (Unless they say they are a beginner) If that famous Brazilian percussionist was instead a shitty percussionist with no rhythm - would he still be famous? Would he even…
You are not hiring musician here. You are hiring programmer who was suddenly forced to come up with hobby and defend his proefficiency of that hobby for mysterious reason. Against person you knows next to nothing about their hobby.
Also, plenty of people are shitty at their pastimes.
Re: Job Interview for IT Pro: Guide for HR Managers
#48Earlier quoted context omitted.
>In fact, the very definition of a hobby refutes this I don't care much for definitions - because dictionaries are often years or decades behind how words are literally used. In this case it's a matter of breaking expectation - and not because the statement is "wrong". The statement would be correct but goes against what people are expecting when they ask such a question. If someone were to tell you "My hobby is draw…
> I don't care much for definitions - because dictionaries are often years or decades behind how words are literally used. I don't care that you don't care for definitions. Words have meaning, whether you care about them or not. The whole premise of your anecdotes are based upon your experience and the way your brain operates. That's the definition of bias. That's the reason why dismissing someone based upon your per…
>I don't care that you don't care for definitions. Words have meaning, whether you care about them or not.
Words literally have definitions that change over time, in context, from different groups of people, in different regions, and literally sometimes don't literally mean what is literally written in a dictionary. Pointing to a dictionary and saying "This is what this word means" is completely ignoring how communication works unless you're trying to get two people to agree upon a definition of a word.
The only good a dictionary is for is saying "This is the definition of the word I am using." Neat. I'll stick with the way everyone around me uses the word, dictionary be damned.
>Telling me "I do this as a hobby" and "I am this" are two completely different statements.
The implications of the statement matters.
>It's the equivalent of saying "I handle financial transactions for a multi-billion dollar company." when you're a cashier at McDonalds.
Re: Job Interview for IT Pro: Guide for HR Managers
#49Earlier quoted context omitted.
The third person who failed to notice I put ability before knowledge. Also the second person to bring up someone with talent as an example when the original argument is that talent shouldn't matter, and I'm saying there is an expectation that it does. (Unless they say they are a beginner) If that famous Brazilian percussionist was instead a shitty percussionist with no rhythm - would he still be famous? Would he even…
You are not hiring musician here. You are hiring programmer who was suddenly forced to come up with hobby and defend his proefficiency of that hobby for mysterious reason. Against person you knows next to nothing about their hobby. Also, plenty of people are shitty at their pastimes.
>You are hiring programmer
Am I hiring:
(a) A programmer
(b) Someone who considers themselves a programmer
>Also, plenty of people are shitty at their pastimes.
I'm not arguing against that. My argument is (a) vs (b).
Re: Job Interview for IT Pro: Guide for HR Managers
#50Guessing candidates personality and look at life based on hobbies is perfect receipe for hiring based on various biases, prejudices and wrong guesses HR manager will make about hobbies he/she knows little about. Savy candidate will pick a hobby that will make him look good anyway. (Don't mention metal or rap, don't mention you actually don't have one, don't mention stereotypically girly hobby, do mention reading and…
My god, the summary even says "there is a catch, though". If you're asking interview questions with a 'catch', you're doing it wrong. If you're asking those questions after getting them from a question list published online for every candidate to read, you're doing it hopelessly wrong.
But it was a hopeless question either way. The 'catch' bit just means the author should have known it was a terrible question. I have trouble imagining the candidate who wouldn't try to guess which hobby is most interview-friendly and talk exclusively about that.