The Dumbest Interview Question • Hacker News Board

Re: The Dumbest Interview Question

#41

Post by warp » Mon, Dec 07, 2009, 6:45 PM UTC

bayleo wrote: post #35

cjoh wrote: post #30

I ask this question in interviews all the time. It helps me filter for people who are liars. I ask it, and if they say "I work too hard" or "I'm a perfectionist" then I don't hire them because they're at best delusional and at worst liars. And you know who else I don't hire? 20 somethings who proceed to say that the question is stupid. That's a tell-tale sign of young man's disease-- an ego that hasn't caught up with…

That's all well and good, but when you look at it from the interviewee's perspective he/she has to determine, based on what little knowledge they have of the interviewer, whether or not they want to hear the bullshit answer or your preferred, realistic version of the answer. Right now, it is probably a safer bet to stick to the bullshit answer until more interviewers like yourself swing the tide back over. In the mea…

Personally, I wouldn't want to work for a company that expects a bullshit answer here. I'll give them the real answer, if they then don't hire me because they expected bullshit, that's fine.

Re: The Dumbest Interview Question

#42

Post by efsavage » Mon, Dec 07, 2009, 6:50 PM UTC

I've been asked this a few times, and my response is "what is your goal in asking that question". I wouldn't say it's stupid or inane, there's no point being rude. People who ask such a bad and cliched question obviously are not very interested (or experienced) in the job search/interview process, so I try to engage them and get them interested.

I've gotten a couple decent answers, and a couple bad ones. The good answers on their part have earned an honest answer on my part, and usually a much-improved interview. The bad ones, I usually clam up and try to end the interview as politely as possible.

Re: The Dumbest Interview Question

#43

Post by fburnaby » Mon, Dec 07, 2009, 6:57 PM UTC

warp wrote: post #41

bayleo wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's all well and good, but when you look at it from the interviewee's perspective he/she has to determine, based on what little knowledge they have of the interviewer, whether or not they want to hear the bullshit answer or your preferred, realistic version of the answer. Right now, it is probably a safer bet to stick to the bullshit answer until more interviewers like yourself swing the tide back over. In the mea…

Personally, I wouldn't want to work for a company that expects a bullshit answer here. I'll give them the real answer, if they then don't hire me because they expected bullshit, that's fine.

This only applies if you're not hungry, or getting booted out of your apartment in a month.

Re: The Dumbest Interview Question

#44

Post by Kisil » Mon, Dec 07, 2009, 7:01 PM UTC

clueless123 wrote: post #38

cjoh wrote: post #30

I ask this question in interviews all the time. It helps me filter for people who are liars. I ask it, and if they say "I work too hard" or "I'm a perfectionist" then I don't hire them because they're at best delusional and at worst liars. And you know who else I don't hire? 20 somethings who proceed to say that the question is stupid. That's a tell-tale sign of young man's disease-- an ego that hasn't caught up with…

A ton of excellent developers work way to hard and are obsesive compulsive about perfection. This is so common as to warrant whole chapters about "the best is the enemy of the good" and so on. And.. it is a weakness.. a big weakness. it is no bullshit.

But there's a difference between the common weakness ("I focus on trivial details at the expense of the big picture") and the common bullshit response ("I work too hard"). I don't ask this kind of interview question, but I imagine one could tell the difference between those two responses.

Re: The Dumbest Interview Question

#45

Post by fburnaby » Mon, Dec 07, 2009, 7:02 PM UTC

I hope you don't mind my running this by you all. If I'm asked this question, I will respond that my biggest weakness is that I'm coming from academia.

I believe that many hiring managers will consider this a problem, or at least a potential problem. I believe it may be a good answer anyways because 1) it doesn't actually tell them anything "bad" that they didn't already know, and 2) it signals that I am aware that working in their company won't be the same as academia and that my being aware of this makes me more likely to be able to adapt.

Any thoughts or criticisms?

Re: The Dumbest Interview Question

#46

Post by diego » Mon, Dec 07, 2009, 7:05 PM UTC

cjoh wrote: post #30

I ask this question in interviews all the time. It helps me filter for people who are liars. I ask it, and if they say "I work too hard" or "I'm a perfectionist" then I don't hire them because they're at best delusional and at worst liars. And you know who else I don't hire? 20 somethings who proceed to say that the question is stupid. That's a tell-tale sign of young man's disease-- an ego that hasn't caught up with…

Apparently a lot of people agree with this comment. What's interesting is that catching bullshit is the easiest thing to do in a job interview. A good interviewer never has that problem. The hard part is finding out if the person is the best candidate for the job.

Also, a job interview goes both ways: a stupid question may alienate a potentially good candidate. It's a better idea to focus on positive questions: the ones that help you learn what you want while at the same time selling yourself/your company to the candidate.

Re: The Dumbest Interview Question

#47

Post by codemonkey » Mon, Dec 07, 2009, 7:16 PM UTC

I always ask that question and twice have received answers along the lines of "well...I'm not really that good at programming." These people should have been screened out by the hiring managers, but weren't. Their honest answer allowed me to send them home politely, cancel the remaining interviews for this candidate by my coworkers, and avoid wasting any more of the companies time on them.

Re: The Dumbest Interview Question

#48

Post by btilly » Mon, Dec 07, 2009, 7:20 PM UTC

Dove wrote: post #22

You could always reply, "What's the worst thing about working here?"

My version of that question is, "Why did the last 3 people to leave here do so?" The way people talk about those who have departed can give some surprisingly honest information about actual problems in the workplace.

Re: The Dumbest Interview Question

#49

Post by btilly » Mon, Dec 07, 2009, 7:30 PM UTC

hernan7 wrote: post #39

btilly wrote: post #3

The question may be dumb, but dodging it is foolish when it is so easy to turn it to your benefit. My answer is, "I am too extroverted." And I go on to explain that I am unable to engage in heads-down focused programming for extended periods of time without mental breaks because of my personality. I point out that most of the public is extroverted, but most programmers are introverted and I explain the reasons for th…

I disagree with the part about religion and family. Don't give them ammo to discriminate against you.

That is a judgment call. My opinion is that if they are going to react badly in the interview, it will be an ongoing problem for you down the road. But that is not universally true. For instance women of reproductive age who bring up children can cause worry that they might get pregnant. If it happens, the employer is legally obligated to accommodate, but it can be a big issue during hiring.

That said, surely you can find something which you would like to be accommodated for in the workplace? The interviewer just gave you an opportunity for implicit agreement on how you need to be treated in the workplace. Don't waste the opening.

Re: The Dumbest Interview Question

#50

Post by araneae » Mon, Dec 07, 2009, 7:31 PM UTC

My biggest weakness is that I have no respect for authority. I work hard when I want to please someone, but the threat of punishment is the best way to get even worse work out of me.

This means that many of my employers and teachers really adored me, and went out of their way to help me. When I was writing my honor's thesis in college, a postdoc invited me to her apartment to stay overnight and help me finish it in time. I got glowing recs for grad school, etc.

It also means that there are some people who for whatever reason pissed me off, and now I make their lives a living hell. There's nothing more satisfying then having someone pull out all their stops to try and get to you, and having them fail miserably.

Yeah. If I got this question I would lie.