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IBM's Asshole Test

johnpublic.mataroa.blog

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Re: IBM's Asshole Test

#31

Post by cperciva »

When I interviewed at Google in 2006, one of the interviewers asked me to write code for solving a particular problem. I replied along the lines of "ok I need to think about this, it's not obvious how to solve it" and started thinking. Time ticked away. Five minutes. Ten minutes. Fifteen minutes. The interviewer started reminding me that he needed me to write some code and if there wasn't anything for him to copy down into his interview notes I wasn't going to pass the interview. (Why interviewers were all transcribing the whiteboard rather than taking photos I have no clue.)

Eventually I ran out of time, having written no code on the whiteboard. I asked my interviewer "ok so what is the algorithm for solving this" and he admitted that he had no idea.

At the time, I thought he just meant that he had no idea what the solution was; but in hindsight I wonder if the real test was to see if I would crumble under pressure and write code I knew didn't work.

(I got a job offer, but turned it down to start Tarsnap instead.)

Re: IBM's Asshole Test

#32

Post by oh_sigh »

neo_g wrote: post #13

This sounds so weird, people without any expertise in human psychology are in-charge of a behavior detection exercise. The worst part, those who got in were the new experts in 6-months.

Do you need especial expertise in human psychology to see who is behaving like an asshole in a group?

Re: IBM's Asshole Test

#33

Post by tyingq »

Karupan wrote: post #9

If only companies had this test for all levels, including middle and upper management, given the larger impact a lead/manager has across the org.

If it's during an interview, people tend to not fully be themselves. Even if they don't specifically know it's an "asshole test".

So maybe this catches the intersection of "asshole" and "poor situational awareness".

Re: IBM's Asshole Test

#34

Post by throwanem »

johnpublic wrote: post #20
mulmen wrote: post #10

https://web.archive.org/web/20220504204525/https://johnpubli...

Pity my blog died so quickly! Can anyone recommend a more robust host? Ideally one with low set up effort.

Sticking Cloudflare's free-tier CDN in front of your existing blog will probably help a lot. If nothing else, it'll make a stopgap while you're investigating alternatives.

Re: IBM's Asshole Test

#35

Post by itronitron »

Karupan wrote: post #9

If only companies had this test for all levels, including middle and upper management, given the larger impact a lead/manager has across the org.

This is one of the reasons I like matrixed organizations as it allows people, over several years, to choose who they work with and encourages leaders/managers to develop effective people and leadership skills. Siloed organizations unfortunately facilitate assholes.

Re: IBM's Asshole Test

#36

Post by _moof »

WisNorCan wrote: post #17

I am fairly sure Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos & Elon Musk would have failed this test. Are you better off having them at your company or not?

Having worked for one of the people in that list, I can say that yes, I am definitely better off not having that person at my company.

Re: IBM's Asshole Test

#37

Post by mrmattyboy »

wmf wrote: post #12
ACow_Adonis wrote: post #5

Am I the only one that finds it slightly amusing that the test also makes sure that the supposed work task/puzzle doesn't actually matter? Perhaps an ironically appropriate test for hiring for a job at many offices/IBM (and exemplifying some of the problems with these bad faith test techniques).

Nothing in job interviews matters.

Next stage of interview: Sign this NDA and fix a couple of issues on our backlog and review a couple of PRs :D

Re: IBM's Asshole Test

#38

Post by goodcjw2 »

This is definitely an interesting test and the motivation is totally valid.

But I'm wondering whether I can pass if I don't speak up at all? Or just passively play along?

Re: IBM's Asshole Test

#40

Post by monktastic1 »

stevemadere wrote: post #16
belval wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the age of "cracking the coding interview", glassdoor, levels.fyi, etc... it would only work a handful of times before everyone is in on the test and true assholes won't expose themselves.

Assholes who actually can learn to hide the fact that they are assholes are probably a lot less annoying.

Except that they'll only hide it when it helps them. In general this is far more dangerous.
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