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The reason people ask those types of questions is because someone once came up with some vague notion that they'd "give you some insight into what kind of person this is."
That, or they have one or more personality disorders and simply like to see desperate people squirm (see the "dancing monkey with a tip cup" comparison someone made earlier).
I'd bet my life savings employers wouldn't play these games if it were an employee's market...
On the other hand, two questions that I often ask people when I'm interviewing them are who their heroes are and what book they're reading. The answers can be very revealing.
I don't know. I guess that could be a cue for the interviewee to answer something cliche and uncontroversial like Nelson Mandela or Ghandi (although I imagine even Mandela could be controversial if the interviewer is an ultra-conservative from the Deep South). If their hero is an athlete they might be afraid of you to think he's inmature or unsophisticated. If you're interviewing for a sales job and the interviewee happens to be into philosophy and admires a certain obscure philosopher of science, he might be afraid of you to think he's an antisocial geeky weirdo.
I don't know. I guess that could be a cue for the interviewee to answer something cliche and uncontroversial like Nelson Mandela or Ghandi (although I imagine even Mandela could be controversial if the interviewer is an ultra-conservative from the Deep South). If their hero is an athlete they might be afraid of you to think he's inmature or unsophisticated. If you're interviewing for a sales job and the interviewee happens to be into philosophy and admires a certain obscure philosopher of science, he might be afraid of you to think he's an antisocial geeky weirdo.
Which many people that think say antisocial geeky weirdos would not be perfect for a sales job anyway...
That, or they have one or more personality disorders and simply like to see desperate people squirm (see the "dancing monkey with a tip cup" comparison someone made earlier).
I'd bet my life savings employers wouldn't play these games if it were an employee's market...
I don't view it in a hostile manner like you do, where you think it's the employer out to "get" you. I just think it's lazy like "I don't know what to ask, so I just read this is a clever question." That's why I said it's lazy and stupid. The fact that someone can name three people they'd like to have dinner with is completely irrelevant to anything. I can't name one and when I say that, people just keep pressing like "nobody? NOT ONE??" And I'm like "yeah, nobody." Then they just go "no, tell me ONE." So then I just say "uh ........Babe Ruth." And then they get all satisfied like "ahhhhh, now we can move on." That's just retarded.
I don't view it in a hostile manner like you do, where you think it's the employer out to "get" you. I just think it's lazy like "I don't know what to ask, so I just read this is a clever question." That's why I said it's lazy and stupid. The fact that someone can name three people they'd like to have dinner with is completely irrelevant to anything. I can't name one and when I say that, people just keep pressing like "nobody? NOT ONE??" And I'm like "yeah, nobody." Then they just go "no, tell me ONE." So then I just say "uh ........Babe Ruth." And then they get all satisfied like "ahhhhh, now we can move on." That's just retarded.
I'm not saying it's necessarily done in a "hostile" manner, but it is done knowing they have the upper hand in the exchange.
As I said before, I doubt any of this would be happening if it wasn't an employer's market...
I don't view it in a hostile manner like you do, where you think it's the employer out to "get" you. I just think it's lazy like "I don't know what to ask, so I just read this is a clever question." That's why I said it's lazy and stupid. The fact that someone can name three people they'd like to have dinner with is completely irrelevant to anything. I can't name one and when I say that, people just keep pressing like "nobody? NOT ONE??" And I'm like "yeah, nobody." Then they just go "no, tell me ONE." So then I just say "uh ........Babe Ruth." And then they get all satisfied like "ahhhhh, now we can move on." That's just retarded.
On the other side of the coin, what if all your jokes are dirty or offensive. Telling an NSFW (not safe for work) joke is a sure-fire way to pull yourself out of the talent pool. I imagine you can have the "NOT ONE??" response as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 313Weather
I'm not saying it's necessarily done in a "hostile" manner, but it is done knowing they have the upper hand in the exchange.
As I said before, I doubt any of this would be happening if it wasn't an employer's market...
It can happen but the likelihood is less than it is an employer's market. Like alot of the Excalibur tests in the job application process...
This is what I would have told......
A Hiring Manager dies & meets an angel who tells her that she has to spend a day in heaven & a day in hell before deciding where she wants to stay for eternity. Once the decisions is made she cant change it. So he sends her to hell first where she is surprised to find hell is not at all as she had imagined. The people seemed very happy, the surrondings were pretty, people were friendly & satan made her feel welcome. After spending a day in hell she went to heaven where she floated on clouds, watched the birds & angels sing. When she returned the angel asked her about her decision & she said heaven was good but not as lively & welcoming as hell so she made the decision to stay in hell for eternity. When she happily entered hell, the entire scene had changed. Satan was aggressive & seething fire, people were terrified & worked like slaves & the surroundings were dark & dirty. She approached satan & asked what happened to all the fun loving people & his great attitude she saw yesterday. Satan tells her yesterday we were recruiting you. Now you are a part of the team so get to work.
This is what I would have told......
A Hiring Manager dies & meets an angel who tells her that she has to spend a day in heaven & a day in hell before deciding where she wants to stay for eternity. Once the decisions is made she cant change it. So he sends her to hell first where she is surprised to find hell is not at all as she had imagined. The people seemed very happy, the surrondings were pretty, people were friendly & satan made her feel welcome. After spending a day in hell she went to heaven where she floated on clouds, watched the birds & angels sing. When she returned the angel asked her about her decision & she said heaven was good but not as lively & welcoming as hell so she made the decision to stay in hell for eternity. When she happily entered hell, the entire scene had changed. Satan was aggressive & seething fire, people were terrified & worked like slaves & the surroundings were dark & dirty. She approached satan & asked what happened to all the fun loving people & his great attitude she saw yesterday. Satan tells her yesterday we were recruiting you. Now you are a part of team so get to work.
Great joke! proves my theory that interviewing is exactly like dating.
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