Strange Interview Question: Deep Dive into your resume (employee, references, jobs)

[jade408]

I am just getting home for one of the strangest interviews I have ever been on ever. The whole process has been strange.

Every interview, every step of the way, had specific questions. And very limited time for me to ask questions. Each question was oriented around solving challenges in the role or reviewing a time you solved a similar challenge. None of the questions, in any stage, asked me what I was looking for, my goals or really any fit questions. They were all pretty tactical.

In the final round interview, with the hiring manager. there was one objective - to look at every job on my resume to go over a few key points:

• Job title
• Manager name and role
• manager's expectations of the role
• biggest accomplishment
• biggest mistake
• what did you like/dislike working with said manager
• what positive/negative thing would said manager say about you
• why did you leave

I had 15 years worth of jobs on my resume. That took up like 50 of the 60 minutes, and then I had 10 minutes to ask questions.

It was like they were setting themselves up to do backdoor references on all of your bosses ever and validate what you said about them. So bizarre.

Has anyone ever had a similar experience?

[Therblig]

Between automated processing, reliance on nonsense tests and evaluations and general woo, almost everything about job seeking has gone through the twilight zone into la-la land.

Sounds like someone read this week's airplane book or attended a secret webinar about how to really get the employee you want.

[bobsell]

Originally Posted by jade408

Every interview, every step of the way, had specific questions. And very limited time for me to ask questions. Each question was oriented around solving challenges in the role or reviewing a time you solved a similar challenge.

Sounds like you're being brewdogged. They're looking for you to provide free solutions to their problems. Then oops, you didn't get the job.

I had 10 minutes to ask questions.

Yup. Clearly brewdogged. When they don't care about your questions, that pretty much screams brewdogging.

[liveurdream]

Originally Posted by jade408

I am just getting home for one of the strangest interviews I have ever been on ever. The whole process has been strange.

Every interview, every step of the way, had specific questions. And very limited time for me to ask questions. Each question was oriented around solving challenges in the role or reviewing a time you solved a similar challenge. None of the questions, in any stage, asked me what I was looking for, my goals or really any fit questions. They were all pretty tactical.

In the final round interview, with the hiring manager. there was one objective - to look at every job on my resume to go over a few key points:

• Job title
• Manager name and role
• manager's expectations of the role
• biggest accomplishment
• biggest mistake
• what did you like/dislike working with said manager
• what positive/negative thing would said manager say about you
• why did you leave

I had 15 years worth of jobs on my resume. That took up like 50 of the 60 minutes, and then I had 10 minutes to ask questions.

It was like they were setting themselves up to do backdoor references on all of your bosses ever and validate what you said about them. So bizarre.

Has anyone ever had a similar experience?

lol. This is no different than idiots who wan't a "script" written during an interview process and then you never hear from them again even if you follow-up two times..lol.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by bobsell

Sounds like you're being brewdogged. They're looking for you to provide free solutions to their problems. Then oops, you didn't get the job.
Yup. Clearly brewdogged. When they don't care about your questions, that pretty much screams brewdogging.

what was weird, really only one of the questions was actually one where they could actively use my answer. The other ones were questions that could be answered with a well phrased google search. No clue what they were looking for.

For now I am hoping all goes well with the jobs I am most excited about!

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by jade408

I am just getting home for one of the strangest interviews I have ever been on ever. The whole process has been strange.

Every interview, every step of the way, had specific questions. And very limited time for me to ask questions. Each question was oriented around solving challenges in the role or reviewing a time you solved a similar challenge. None of the questions, in any stage, asked me what I was looking for, my goals or really any fit questions. They were all pretty tactical.

In the final round interview, with the hiring manager. there was one objective - to look at every job on my resume to go over a few key points:

• Job title
• Manager name and role
• manager's expectations of the role
• biggest accomplishment
• biggest mistake
• what did you like/dislike working with said manager
• what positive/negative thing would said manager say about you
• why did you leave

I had 15 years worth of jobs on my resume. That took up like 50 of the 60 minutes, and then I had 10 minutes to ask questions.

It was like they were setting themselves up to do backdoor references on all of your bosses ever and validate what you said about them. So bizarre.

Has anyone ever had a similar experience?

I can think of two possibilities, and either way would not want to work there:


1. They got burned recently by someone who made up a lot of stuff on their resume
2. They were two lazy to come up with real questions for the interviews

[jade408]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

I can think of two possibilities, and either way would not want to work there:


1. They got burned recently by someone who made up a lot of stuff on their resume
2. They were two lazy to come up with real questions for the interviews

Yeah, this company's interview process made me not want to work there at all. I thought the first interview was a little too structured, but I figured that in a first interview, that is not too unusual. But everything after that was still so structured. A script of questions. Not even a single make up your own question. Nothing really personal to actually connect with people.

There was no time to really figure out how the team works together, how the hiring manager works,

And it felt like I'd be walking into a bunch of fire drills. And it seems like my initial impression was correct.

And also, the people were so stiff and structured, I just wouldn't fit in at all.

To contrast, I got a really great question in one of my interviews with week - that I have never gotten before.
The hiring manager asked - based on the job description and what I told you - what will you need help with and how can I help. That was a stellar question.

[aa6660]

There's such a need to be 'fair' in our hiring process, that we have very little freedom in how we conduct our interviews. We have to use the exact same questions for each candidate and each has to be scored. We have to be able to mathematically prove our choices at each stage. We can reword a question if it needs clarified, but we can't ask an additional question to any candidate (unless it is the first one and we add it to the script for all.)

We can make up our own questions, but we are sent a bank of suggested questions and questions/topics we cannot address.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by aa6660

There's such a need to be 'fair' in our hiring process, that we have very little freedom in how we conduct our interviews. We have to use the exact same questions for each candidate and each has to be scored. We have to be able to mathematically prove our choices at each stage. We can reword a question if it needs clarified, but we can't ask an additional question to any candidate (unless it is the first one and we add it to the script for all.)

We can make up our own questions, but we are sent a bank of suggested questions and questions/topics we cannot address.

I totally get the need for standard questions - and it helps to make sure interviews are pretty consistent.

What I found weird in this process, is that it wasn't really designed to hone in on mutual fit. E.g. there were not questions around what do you want in your next organization, when skills do you want to develop, what style of manager do you work best with.

At the end of the day, I don't think this process allowed either of us to understand what working together would be like day to day.

[bpollen]

Originally Posted by jade408

I am just getting home for one of the strangest interviews I have ever been on ever. The whole process has been strange.

Every interview, every step of the way, had specific questions. And very limited time for me to ask questions. Each question was oriented around solving challenges in the role or reviewing a time you solved a similar challenge. None of the questions, in any stage, asked me what I was looking for, my goals or really any fit questions. They were all pretty tactical.

In the final round interview, with the hiring manager. there was one objective - to look at every job on my resume to go over a few key points:

• Job title
• Manager name and role
• manager's expectations of the role
• biggest accomplishment
• biggest mistake
• what did you like/dislike working with said manager
• what positive/negative thing would said manager say about you
• why did you leave

I had 15 years worth of jobs on my resume. That took up like 50 of the 60 minutes, and then I had 10 minutes to ask questions.

It was like they were setting themselves up to do backdoor references on all of your bosses ever and validate what you said about them. So bizarre.

Has anyone ever had a similar experience?

That is one of the most ridiculous interviews I've ever heard described. It seems to me (and I could be wrong!) that they are looking for someone who is focused on his manager's needs, follows instructions immediately, doesn't question authority, and is fast (johnny on the spot). Probably a high-up in the co. commanded this, & not the idea of a professional HR person.

Some applicants probably don't sit through the whole thing. I don't think I would, unless I was desperate for a job. But if you sat through the whole thing while disapproving of the method & the questions, you may be what they are looking for. Someone who follows orders & hoes the row, no matter what. No questions asked. Which isn't a bad thing for some jobs.

But yeah, that sounds like a weird interview.