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Why would you have problems answering basic questions? If they were asking about religion or something, I can understand but questions like this aren't harmful by any means.
Too many object to those questions, because they cannot practice in advance of being asked those question. THAT IS THE MAIN REASON THEY ARE ASKED. It allows the one asking the questions, to see how you are able to answer questions you cannot think up answers and improve them with a couple of practice in advance sessions. It helps bring out the real you, and reveals how you solve problems. It says if you cannot come up with answers to such simple questions, it says you are not a problem and quite possibly it is the same you would be for work problems you were not practiced in.
Too many object to those questions, because they cannot practice in advance of being asked those question. THAT IS THE MAIN REASON THEY ARE ASKED. It helps bring out the real you, and reveals how you solve problems.
Interviewers and interviewees know these sorts of questions aren't going to produce perfect information. Its not the answers they are looking for, its how you act under pressure, your spontaneity, how you express yourself, and whether you can bring a lot of vagueness to some sort of concise conclusion. If you are defensive, snide, snotty, sarcastic, or a braggart, they'll thank you for eliminating yourself.
Interviewers and interviewees know these sorts of questions aren't going to produce perfect information. Its not the answers they are looking for, its how you act under pressure, your spontaneity, how you express yourself, and whether you can bring a lot of vagueness to some sort of concise conclusion. If you are defensive, snide, snotty, sarcastic, or a braggart, they'll thank you for eliminating yourself.
Please. I can b.s. the b.s. artist. I've rehearsed the answers to these questions ten-fold and I still think they are stupid. I feel bad for someone who doesn't know how to b.s. because they are probably losing out. All I do is look up how people answer these questions online and find out how to answer for admin jobs. And why are they asking these questions for administrative assistant jobs? Yeah, I know that they think "Ohhhhhh, you're going to be the assistant to the CEO, so you have to be polished and on your game," but seriously, I could do the job in my sleep.
So, why don't you decide how you are going to answer these questions (anyone with an Internet connection can easily come up with a list of 20 or 30 such), practice those answers, and move on?
I mean, come on, it's like wearing a suit to an interview, or typing up and printing out a resume.
Or, would you like to be the one that kicks against the bricks all your life? You can do that if you wish. It may limit your earnings potential, unless you just happen to have phenomenal talent. But for most of us, we go in, play the game, collect our paychecks, and declare victory. Maybe you are the one in a million that wants to mount a principled resistance and fight something about the world of corporate employment, in which case - bless your pointy little heart, but don't be surprised if you find it difficult to get a job.
Interviewers and interviewees know these sorts of questions aren't going to produce perfect information. Its not the answers they are looking for, its how you act under pressure, your spontaneity, how you express yourself, and whether you can bring a lot of vagueness to some sort of concise conclusion. If you are defensive, snide, snotty, sarcastic, or a braggart, they'll thank you for eliminating yourself.
I'll agree with the last sentence. you have no choice but play the game. But I don't think the kinds of questions in the op accomplish any of those things, which may have nothing to do with the actual job anyways. There is no pressure, spontaneity, or doubt about how to bring it to a conclusion for a rehearsed response to a common "interview" question. What it tests is how well you studied up on the typical interview process and practiced a response. You can train anyone how to parrot a response.
Oftentimes, the person that interviews the best is the worst kind of employee. It's the guy who has been out of work for awhile and applied for everything from A-Z and having come up short on a dozen interviews that has the interviewing process down pat, meanwhile the guy who is currently working 60 hours a week and knows his stuff inside and out and is applying for that one job every 5 years that catches his eye that will not have time for that silliness.
I'm thinking about this interview I saw with Jim Parsons about his role as Sheldon Cooper on Big Bang Theory. He was asked if he really knew a lot about physics. His response (paraphrased) was "I know how to sound like I know a lot about physics to those who don't know a lot about physics".
Anyone ever refused to answer interview questions or walked out of an interview, I mean questions like what is your greatest achievement - its none their business, and most likely not related to the workplace.
What's your greatest weakness? - This is so generic, weakness in relation to what? and Why would you share your weaknesses with a bunch of strangers.
What would your last boss say about you? - insulting and offensive. saying that a bosses opinion is superior to your own.
Where will you be in five years time - coming from a organisations where your job in on the line every week, and will get rid of you at the drop of a hat.
Can you think of a time you went above and beyond your duty - again if you started doing other people jobs then you might get in trouble for stepping on someomes toes, or be told off for interfering in matters outside your job duties.
When interviewers ask these questions does it not just show their reading from a script, lack any kind of originality.
The more I think about it, interviews in corporate jobs are like this are just exercises in humilation, and the purpose of these type of questions is test your willingness to humilated, what lengths you will go, how much you can grovel.
How about refusing to answer these type of questions, or asking them for more detail, or asking them why they are just reading from a script
Sounds like you interviewed at the same place where one of my son's works. I think companies are trying to get a feel for the interviewee besides just knowledge. They want to make sure you are a good fit within the organization. I'm assuming you didn't get the job?
For those of you who object to this style of questioning, what is your suggested alternative? I asked both mikeyking and mschemist if they had any thoughts on a better way of doing things, and neither seem to have anything to offer.
Perhaps we need to admit that 8nterviewing is an imperfect process, but asking a certain number of behavioral questions is the most reasonable option? Then we can quit whining and move on?
For those of you who object to this style of questioning, what is your suggested alternative? I asked both mikeyking and mschemist if they had any thoughts on a better way of doing things, and neither seem to have anything to offer.
Perhaps we need to admit that 8nterviewing is an imperfect process, but asking a certain number of behavioral questions is the most reasonable option? Then we can quit whining and move on?
Sorry, typing only phone so this will be an incomplete answer. The reason I don't ask these types of questions is they can be so easily gamed by anyone who studies ahead of time. At best they provide no useful information and can often mislead to interviewer into a false sense of a match.
I prefer to ask questions that examine the technical competence (which includes managerial knowledge) and dig a bit into the specific accomplishments the list on the resume. Their answers let me evaluate both knowledge and ability to express themselves.
As for "seeing how they react under pressure" that's a false hope because real situations and an interview are so different as to be meaningless.
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