Job Interview Questions

[Phar Lap]

Having worked in HR for the last 13 years, I have seen the good, the bad, and the downright ugly of the job interview process.  I now work in hospital network where we hire the full gamut of positions, from neurosurgeons to housekeepers.  My favorite interviews are for industrial engineer and esoteric scientific research positions, because we often use "Microsoft questions" to assess a candidates problem solving ability and creativity:

- Why are manhole covers round?
- How are M&M's made?
- How many gas stations are there in the USA?

How about this one for the group: An apple costs 40 cents, an orange 60 cents, and a grapefruit costs 80 cents; what is the total cost of a banana, a lemon, and a pear? (No Googling folks) 

 

[Woodfiredovenpizzero]

30, 20, 40 = 90?

[Phar Lap]

Posted by: Woodfiredovenpizzero
30, 20, 40 = 90?

Nice try!  You have the pattern correct for the banana and the lemon, but the math is a little off.

[Jet_deck]

Can we get some hints, or the "answer", or the supposed thought process to give an educated answer?

[Phar Lap]

Posted by: Jet_deck
Can we get some hints, or the "answer", or the supposed thought process to give an educated answer?

Sure...A,E,I,O,U.

[Tscarborough]

The last is useless as a question for an interview, although a good one for a written test.  My answer would be, "Here in Austin?", and then I would tell him what they cost in relation to his original three.

1.  So the cover can't fall in.
2.  Do you want the book or do you want the ad?
3.  10 times more than there need to be.

[Don K]

$1.40

[Phar Lap]

Posted by: Colonel_Klink
$1.40

You are hired! 

[Jet_deck]

$1.40

Spill your guts with the how and why.

[Phar Lap]

Spill your guts with the how and why.

What is the monetary value of each vowel...

[Jet_deck]

What is the monetary value of each vowel...

Finally figured it out.  This is exactly why I married to get hired, and not hired then married.

P.S. thanks for the hint(s).

[Phar Lap]

This is exactly why I married to get hired, and not hired then married.

You have enough sense to get one of the coolest/individual home ovens out there, so I am sure you would do just fine on your own

[Jet_deck]

You have enough sense to get one of the coolest/individual home ovens out there, so I am sure you would do just fine on your own

It seems that I have cashed in all my cool cards to get the oven.  I'm hearing things like : no Christmas/Anniversary/birthday/ whatever gifts for the next x years.

Just to let you know, it will be worth it.

[Woodfiredovenpizzero]

Of course!!! At 20 cents the vowel  There's a term here. When you see the dogs bal*s you know is a male dog 

[Chicago Bob]

The last is useless as a question for an interview, although a good one for a written test.  My answer would be, "Here in Austin?", and then I would tell him what they cost in relation to his original three.

1.  So the cover can't fall in.
2.  Do you want the book or do you want the ad?
3.  10 times more than there need to be.

Absolutely.
And what is this vowel stuff man?
Please don't tell me it has something to do with a wheat penny Tom...

[Meatballs]

If asked that question at a job interview I would walk out the door.  The relationship between vowels and fruit is incomprehensible when logically analyzed.  Its simply a game of one-upmanship, and a smug one at that.  Its like the KISS acronym, it means nothing and is not applicable to any situations.  Ditto for Occams Razor.  

Try something useful like the Miller Analogies Test (MAT), Don't insult highly trained professionals with parlor games, I know, I am one.

Think you hit a nerve with this one?  

Ron

Oh yea, by the way, many candies are manufactured using methods used in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, I could exactly explain how they are manufactured, and why those mehtods are used.  What would you say then?

[Chicago Bob]

Prolly,
 ::)We have several applicants under consideration....

[Tscarborough]

I am with Meatballs, ask me questions relevant to the job, or expect to be embarrassed and then I leave.

[Chicago Bob]

I am with Meatballs, ask me questions relevant to the job, or expect to be embarrassed and then I leave.

Exactly why I have never worked for someone else....well, not for long anyway....I once was young and innocent.     

[Phar Lap]

Ron,

Think you hit a nerve with this one?

Yes, I am picking that up loud and clear  

If asked that question at a job interview I would walk out the door.

Good for you!!  I believe assessing "organizational fit" is as much the candidate's responsibility as it is the hiring committee's...if you could immediately determine the organization is not for you, you would be saving all parties involved valuable time from proceeding with the normal formalities of the interview process by walking out at the onset.  Alas, I do not have the same luxury from the other side of the table, as my general counsel would be none too pleased.    

Don't insult highly trained professionals with parlor games, I know, I am one.

We will just have to agree to disagree on this one as you are obviously firm in your position, but I can assure that these sort of questions are more much than "parlor games"...unless that is, you really believe Google, Apple, Amazon, IBM, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, AT&T, Intel, UBS, US Bank, etc, etc, etc, invest their time and resources in these type of questions in their hiring processes to simply toy with candidates for their own amusement.

Oh yea, by the way, many candies are manufactured using methods used in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, I could exactly explain how they are manufactured, and why those mehtods are used.  What would you say then?

Since you asked...I would not say much, because that is really not the point of the question.

Adam