OT: Unorthodox interview

[Moose1979]

Did you hire her?

I wanted to give her a sign-on bonus!

 

[UofCT]

I forgot we had a candidate cry during a mock lesson once because the kids were goofing off. That was interesting to say the least.

Ironically we did hire her. Because science positions in our town will get 2-3 applications at best. And the other two weren't even certified.

She quit after a year and made my life hell in the process. Sent her entire class to my room multiple times while she cried in her room, got bullied by the kids and didn't know how to stop them. Sent kids misbehaving to my class every day. I was putting out the fires started in her class twice a week... kids fighting, leaving class, etc.. She was awful at her job.

JESUS

 

[UCTitleTown]

When you interview at Lego in Enfield, as part of the interview process, they give you a box of Legos and leave you alone to build something. I built a man out of Legos. Either I wasn't creative enough or they thought it was sexist and canceled me, but I didn't get the job.

 

[huskypantz]

My only experiences are on hiring committees. Had a guy tells us that his ideal classroom was one where "no child ever speaks."

He was an ASL teacher, give him a break.

 

[Watchdog]

Just had a very strange interview. We’ll see what it means. Circumstances were unusual because it’s an internal position and I just unsuccessfully interviewed for a similar position a couple weeks ago. HR director told me “they loved me but hired someone with more experience. Apply to the next one.” So today I interviewed for the position of the guy who got the other job.

Obviously they know me well and I recently answered most of the questions but it was still strange for a school administrator position.
-“who inspires you?”
-“do you believe in Bigfoot? Why or why not?”
-“if you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?”
- “what three words describe you?”
Only asked me a couple questions Pertinent to the position.
Does this bode well or bad? Definitely felt like a formality but I’m not sure if it was a formality because they have someone else.

Share funny interview encounters

I've found inspiration in Bigfoot and have traveled the world in search of him because he's been sighted so often but no one until me has ever sat down with him for drinks and dinner.
3 words to describe me: "never in doubt".

 

[Watchdog]

I have a friend who interviewed for a Pharmacist job at Target about ten years ago and called to tell me the questions he was asked. He had over 30 years experience in retail pharmacy plus he and his wife had run a Hallmark store for about the same number of years, so he was not only professionally proficient but also understood business, and thus was able to make decisions about virtually any issues related to pharmacy.

He was unaccustomed to corporate mentalities and control so he couldn't understand why two of the questions seemed to be pushing him towards answers that would require him to "status" with the "Guest Team Leader" about a patient's request when he, with all his professional and business experience, could answer the question and move on to another issue.

No, experience and competence didn't matter, as they didn't want him using his independent judgement. The correct answer was to bring other people into this issue so more than one person could weigh in. Obviously not the place for someone who didn't need constant affirmation.

 

[Improviser]

I have a friend who interviewed for a Pharmacist job at Target about ten years ago and called to tell me the questions he was asked. He had over 30 years experience in retail pharmacy plus he and his wife had run a Hallmark store for about the same number of years, so he was not only professionally proficient but also understood business, and thus was able to make decisions about virtually any issues related to pharmacy.

He was unaccustomed to corporate mentalities and control so he couldn't understand why two of the questions seemed to be pushing him towards answers that would require him to "status" with the "Guest Team Leader" about a patient's request when he, with all his professional and business experience, could answer the question and move on to another issue.

No, experience and competence didn't matter, as they didn't want him using his independent judgement. The correct answer was to bring other people into this issue so more than one person could weigh in. Obviously not the place for someone who didn't need constant affirmation.

In no way do I condone this "corporate" mentality and behavior. But, maybe their rational involved wanting to have a double and a triple check to avoid errors in prescribing medicines.

Obviously this would be time consuming and presumably reduce profits in the name of quality control and minimizing risk.

 

[FlakeyFoont]

An old man goes to a job interview...​

The HR Director asks him: "What would you say is your greatest weakness?"
The old man replies, "Honesty"
The HR Director says, "I don't really think honesty could be considered a weakness."
To which the old man replies, "I don't really give a ***k what you think"

 

[SubbaBub]

Is this a joke? While off beat questions are unfortunately far too common, this is ridiculous to the point of being unprofessional or some twisted trolling effort.

If they are reallying trying to make a decision based on nonsense questions posing as some deep dive into your soul. I'd start looking for another place to work. This one is clearly not in your long term interests.

While the premise of asking a question to see a reaction appears valid, I've found it says more about the skills and attitude of the interviewer. Not a good sign, indicating a place that will have any interest in your career development.

 

[SubbaBub]

He reached across the table and took a piece of food right back off the guy's plate. Got offered the job but ended up taking one somewhere else. The weirdness of the interview was part of the reason he turned it down.

Stuff like this tells me this office plays mind games, which means they are generally dishonest and not straight forward with their employees on most everything.

Or worse, the "boss" doesn't understand or respect boundaries.

 

[SubbaBub]

You people are confirming two things for me. 1. I am an atypical interviewer, never asking any of this nonsense. 2. I am glad that I can proudly say the last and only time that I got a job I interviewed for was 1993. A summer job at a law firm. Never before, never since.

No one is saying you have to ask standard everyone look up the answer on google. (Don't do this btw, interviewers know the canned answer.)

A good interview/interviewer tries to verify the depth of skills and experience on the resume and get a sense of the candidates character and personality (which are two different things).

Yes, watching how they treat the receptionist is a valid data point but hardly determinate. Though my assistant gives me a full report on anyone walking through the door whether I want it or not.

I would much rather hear you talk about your past work, anything you are passionate about, professional goals, and what you think you can bring to the table.

You have the option of following up if you hear something that might suggest they have an attitude problem or other potential toxic behaviors.

One I like is, "Tell me about the last time you had to teach someone something."

Possible follow ups:

Did they get it at first?
Why do you think they were having trouble?
What did you do next?
What questions did they ask?

 

[M.S.G.]

Had the goshdarn interview of my life yesterday, have been desperately trying to transition from teaching in CT my whole career to MA, but I just haven't been getting bites on my CV because.......? I don't know if they think I cost too much, or since I've never taught in MA I am a leper.. It's been a frustrating process - and don't even get me started on what a chore it was to get the full certification in MA, ugh.. First interview was Friday, 2nd interview is Monday, I'd say that's a good sign... Cross your fingers..

 

[Edward Sargent]

HR are usually neither human or a resource. My favorite interviewee was for a secretary position. I had to interview the youngest, oldest and several diversity candidates for which I never found out what their diversity was. I wanted the temp we had for the position but was obligated to interview - something I though was a big waste of time. Anyway the oldest candidate pulled a Sharon Stone imitation along with the line "I will do anything - I repeat - anything to further my bosses career".

 

[Improviser]

HR are usually neither human or a resource. My favorite interviewee was for a secretary position. I had to interview the youngest, oldest and several diversity candidates for which I never found out what their diversity was. I wanted the temp we had for the position but was obligated to interview - something I though was a big waste of time. Anyway the oldest candidate pulled a Sharon Stone imitation along with the line "I will do anything - I repeat - anything to further my bosses career".

So which one did you hire?

 

[CL82]

HR are usually neither human or a resource.

[chuckle]

 

[CL82]

So which one did you hire?

Which one do you think?

"I will do anything - I repeat - anything to further my boss' career".

 

[Improviser]

Just making sure.

 

[the Q]

HR are usually neither human or a resource. My favorite interviewee was for a secretary position. I had to interview the youngest, oldest and several diversity candidates for which I never found out what their diversity was. I wanted the temp we had for the position but was obligated to interview - something I though was a big waste of time. Anyway the oldest candidate pulled a Sharon Stone imitation along with the line "I will do anything - I repeat - anything to further my bosses career".

Correct. It is one of the biggest wastes of a department.

It is not a value add

 

[Madmannsucks]

Yikes.

I once had a candidate think it was good idea to spontaneously tell a racist joke. That's not the worst part. People defended hiring him after that.

So taking this to a side track. Within the 3 years, a woman I worked with wore African Head Dress. The boss said to her, You remind me of Aunt Jemima. Needless to say he is now an Uber driver.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Just had a very strange interview. We’ll see what it means. Circumstances were unusual because it’s an internal position and I just unsuccessfully interviewed for a similar position a couple weeks ago. HR director told me “they loved me but hired someone with more experience. Apply to the next one.” So today I interviewed for the position of the guy who got the other job.

Obviously they know me well and I recently answered most of the questions but it was still strange for a school administrator position.
-“who inspires you?”
-“do you believe in Bigfoot? Why or why not?”
-“if you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?”
- “what three words describe you?”
Only asked me a couple questions Pertinent to the position.
Does this bode well or bad? Definitely felt like a formality but I’m not sure if it was a formality because they have someone else.

Share funny interview encounters

I got stuck in an elevator and had to jump out in a suit and tie and go into the interview room. Nailed interview, but was too expensive for them.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Correct. It is one of the biggest wastes of a department.

It is not a value add

Disagree here. HR and sourcing works, but the question about Bigfoot etc is ridiculous. biggest problem with HR and recruiting is they don’t take risks.

Btw, above, Those are fundamentally unserious questions. There is nothing that can be learned by those questions.

 

[dogpause]

Next time you get asked, "What three words describe you?" Try this: Litigious, Litigious and Litigious.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Long story short: did not get the job. The place where I have worked for 6 years didn’t even call me to tell me. I found out I didn’t get it when they announced who got the job on a zoom town hall. Pretty messed up. I’m a finalist for a better job and should hear on Monday.

 

[husky429]

Long story short: did not get the job. The place where I have worked for 6 years didn’t even call me to tell me. I found out I didn’t get it when they announced who got the job on a zoom town hall. Pretty messed up. I’m a finalist for a better job and should hear on Monday.

If you interview someone and don't even send an email to let them know they're going in a different direction, you're a . I interviewed SO many times for my first teaching position and it is exhausting the waiting, waiting, waiting until it just sort of wears off.

If it's an INTERNAL hire, you absolutely need to give that person a call or meet in person. Administrators can be such cowards about delivering bad news. I'm sorry that happened.

At the very least it's a good lesson for what you won't do when you pull in this job on Monday

 

[Chin Diesel]

Correct. It is one of the biggest wastes of a department.

It is not a value add

Disagree here. HR and sourcing works, but the question about Bigfoot etc is ridiculous. biggest problem with HR and recruiting is they don’t take risks.

Btw, above, Those are fundamentally unserious questions. There is nothing that can be learned by those questions.

HR by it's very nature is to mitigate risk and loss. So, no, it's not value additive, it's risk minimization. All those questions and processes they make you go through with hiring are designed to avoid lawsuits as well as prevent crappy hires which can kill an organization.
No different than the legal department. They don't generate any revenue for an organizations (Unless I guess you are a law firm). You have a legal department to watch your six while you are watching everything else.