'Coffee cup' test in job interviews to filter candidates is manipulative?

GodisanAtheist

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2006
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These types of games are what insecure interviewers do in my experience.

I'm expected to interview potential candidates but I'm a manager because of my ability to perform work related tasks not for my ability to find the right people for the job so I look for all sorts of ridiculous tells to comfort me in my decision making.

I've definitely had a couple "make it or break it" questions but they were more intended to test whether someone could think through a problem without immediately looking for support regardless of whether or not they got the right answer, as opposed to whatever "scry the coffee grounds" crap this guy came up with.
 

RPD

Diamond Member
Jul 22, 2009
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Why would you expect a guest to clean the dishes at your house?

This boss is playing some weird phycological game, they've got issues.
Yep, people I've interviewed I'd consider guests and would never ask expect a guest to clean up in such a fashion.
 
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Fenixgoon

Lifer
Jun 30, 2003
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i'd argue, to a certain degree, that it's the office version of putting back your shopping cart. i don't necessarily agree with the method, but i understand it.
 

dank69

Lifer
Oct 6, 2009
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View attachment 85675

Interviewer playing mind games?
He says most passed the test.
He's lying about most people passing the test. I bet one weirdo offered once and he's been looking for a second person to do the same ever since.
 
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Feb 4, 2009
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MrSquished

Lifer
Jan 14, 2013
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Funny, but I believe you would.

That's because you're as dumb and a much of a jackass as you seem in P&N.

I don't interview people to work beneath me. We have people that do do things for us and support my position, an admin and a transaction manager for example, but I don't hire or manage them. I do hire freelancers for gigs, and of course I treat them well. As usual you are a Republican who projects their shittiness onto progressives, who actually respect labor and want to better their treatment.

At least you are consistent.

You just can't bring politics into the other forums and attack others as you have done in several posts in this thread. Take some time off to calm down.

admin allisolm
 
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Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
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www.betteroff.ca
Personally I'm not a fan of traps like that, but have to realize that the entire interview process is essentially full of these little tricks that can gain or lose you points, so have to be very good at catching them. It's a private company and they can do what they want within the union rules. If there's no union then they can REALLY do what they want. I've been lucky that most jobs I interviewed for were super casual and I basically knew I had it, the interview was just formality.
 

Exterous

Super Moderator
Jun 20, 2006
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i'd argue, to a certain degree, that it's the office version of putting back your shopping cart. i don't necessarily agree with the method, but i understand it.
No it's some weird specific cultural conditioning measuring metric and, unless you're hiring someone who is washing coffee cups, it has no place in any rational hiring environment. If someone has great technical experience, project management skills, their code is great, well commented etc I don't give a rats ass if they wash their coffee cup after an interview. If they're a slob at the office I act like an adult and tell them to clean up after themselves. I'd also argue that, especially for large orgs, you want different personality styles and points of view to lessen the chances of groupthink pitfalls
 

Fenixgoon

Lifer
Jun 30, 2003
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Just pound down the coffee right away before the interview even starts, don't even check how hot it is. Power move right there. +25 points.
100% power move. (should i feel bad for linking to a clip from transformers)?


No it's some weird specific cultural conditioning measuring metric and, unless you're hiring someone who is washing coffee cups, it has no place in any rational hiring environment. If someone has great technical experience, project management skills, their code is great, well commented etc I don't give a rats ass if they wash their coffee cup after an interview. If they're a slob at the office I act like an adult and tell them to clean up after themselves. I'd also argue that, especially for large orgs, you want different personality styles and points of view to lessen the chances of groupthink pitfalls
i wouldn't expect someone to wash the coffee cup. but to ask what to do with the it? sure.

or, the manager should just use a disposable cup in that instance
 
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mindless1

Diamond Member
Aug 11, 2001
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If the decision making process really comes down to who offers, as a guest, to wash a coffee cup, that this is weighed higher than qualifications and general aptitude during the interview, then this "boss" isn't who you want to work for. I had a far more colorful reply but think it best to remove that.
 
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Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
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Interviewer playing mind games?

When I was younger, I used to read stories (fictional & non-fictional) about people in hiring positions doing "creative" interview work like that & always enjoy the warm-fuzzies from them. Then I got a job managing a pizza restaurant. I cared about exactly 3 things on a daily basis:

1. Did you show up?
2. Did you show up on time?
3. Did you DO something?

Most job positions just require a warm body capable of delivering on the required tasks consistently. Some jobs have rockstars (Steve Jobs, Michael Jordan, etc.) but mostly it's just plug & chug across the board. Some of the best workers I know would fail every single one of these little mind-game tests, especially for people like me who are on the spectrum & have things like ADHD, Autism, etc. Those types of stories tend to judge people on the wrong characteristics required for having a good employee!

Because what people need is steady income & access to healthcare. Businesses need to make money to survive & employees need money to survive. I was just reading this article about how "some Tesla engineers secretly started designing a Cybertruck alternative because they 'hated' it; they didn't want to have anything to do with it":


And yet, people need jobs, so they gotta do what the boss wants if they want to keep their jobs:

"Von Holzhausen, who is as gentle as Musk is brusque, spent time listening carefully to their concerns. 'If you don't have buy-in from the people around you, it's hard to get things done,' he says," Isaacson wrote.

But Musk was "less patient," Isaacson reported, and did not want to hear concerns related to the Cybertruck.

"I don't do focus groups," the CEO said, according to Isaacson.

Rather than focus on adjusting the design, Musk told von Holzhausen that he wanted a driveable version of the vehicle that he could demo at a Tesla event in November, which von Holzhausen said "forced the team to come together, work twenty-four-seven," Isaacson wrote.

Unfortunately, some people in hiring positions (HR people, managers, etc.) like to go on ego-boosting power-trips when hiring people, rather than focusing on getting the right person for the job (i.e. someone who shows up & works consistently, plays nice with others, is in it for the long haul, etc.).
 

mindless1

Diamond Member
Aug 11, 2001
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That's because you're as dumb and a much of a jackass as you seem in P&N.

I don't interview people to work beneath me. We have people that do do things for us and support my position, an admin and a transaction manager for example, but I don't hire or manage them. I do hire freelancers for gigs, and of course I treat them well. As usual you are a Republican who projects their shittiness onto progressives, who actually respect labor and want to better their treatment.

At least you are consistent.
It doesn't seem like any projection is needed here...

If you can't respect individuals' right to an opinion, trying to claim that you respect labor and better their treatment is nonsense. All you really mean is the opposite, that you'd treat someone unfairly if they don't agree with you, which in this case means about 50% of the general population.

Instead of accepting that, you troll towards calling people dumb and a jackass, apparently feeling butt-hurt about some other topic no less, not even this one. Just WOW!
 
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