I Need Some GREAT Questions to Ask An Interviewee

[ultimatebob]

Originally posted by: fpaat

Originally posted by: Lola
I am going to be part of a panel interview later this afternoon.
The normal questions will be asked, but I want to make sure this person is really qualified for the job.
Are there some good, thought provoking interview questions that will help us (my department) really get to know the type of person in the interview? I am not looking for ones that are trying to be tricky either.

Thanks in advance!

Do yourself a favor. Decline the offer to sit on the panel. Or go, but do not ask questions. Especially if you use advice from the idiots on these forums (excluding me, of course, since I don't consider myself an *actual* member. I'm just here to slap around some of you idiots).

No, really. You obviously are not professionally qualified to do interviews and it is also obvious that you haven't even spent time *thinking* about the interview process.

You are going to end up asking some moronic questions completely irrelevant to the job and the persons ability to do the job. Don't be offended, most people who do hiring (HR, hiring committees, etcetera) are just as pathetic as you are.

If the person being interviewed is actually intelligent (in your favor, most aren't), having to answer a dumb question will:

1) make that person think you are stupid
2) demoralize that person (about working at that company)

I also sense that you fail at life, judging by your close devotion to these weak forums. I doubt you are even qualifed to be a mod, well, outside of the fact that you like wasting massive amounts of time on the internet to replace that very lack of a life.

Oh, and anybody replying to this message is a moron. Especially the people who just need a reason to up their post count. ROFL, you KNOW you fail at life if you care about post count. Just face the fact that I'm elite, and you are not. I am right, and you are wrong.

Going to QQ?

Awesome first post... WWYBYWB?

 

[Reckoner]

Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?

 

[oiprocs]

Originally posted by: James Bond

Originally posted by: TallBill

Originally posted by: rudder
An electric train is traveling west at 100mph. The wind is out of the south at 25 mph. Which way is the smoke blowing?

Nice

Took me a minute

I don't get it.

DUh-DUh-DUUUHHHH!!

 

[Homerboy]

Originally posted by: Chryso
Do these feel natural to you?

LOL this one wins.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: Gibson486
so you would give them 2 minutes to prepare a five minute lesson? That is not thinking on your feet, it is showing how you can bullshit on the fly.

Which is quite important, and useful, to be honest.

It doesn't tell you a thing about their ability to do the job though, unless that's the job

I agree with Dullard and Farang.

 

[AreaCode707]

My favorite two questions (that knocked me off my feet in interviews):

"Why do you work?" (how honest are they to spit out "money" as their first response, how good is their humor for dealing with the fact that it was their first response, and what do they give as their motivations when they give a secondary, more thought-through response.)
"If I didn't hire you, what would the reason be?" (Much better than "what are three of your weaknesses" because you get their own self-doubts about the job and their fit for it.)

 

[The_Dude8]

Originally posted by: scorpious

Originally posted by: James Bond

Originally posted by: TallBill

Originally posted by: rudder
An electric train is traveling west at 100mph. The wind is out of the south at 25 mph. Which way is the smoke blowing?

Nice

Took me a minute

I don't get it.

DUh-DUh-DUUUHHHH!!

Because electric train does not produce smoke.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: The_Dude8
Because electric train does not produce smoke.

He didn't say train smoke. It could be any smoke. It's a double-trick question.

As far as the actual OP, I have to agree with many of the people who say you should stick to ability to do the job. I've been part of an interview for a data center position where the guy talked a good game and had a nice resume, but was unable to answer the most basic Linux questions despite having "20 years of UNIX and Linux experience".

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

What is your definition of "now?"
What do you think makes a good manager?

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: Chryso
Do these feel natural to you?

ROTFLMAO!!! :laugh:

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: dullard
To me, there are only two important things to learn from an interview.

1) Can the person do the job?
2) Can the person function well in our group?

So far, none of the questions in this thread (or most questions asked in most interviews) actually address either of those two critical items. If the person can't do the job or won't make the job pleasant, then that person should NOT be hired. Plain and simple.

I don't care if the person has a weakness, has creativity, has goals 5 years down the line, can organize thoughts, can answer trick questions, can blend things in a blender, etc. I don't want someone who can quickly answer a trick question about baking pies by using a heated blender in an organized manner and give that answer in a 5 minute presentation. I want to know if that person can solve the groups problems.

I simply want to know if the person can do the job and not make everyone else in the group quit in frustration from working with the new hire.

My questions would relate to the specific job. Are they truely qualified? A degree and experience help, but certainly don't mean much. I'd ask specific questions relating to the position. Of course, don't make it too specific that no one can answer without already worked in your group.

That should mostly be covered in the resume/CV/work history/references. One or two questions on that subject should already have been asked. Chances are most of the applicants are at least qualified for the job.

Beyond that you need to know if the candidate is a personal fit for the company/position. Someone who can barely speak english, can't communicate what his favourite colour is, and has a basement full of dead cats could pass the interview if you limit it to mechanical questions about the job.

 

[Nik]

Cake or death?

 

[SilentZero]

Originally posted by: Chryso
Do these feel natural to you?

WIN!

 

[0roo0roo]

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

If two witches were watching two watches, which witch would watch which watch?

Once a fellow met a fellow in a field of beans, said a fellow to a fellow. If a fellow asks a fellow, Can a fellow tell a fellow what a fellow means?

If one doctor doctors another doctor does the doctor who doctors the doctor, doctors the doctor the way the doctor he is doctoring doctors? Or does the doctor doctors the way the doctor who doctors doctor?

 

[Kadarin]

Does the plane take off?
How much beef do you need to have before it's considered "bulk"?
If a mouse pops out of your air conditioner, is that good or bad?

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: rudder
An electric train is traveling west at 100mph. The wind is out of the south at 25 mph. Which way is the smoke blowing?

Depends where the water is.

Originally posted by: spidey07
"What is your biggest weakness?"

But seriously I always use "Describe an accomplishment where your creativity was the determining factor"

Damn...heh, glad I never had that kind of interview.
Just the "Describe an accomplishment" part would take me awhile to come up with something somewhat relevant that I'd consider to be significant.

Or the infamous, "Tell us about yourself." Well let's see, do you want 20 words or less, or a life story? Specific questions are good. Vague, open-ended questions get vague, open-ended answers.