Interviews start tomorrow for our two open positions.

[DT4K]

Citrix wants the nice, easy answer. He thinks anyone who asks for more details or who answers that it would depend on how big the spill was, is an idiot. In reality, there is nothing wrong with wanting to know all the details before being able to make a decision. To me, making assumptions based on the vague information you are initially provided is a weakness. That isn't the same as going overboard and forming a committee to vote on the appropriate action to take or something. It just means, I want to know how big of a spill it is. If it is a small spill that I can clean up with a few paper towels, then I would. If there is a big puddle all over the floor, calling maintenance to mop it up is what any intelligent person should do.

 

[isasir]

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: isasir

Originally posted by: Citrix
Last question.

Say you are going to the cafeteria and notice the coffee pot overflowing. what do you do.

(some of you may remember me asking that question the last time i had to interview)

Do you mean if I were an employee of the company or if I was there for the interview, and went into the kitchen for a drink while waiting for you and this happened?

If I was an employee, I'd clean it, no problem. I'm not sure what I'd do if I was just there for the interview.

answer as if you work here.

What do you think a good answer would be if the question regarding me just being there for the interview?

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: DT4K

Originally posted by: mugsThe point is, if you just leave it the situation will just get worse. I'm guessing he's looking for people who will "think outside the box" and not do what their training tells them to do (call maintenance), but rather do what is necessary to prevent the problem from getting worse.

So now cleaning up spilled coffee is "thinking outside the box"?
Ummm, yeah, ok. :roll:

Thinking outside the corporate box.

 

[shimsham]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: BooGiMaN
my answer:

I do not think this situation would ever happen here.

I am positive that in a company as prestigious and self sufficient as i have seen your's to be, I am certain that the appliances generously provided for employee use by company are well maintained as indicated in the user's manual.

I am confident the people that have been employed by you and the rest of management are responsible and smart enough to use the coffee maker as directed by the manufacturer thereby the theorectical situation you have described will never ever come to be.

Am i correct in my assumption Mr. Citrix?

I can't believe anyone would hire you if you answered interview questions like that. Seriously, do you talk like that in real life, or is that just your writing style?

Originally posted by: rh71
What about people who don't post or surf on the web... would it be justified if they just walked away from the mess ? I fail to see how this would be a good interview question for real live candidates.

The point is, if you just leave it the situation will just get worse. I'm guessing he's looking for people who will "think outside the box" and not do what their training tells them to do (call maintenance), but rather do what is necessary to prevent the problem from getting worse.

i think hes just looking for some common sense. stop the mess, clean the mess, then move on with the common goal.

 

[rudder]

How about asking this question:

While surfing ATOT you notice a thread is overflowing with nefness and getting OT, what do you do?

Do you PM a mod?
Simply type Nef and get postcount +1?
Ignore the thread?

 

[Elbryn]

post on anandtech off topic

YAWT: stupid coffee

So its like 2 in the afternoon and I just managed to wake up and wipe the slobber off my keyboard. Then i realized i had qwerty face and headed off to the cafeteria to see if that guy down the hall had any more mountain dew in the fridge. I walk into the cafeteria and some moron had turned on the coffee pot and it was overflowing like niagra falls. i stepped around it and got myself a mountain dew. i just left it there. what would you have done?

 

[Kyteland]

Originally posted by: Citrix
Last question.

Say you are going to the cafeteria and notice the coffee pot overflowing. what do you do.

(some of you may remember me asking that question the last time i had to interview)

I would empty the pot, make sure it wasn't overflowing anymore, and depending on the severity of the mess either clean it up or call maintenance.

The fact that you require your interviewees to say that they would clean it up is silly. If it spilled enough to get under a nearby microwave or on the floor and in to the carpet the it *is* a complete waste of time for me to clean it up. On rainy days people track water in when they walk though the door. Should I stop and mop the floor when I get in too? :roll:

It it is a simple task I have no problem doing it, but there is a reason you have a maintenance staff. It there's half a cup of coffee on the counter that's one thing, but if theres half a pot all over everything that's something else.

 

[imported_Phil]

I would take a huge, gut-wrenching, beads-of-sweat-on-forehead, veins-standing-out-on-neck, staisfying dump in it to punish those people who see fit to leave it turned on.

 

[imported_Phil]

Originally posted by: rudder
How about asking this question:

While surfing ATOT you notice a thread is overflowing with nefness and getting OT, what do you do?

Do you PM a mod?
Simply type Nef and get postcount +1?
Ignore the thread?

Type MIKE. Simple.

 

[Yossarian]

Originally posted by: Citrix


Yes i have asked it and will ask it today, tomorrow and Thursday. The responses have been quite interesting. its a simple question and i tell them that. not tricks. but when i ask it, their face turns white, eyes glass over. it looks like i just them a math formula made by steven hawking and just told them to solve it...

The people we interview arent stupid. they just dont think...

what kinds of responses have you gotten?

 

[glen]

What was teh answer you wanted?

 

[Kyteland]

Originally posted by: glen
What was teh answer you wanted?

OMG it's glen! Go answer your questions in this thread.

 

[KLin]

well at least we know how DigDug would answer it. :roll:

 

[bleeb]

The answer is to: FREAK OUT! Have your moment of harry carry and preparation to "get a grip". Then turn off the coffee machine. Depending on how much salary they are paying you to work there, make the decision to maximize company funds... figure the time costs for you to clean it up, or for the janitor to clean it up.

if the (time to clean up * your salary/wage) is > then (janitor's time * wage), then call the janitor to clean it up.

If the (time to clean up * your salary/wage) is < then (janitors time * wage), then clean it up and bring up the point at the next office meeting.

 

[shuan24]

I would design, implement, and program a complex algorithm to prevent the coffee from over flowing.

Or, in layman's terms, I would go yell at the cafeteria lady.

 

[KEV1N]

Come to think of it, I can't imagine a coffee pot overflowing. Don't you usually fill up the carafe and pour the water from the carafe into the coffeemaker?

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: Dopefiend

Originally posted by: rudder
How about asking this question:

While surfing ATOT you notice a thread is overflowing with nefness and getting OT, what do you do?

Do you PM a mod?
Simply type Nef and get postcount +1?
Ignore the thread?

Type MIKE. Simple.

am i now associated with neffing?

hmmmmm

MIKE