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What's the silliest question an HR person has asked you?

P

PhineasJWhoopee

Banned
I did a phone intervierw for a senior technical position with two department managers and a HR person. I guess the HR person felt she had to say something so she asked me what the best advice was I had ever gotten, or something to that effect.

I babbled something about having a number of mentors and getting much sound advice over the years, that I had a hard time recalling the best advice.

My dumb answer didn't hurt because the phone interview cinched the job for me.
 
Should have said "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."
 
her209 said:
Should have said "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."
Click to expand...

I'm not sure that dead silence when you're asked a question in a job interview is such a great strategy.

I actually, reviewed and thought through a lot of soft questions HR people ask, but I missed that one.
 
nboy22 said:
"How much money is it ok for you to steal from the company you work for?"
Click to expand...

I hate that question. You seriously have be a low watt gurgler to answer anything but zero. I took a pre-screening for a job at Lowe's and it had that same question in different wording about 30 times. It also had questions such as. Have you ever stolen copper from work? Do you currently know the value of copper scrap?
 
ahenkel said:
I hate that question. You seriously have be a low watt gurgler to answer anything but zero. I took a pre-screening for a job at Lowe's and it had that same question in different wording about 30 times. It also had questions such as. Have you ever stolen copper from work? Do you currently know the value of copper scrap?
Click to expand...

Do you really think some people answer with a monetary amount?
 
nboy22 said:
"How much money is it ok for you to steal from the company you work for?"
Click to expand...

I answered that question by saying "I wouldn't have a problem with taking home a pen or a binder clip just by incident, but I wouldn't be planning on intentionally taking office supplies home."
 
PhineasJWhoopee said:
she asked me what the best advice was I had ever gotten, or something to that effect.

I babbled something about having a number of mentors and getting much sound advice over the years, that I had a hard time recalling the best advice.
Click to expand...

bull...

you know you said "jesus gives me great advice.... such as... ezekiel 4:21..."

and the interviewer said "oh great... another one of these people"
 
"What do you feel is your greatest weakness?"

I would guess that this is not a rare question, but I have never understood the point of it. No intelligent person is going to share their greatest flaw with a person he just met, let alone one who is determining whether or not to hire him. Job candidates are not going to admit that they are drug addicts, cheat on their spouses, or keep their cruise control set on 75 in a 65 then complain when they get a speeding ticket. HR people realize this, yet some are curious to hear what BS people will make up for an answer. And these are the WORST answers. A coworker of mine once told me that her standard response is "I show up TOO early for work, like before building is open." It's stupid crap like that or "I'm a perfectionist, but to a fault." Why waste everyone's time by asking this question? Thankfully, I think most HR people realize this as I have only been asked this once.

Runner up: "Are you a member of any online forums?" (It wound up being semi-appropriate in context, but caught me off-guard at first.)
 
"F*ck I forgot to get your dad something for his birthday, what'd you get him?"

My aunt works in HR at my job, thus making her an "HR person". 😉
 
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