Weird interview questions

[pletharoe]

Since the rise of the HR department there's been a new type of "trick" question which has become popular in job interviews. Questions like, "If you were a salad, what kind of dressing would you have?" and "Who do you admire the most and why?"

There's an article on this along with more examples here To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

These questions are designed to see how you think on your feet and reveal parts of your personality which are hard to disguise. I think that they are probably quite effective for the masses but to me they seem ridiculous. Salads don't get to choose which dressing goes on them, they aren't sentient so the question makes no sense. Who do I admire the most? There are many people whom I admire, but who do I admire the most I haven't a clue!

Do you beleive that there is a flaw in the line of questioning (it doesn't cater for extremely logical and pragmatic people) or maybe the flaw is with me and my thought process?

[Zilal]

Heh. I think that's all kind of silly, but I'm so addicted to any chance to express myself I'd be happy to be asked those ridiculous questions in an interview. I'd happily prattle on extemporaneously about salad dressing given half a chance.

I suppose there might be some information you could get from asking such a question... mainly, how quick a thinker the person is... but I expect it's just an HR fad and will wear off eventually.

[RoqueBear]

Raspberry vinaigrette for sure on the salad. *Yum*

Who I admired I guess would depend on the job I'm applying for, trying to brownie points. I always try and prepare for the, What are you strengths and what are you weaknesses questions.

[Danisty]

Since the rise of the HR department there's been a new type of "trick" question which has become popular in job interviews. Questions like, "If you were a salad, what kind of dressing would you have?" and "Who do you admire the most and why?"

There's an article on this along with more examples here To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

These questions are designed to see how you think on your feet and reveal parts of your personality which are hard to disguise. I think that they are probably quite effective for the masses but to me they seem ridiculous. Salads don't get to choose which dressing goes on them, they aren't sentient so the question makes no sense. Who do I admire the most? There are many people whom I admire, but who do I admire the most I haven't a clue!

Do you beleive that there is a flaw in the line of questioning (it doesn't cater for extremely logical and pragmatic people) or maybe the flaw is with me and my thought process?I never know how to answer questions like the salad one. I need to know how the interviewer is interpreting things. Should I answer with my favorite dressing or the dressing that somehow reflects my personality? What is the interviewer going to get out of this?

[Caramel]

Sweet/sour dressing. But if I can choose what dressing I get, can I then also choose my own content? Cause I'd consider that more important. The dressing is just the cover, the salad itself is the core.

[Circe]

College interview: Choose the one song in your Ipod/CD player/ music library that describes you most accurately and tell us why.

[the natural]

I never know how to answer questions like the salad one. I need to know how the interviewer is interpreting things. Should I answer with my favorite dressing or the dressing that somehow reflects my personality? What is the interviewer going to get out of this?

In my opinion, nothing. They just need reasons to eliminate people. My opinion of HR is based on Office Space, where the slacker basically insults the HR and he's rewarded with a promotion because they like his style. It's junk science.

[Danisty]

College interview: Choose the one song in your Ipod/CD player/ music library that describes you most accurately and tell us why.Oh that one's easy: I Want It All by Queen. I'm not sure any explanation is really necessary...lol.

[Lumbering Jack]

I once got a question: "What's your favorite cartoon character?"
Being a cartoon, comic and comic strip fan, I like a bunch and felt it would be silly of me to pin down one character because I really don't have a "favorite." I like a lot of them, I wish a lot of them were better and some I think are fairly pointless. Aside from that, whatever character I did select wouldn't be some name-brand character. I didn't want to go in some long explanation, y'know.

If these questions are to test my "quick on our feet" behaviors, then I failed miserably. My problem-solving skills are very slow, but very meticulous and well-reasoned, I (and most INTJ's, I suspect) just don't solve problems quickly. I solve problems thoroughly.

[Danisty]

I once got a question: "What's your favorite cartoon character?"
Being a cartoon, comic and comic strip fan, I like a bunch and felt it would be silly of me to pin down one character because I really don't have a "favorite." I like a lot of them, I wish a lot of them were better and some I think are fairly pointless. Aside from that, whatever character I did select wouldn't be some name-brand character. I didn't want to go in some long explanation, y'know.

If these questions are to test my "quick on our feet" behaviors, then I failed miserably. My problem-solving skills are very slow, but very meticulous and well-reasoned, I (and most INTJ's, I suspect) just don't solve problems quickly. I solve problems thoroughly.I would have the same problem with that question. I would be choosing between several obscure characters that the interviewer probably doesn't know anything about.

[Caramel]

@ Danisty and Lumbering Jack, say you have a favorite character that noone knows, since the comic isn't very known. Or your favorite character is in fact the villain. And you don't want to go into long explanations. Would you then name a character that is more known but not your favorite? And would the interviewer notice that..?

[Lumbering Jack]

I think I went with Charlie Brown, and then stumbled a bit when saying why. Charlie Brown is definitely not even close to being my favorite "cartoon" character, but selected to not freak the interviewer out and go through a lengthy description of comic-book history.

[Astra]

Do you beleive that there is a flaw in the line of questioning (it doesn't cater for extremely logical and pragmatic people) or maybe the flaw is with me and my thought process?

I don't think you need to take this kind of question too seriously. If they take your answer too seriously, it's probably the wrong job for you anyway.

They just want to ask a question you can't answer by regurgitating their recruitment brochure back at them. It kind of helps them see a different side of you, but it really shouldn't determine whether or not you get the job - as long as you answer good-naturedly and don't point out to them how flawed their interview technique is ;D.

[Danisty]

@ Danisty and Lumbering Jack, say you have a favorite character that noone knows, since the comic isn't very known. Or your favorite character is in fact the villain. And you don't want to go into long explanations. Would you then name a character that is more known but not your favorite? And would the interviewer notice that..?It would depend on the job and how the interview was going so far, I think. More than likely, I would pick a lesser favorite out of the well known ones. I don't know if they'd notice or not. If I actually had to answer this question, it would be a toss-up for me anyway.

[Santana28]

I would have the same problem with that question. I would be choosing between several obscure characters that the interviewer probably doesn't know anything about.

oh comeon, calvin is me reincarnated at that age ;)

[Danisty]

oh comeon, calvin is me reincarnated at that age ;)See, that's the problem again. The question was which cartoon character is your favorite, not which one are you most like. When an interviewer asks me who my favorite is, are they going to assume that my favorite is the one I identify with the most? Which way should I be answering the question?

[ginandsour]

I hate these types of questions, they remind me of MySpace spam.

[Santana28]

See, that's the problem again. The question was which cartoon character is your favorite, not which one are you most like. When an interviewer asks me who my favorite is, are they going to assume that my favorite is the one I identify with the most? Which way should I be answering the question?

well, isn't it obvious that i would like the one that is most similar to myself? ;) haha

[Tsuru]

I once got a question: "What's your favorite cartoon character?"
Being a cartoon, comic and comic strip fan, I like a bunch and felt it would be silly of me to pin down one character because I really don't have a "favorite." I like a lot of them, I wish a lot of them were better and some I think are fairly pointless. Aside from that, whatever character I did select wouldn't be some name-brand character. I didn't want to go in some long explanation, y'know.



I wonder how "hentai tentacle monster" would go over. :P

[Wapiti]

Do you beleive that there is a flaw in the line of questioning (it doesn't cater for extremely logical and pragmatic people) or maybe the flaw is with me and my thought process?

I love these sort of questions, it could be that they are looking for creativity and/or self confidence.


"If you were a salad, what kind of dressing would you have?"

None, once you get a taste of this salad, you'll never want to cover it up again with some kind of dressing.

I once got a question: "What's your favorite cartoon character?"
Dilbert "I explain things to idiots". - If they don't like it, they don't deserve me and I probably won't enjoy working there.

I hate these types of questions, they remind me of MySpace spam.
I believe these are the questions that can make and break an interview. These type of questions are the place to make an unforgettable impression.

[coffeeloverfreak]

I believe these questions are nonsense, especially when read off a checklist by an HR "professional" who knows nothing about actually hiring someone good for a job.

But if the person asking the question is someone you would actually be working with on a daily basis, that's a different story. It leads to two possible conclusions:

a) You should use the opportunity to crack a joke, show your sense of humour, your personality, and show the interviewer that you're someone easy to get along with, who they'd like working with.

b) You should use the opportunity to run. Away. Fast. Do you really want to work for someone who judges people based on what kind of salad dressing they claim to be? Think about it.

[med2006]

Since the rise of the HR department there's been a new type of "trick" question which has become popular in job interviews. Questions like, "If you were a salad, what kind of dressing would you have?" and "Who do you admire the most and why?"

I think my answer to the salad dressing question would be:

"I believe that the dressing should fit the salad. So it depends on the type of salad. If I were a Chicken Ceasar then Ceasar Dressing, If I were a Cobb Salad then Ranch and If I were a house salad then Balsamic Vinegarette."

I think what some HR people are looking for is a good balance between following tradition and adaptability.

I think I answered the second questions in past interviews as follows:

"I most admire my mother becasue she raised three of us on her own and managed to send all of us to private high schools on a public school teacher's salary. She did it with such grace that we didn't realize how much of a challenge it was for her until later."

Of course the first part is completely true but my brothers and I knew that it was a challenge. Maybe not the full extent but we knew it wasn't easy.

So I think the trick to answering these questions is to base them in truth but us your answer to illustrate some trait any employer would want in an employee.

[Jgib5328]

Since the rise of the HR department there's been a new type of "trick" question which has become popular in job interviews. Questions like, "If you were a salad, what kind of dressing would you have?" and "Who do you admire the most and why?"

There's an article on this along with more examples here To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

These questions are designed to see how you think on your feet and reveal parts of your personality which are hard to disguise. I think that they are probably quite effective for the masses but to me they seem ridiculous. Salads don't get to choose which dressing goes on them, they aren't sentient so the question makes no sense. Who do I admire the most? There are many people whom I admire, but who do I admire the most I haven't a clue!

Do you beleive that there is a flaw in the line of questioning (it doesn't cater for extremely logical and pragmatic people) or maybe the flaw is with me and my thought process?


Don't be so concrete about the question. He isn't literally asking what kind of dressing you'd have on top if you were a salad, he is clearly trying to get something about your personality. I don't think there is a flaw in the questioning, it's an intuitive question, requiring an intuitive response. I'd just give him someone whom I admire a lot, you don't actually have to pick the the person you admire most.

What do you score on your S/N portion of the mbti test?

[pletharoe]

Hi Jgib,
I've taken quite a few online MBTI tests. I've tested as INTJ, ISTJ and INTP. I've just taken another one (it seemed pretty comprehensive To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ) I scored as follows:
Extraversion : 4 50 : Introversion
Sensing : 25 55 : iNtuition
Thinking : 105 5 : Feeling
Judging : 24 33 : Perceiving

[coffeeloverfreak]

Pletharoe, I think Jgib's question about your S/N was intended as rhetorical, not literal.

Anyway, the best answer to that question, IMHO, is one that makes the interviewer smile. He's not looking to hire a robot; he's looking to hire a human being. If you seem relatable and witty, you'll probably be at an advantage (unless you're interviewing at a company with zero sense of humour).

[Blaze2000]

I agree coffeelover, they are bs, and frankly any outfit asking them is probably one I don't want to work for.

[blueback]

Well, they could be like the ink-blot tests. The blots are random but by showing them to 100 people you can get a pretty good idea what a normal person will see in them. Then, because you've got a set of normal results, you can spot abnormal people based on their response.

[Victor Tango]

"How do I rate as an interviewer?"

Great...until you asked me that question. I'm afraid you have failed this interview. Please send in the next interviewer, and try not to cry on the way out.

[NoahAddle]

For an MBA graduate school interview, one interviewer asked me...

"Tell me something about yourself that your friends and family don't know about you"

I sat there trying to think up something I could say, but after 2 minutes still drew a blank. Never did come up with a good answer... still got admitted into the program though, so I'm not sure what they were looking for exactly with that question.

[Katie]

I got asked one that stumped me once. It bothered me so much, I asked a male executive how he'd have handled it and got a first-rate lesson in turning it around / reframing into a question I could answer.
ie,
Q: What was the worst business decision you've ever made?
Reframe: realize this is a "cutesy" attempt at ???
A: If you mean in what areas I am weak, ... (share a story re weak decision, lesson learned, better decisions)

[brainysmurf]

I once had a job inverview where I was asked which achievment - besides academic achievement - I'm most proud of. The answer to this question says a lot about a person! Whenever I had to hire someone I asked them the same question.





brainysmurf added to this post, 1 minutes and 24 seconds later...

For an MBA graduate school interview, one interviewer asked me...

"Tell me something about yourself that your friends and family don't know about you"

I sat there trying to think up something I could say, but after 2 minutes still drew a blank. Never did come up with a good answer... still got admitted into the program though, so I'm not sure what they were looking for exactly with that question.

Is there a "good" answer to that question?





brainysmurf added to this post, 1 minutes and 2 seconds later...

"How do I rate as an interviewer?"

Great...until you asked me that question. I'm afraid you have failed this interview. Please send in the next interviewer, and try not to cry on the way out.

Are you serious? Was the interviewer fishing for compliments?

[pip]

I am not a salad.
I've not eaten a salad in over a decade.
I don't know anything about salad other than I'm not able to eat it.
So knock it off with the salad. :stare:

[Autumnleaf]

Since the rise of the HR department there's been a new type of "trick" question which has become popular in job interviews. Questions like, "If you were a salad, what kind of dressing would you have?" and "Who do you admire the most and why?"

There's an article on this along with more examples here To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

These questions are designed to see how you think on your feet and reveal parts of your personality which are hard to disguise. I think that they are probably quite effective for the masses but to me they seem ridiculous. Salads don't get to choose which dressing goes on them, they aren't sentient so the question makes no sense. Who do I admire the most? There are many people whom I admire, but who do I admire the most I haven't a clue!

Do you beleive that there is a flaw in the line of questioning (it doesn't cater for extremely logical and pragmatic people) or maybe the flaw is with me and my thought process?

Your answer right there tells me, pretend interviewer, quite a bit about you. If some chubby person says ranch dressing for the salad and a thin gymnast for who they admire, it would tell me quite a bit about them. These questions aren't hard when you pick answers according to the context of the interview. Show them you can pitch and catch like that and they'll know you're not a social retard or someone preoccupied with your weight.

[Awesome]

What type of salad? Any meat?
Spinach? lettuce? Maybe a fruit salad?
Dressing can be either be a sauce or a spread i believe.
Details please. Ohh wait do you mean you are getting me a salad? I really don't think that is necessary, but if it helps the interview then by all means I will have whatever you have. I like to try to new things. I am pretty open. Wait... why are we talking about salad.

hmmm

[Storm]

People who ask these questions may tell themselves they are looking for creativity, or individuality, or ability to think-fast. They are really just looking for somebody they like.

[titi monkey]

These kinds of interviews are nothing new, though I can't recommend this interviewee's technique (about 13 seconds in):

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[Autumnleaf]

People who ask these questions may tell themselves they are looking for creativity, or individuality, or ability to think-fast. They are really just looking for somebody they like.

I think most interviewers, and the rest of us too, are just looking for people we like.

[JWhitsitt]

Graduate school interview: If you had a plot of land and could plant either flowers or vegetables which would you plant and why?

[stealthfighter]

Not exactly a question but from the last Transformers movie: "Impress me."

[magnumopus22605]

Well regarding the question who do you admire the most......safest option is to Tell them your mother/father.....because of such such qualities.

[GreenSky]

Treat every question as an opportunity to sell yourself. The answer is irrelevant, you just have to explain it properly

[Mogura]

From The Oatmeal, the 6 Crappiest Interview Questions:

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