Stupid Interview Questions

[Jahira]

I was working this weekend and a co-worker came to work with this book on "Answers to the tough interview questions" which made me think about some of the dumb interview questions I have been asked. I am sure other people have had some crazy ones so lets here them.

Mine:
"Name the last time you showed empathy and why do you think you were empathetic and not sympathetic to the situation?"

"Can you tell me a character in a book that is completely opposite of your persaonlity and someone who is realitivly like you?"

I wouldn't mind hearing how people would answer these because I know I wasn't prepared for them and mine sucked.

[B2]

"What would you do if you were taped to a goal post?"

[diethx]

"What would you do if you were taped to a goal post?"

Are you kidding? LOL

[The Ponzzz]

'Would you help an old lady across the street?"

"If allowed, how much would you steal from a company?"

"If you could change one thing in your past, what would it be and why?"

"If you had a company car, would you drive it like it's stolen?" (This one cracks me up to this day!)

[Sthrockmorton]

"If you could be a superhero, which one, and why?"

[Kitsun]

"What would you do if you were taped to a goal post?"

That one is easy! I would totally spend some time wondering how I managed to get taped to a goal post, then I would definately try to get down some time in the near future with a conviction not to let this happen again.

[Miscast]

"what's your current salary?"

[diethx]

"what's your current salary?"

I may be totally off, but aren't prospective employers not supposed to ask that?

[Kitsun]

I may be totally off, but aren't prospective employers not supposed to ask that?

I've had a majority of them ask.

[Bobmuhthol]

That's a very common question.

[diethx]

I could've sworn I heard somewhere that it was an inappropriate question. Maybe i'm remembering wrong, and it's actually that it's inappropriate for a prospective employer to ask an old employer about salary history when checking the reference? I know I heard SOMETHING to that effect at least once before. Ah well, no matter.

[Suppa Hobbit Mage]

If you could be any planet in the solar system, which would it be?

Uranus was my answer.

[diethx]

If you could be any planet in the solar system, which would it be?

Uranus was my answer.

LOL, did you get the job?

[Suppa Hobbit Mage]

I did actually. It was for Resident Assistant at college.

[diethx]

Haha, that's pretty awesome.

[Danical]

"A Pittsburgh health care compnay wants to spins off their research development facility in Europe. What are the important human factors?"

[TheEschaton]

I once got "If you were a tree, what would you be?"

"If you were an Assistant District Attorney, and someone offered to score you pot, and it was 100% certain that you wouldn't get caught, would you do it?"

[Miscast]

I may be totally off, but aren't prospective employers not supposed to ask that?

this is often preceded by my other favorite interview question, "how old are you?"

i live in japan where this is apparently legal

[The Ponzzz]

Employers can't require you give them an answer when on the interview to how much you currently make. However, they can ask it.

[Back]

The one and only time I was asked if I had reliable transportation and if anyone else had access to it offended me. I should have answered “nope, maw and paw and my 7 brothers and sisters live in a motor home at the rest stop off the highway”.

[thefarmer]

"When's the last time you threatened an employee/co-worker with bodily harm? Did you follow through with the threat?"

[grenthor]

"If you could be a superhero, which one, and why?"

Wierd. I've asked this exact question lots of times when interviewing people.

[grenthor]

I like asking totally off the wall questions when interviewing people.
People love to prepare and think about all the different questions they might get asked and how they would answer them.
Screw that. I want to see how they act when thrown something totally unexpected. I want to see if they lose thier cool.
I want to see if they can get creative at the drop of a hat.
Some of my fav questions are the superhero one. I also liked asking 'How many ping pong balls does it take to fill a 747?'.
I also liked the old 'Why is a manhole cover round' but most people know that one by now.
How would you design a spice rack for a blind person?
Describe the worst boss you ever had.
Once just for the hell of it I asked the person to tell a joke. Caught the guy way off guard.

Stuff like that. It works a hell of a lot better than the generic questions everyone already has bullshit answers prepared for.