Stupid interview questions…
As a research and laboratory sales and pharmaceutical sales recruiter, I have heard from many, many candidates about some crazy interview question besides even “If you were an animal, what animal would you be?” (Although I would love to hear them ask that to Miss America candidates…then maybe we could hear something more interesting than “I would work for world peace.”) How about, “How do you eat an ice cream cone?” (That could veer off into directions I do not want to know about.) Or, “if you had to get rid of one state, which one would it be?” These are supposed to be telling the interviewer something about your creativity, I know, but they really say more about the interviewer’s lack of creativity.
They’re all supposed to have some logic behind them, like “Imagine you had to paint a Boeing 747. Estimate the cost of the paint and how much you would need.” This would demonstrate how your thought processes work for the interviewer, and how well you think on your feet. Although I love this guy’s answer to “How would you move Mount Fuji 1/2 a kilometer to the South?” You’ll just have to click and see.
Seriously, though, if you google “stupid interview questions,” you end up with some pretty good critiques of basic interview questions, like “tell me your greatest weakness.” (The only answer an interviewer is ever going to get is some workaholic strength described as a weakness…as in, “I work so hard I can’t leave until the project is done.” Unless the candidate is stupid.) Another good one is “Are you a team player?” Again, only a stupid candidate would answer “no,” even if it’s true. Both of these articles point out that some of these questions are so common, the only answer you’re ever going to get is a canned, prepared answer that doesn’t tell the interviewer much about the candidate’s ability to do that particular job.
That’s one reason behavioral-based interview questions are gaining so much ground. For instance,
Tell me about a time when you were required to work with a team on an important project and you weren’t pleased with the speed at which it progressed. How did you deal with the situation?
There’s a question that will give you some good information on a candidate…work ethic, ability to be a team player, leadership ability, etc.
Written by Peggy McKee - the medical sales recruiter
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