I'm interviewing someone today

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  • GassageGassage Frets: 30826
    Sporky said:
    At the pub. He's bringing examples of his design work, I'm taking him a dodgy schematic to critique. My boss, Stinky Doug, will be doing the money interview later if the chap passes the technical chat.

    Are there any genuinely useful questions I should ask him beyond making sure he knows which end of an HDMI cable he shouldn't stick up his nose?

    I am not, for reference, going to ask him whether Batman or Superman would win in a fight. 
    All you need to know is here, in this handy guide.

    Do read it- bloody hilarious,


    *An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.

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  • SporkySporky Frets: 27580
    Gassage said:

    All you need to know is here, in this handy guide.

    Do read it- bloody hilarious,


    That's excellent - thankfully where I work is not like that at all (now). The former MD did like to ask people what animal they'd be, and got very flustered when I said "human being", and then explained why in some detail (including the ability to comprehend and answer the question, then regret being such a smart-arse about it).

    Then again, a few jobs ago the MD there would snoop around any interviewees' cars to see if they were owned or leased, how old they were, if they were clean and in good upkeep... then ask if they had a mortgage - he didn't like employing people who didn't need the money. We didn't get many independently wealthy applicants so that always seemed a redundant question.
    "[Sporky] brings a certain vibe and dignity to the forum."
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  • GassageGassage Frets: 30826
    I just read this one on the train and was crying with laughter. He's a genius.


    *An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.

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  • beed84beed84 Frets: 2403
    When he sits down give him a serious look and say, “Where’s my cup of tea?” 

    If if he goes and get you one, tell him he’s hired. If he makes it just how you like it, pat him on the back and say “good job” raising his self-esteem and planting the seed that he could be your right hand man.

    If on the other hand he preempts your test and brings you a cup of tea before the interview, screw up your face and say “well aren’t you a clever dick? Go on, get out of my office!”
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  • BigMonkaBigMonka Frets: 1763
    Sporky said:

    The job involves a mix; sometimes you go to see the customer (with or without their account manager) and get to talk through the project. Sometimes you just get a tender spec, which may or may not be any good, sometimes an existing customer wants x more of their standard room. We then put together a design - drawings, quote, written brief, and it either just gets sent or we go and present it.

    So it is a tricky role for which to find good people; they need to be technically excellent, but they also need to be confident in front of customers and able to very quickly judge the audience and present at the right level. Quite a lot of that can be learnt, of course.
    Based on what you've said there how about taking someone else along to be a pseudo-customer so that when he's showing the design examples he's bringing you can see whether he can quickly work out how much technical understanding the customer has and then explain it at an appropriate level. Or just play really dumb to start with and keep asking really basic questions about the kit he's talking about (i.e. so what's one of those then? Why do I need that product, can't I just connect that one to that one directly? etc)
    Always be yourself! Unless you can be Batman, in which case always be Batman.
    My boss told me "dress for the job you want, not the job you have"... now I'm sat in a disciplinary meeting dressed as Batman.
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  • SporkySporky Frets: 27580
    BigMonka said:

    Based on what you've said there how about taking someone else along to be a pseudo-customer so that when he's showing the design examples he's bringing you can see whether he can quickly work out how much technical understanding the customer has and then explain it at an appropriate level.
    It's not in the office, but I could take Sprocket along to the pub - they like her. She's a bit smarter than the average customer but I think she'll be good at that.

    I can certainly get him to explain his design as if I am a consultant - ie I think I know a lot, but actually I'm wrong about most of it.
    "[Sporky] brings a certain vibe and dignity to the forum."
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  • LuttiSLuttiS Frets: 2243
    skunkwerx said:


    Know what the test was? 

    Jenga. 

    Motherfucking jenga. 


    More of a Monopoly guy? ;)


    Ask the chap how his weekend was then ask him what he is passionate about outside of work.

    When i used to do interviews i would ask this sort of thing.. mind you it was entry level jobs i did but point is i wanted someone that would fit in and people could get along with and could hold a "small talk" type conversation. If you're going to be spending a significant amount of time with someone (i.e. in an office/work environment) you don't want someone with nothing to them..


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  • randellarandella Frets: 4088
    One question on which all of life hinges, not just a job interview:











    "Bigsby or Floyd Rose?"
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  • SporkySporky Frets: 27580
    LuttiS said:

    When i used to do interviews i would ask this sort of thing.. mind you it was entry level jobs i did but point is i wanted someone that would fit in and people could get along with and could hold a "small talk" type conversation. If you're going to be spending a significant amount of time with someone (i.e. in an office/work environment) you don't want someone with nothing to them..


    We're typically only in the office once a week; I don't really care if they're not a sparkling socialite as long as they can communicate effectively with customers and so on, and given that my team's work requires a fair level of concentration a chatterbox is a very bad thing!
    "[Sporky] brings a certain vibe and dignity to the forum."
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  • DiscoStuDiscoStu Frets: 5382
    I ask this simple question midway at every interview:

    "What's half of 59?"

    It's a curveball from the standard questions, tests their basic maths and their ability to cope with unusual situations. 90% of people get the answer wrong, then when I ask them to try again I observe how flustered they get/don't get. A lot of people get it even more wrong the second time around.

    It's not quantum physics, it's a very simple sum yet it can throw some candidates off the rest of their interview.
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  • 57Deluxe57Deluxe Frets: 7329
    edited June 2018
    'what music do you like?' cos you might have to live with it if he likes it blaring whilst he's working!
    <Vintage BOSS Upgrades>
    __________________________________
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  • SporkySporky Frets: 27580
    I quite like that.

    Though I might change it to "what's half of 59... in hexadecimal?". Hex is surprisingly useful. Or I could see if they can do basic trig in their head. Or, more usefully, convert the scale from a floorplan at A4 that should have been printed at A1...
    "[Sporky] brings a certain vibe and dignity to the forum."
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  • DiscoStuDiscoStu Frets: 5382
    For my previous line of work (optics) being able to divide numbers such as 59 by half was a vital part of the job. I was asked the question during my interview (I got the answer right first time btw) and it stuck with me. When I took over as manager years later I decided to use it during my interviews and it does really shake some people up!
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  • Phil_aka_PipPhil_aka_Pip Frets: 9794
    randella said:
    One question on which all of life hinges, not just a job interview:











    "Bigsby or Floyd Rose?"
    To which the answer is, of course, "Stop Tailpiece"
    "Working" software has only unobserved bugs. (Parroty Error: Pieces of Nine! Pieces of Nine!)
    Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
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  • randellarandella Frets: 4088
    randella said:
    One question on which all of life hinges, not just a job interview:











    "Bigsby or Floyd Rose?"
    To which the answer is, of course, "Stop Tailpiece"
    @Phil_aka_Pip - thanks for your time, we'll be in touch.

    Steve will show you out.
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  • HattigolHattigol Frets: 8176
    I went for an interview. The guy said 'what are your weaknesses?'.

    I said 'Probably honesty'.

    He said 'I don't really view honesty as a weakness'.

    I said 'I don't give a f**k what you think'.
    "Anybody can play. The note is only 20%. The attitude of the motherf*cker who plays it is  80%" - Miles Davis
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  • randellarandella Frets: 4088
    edited June 2018
    .
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  • ZoolooterZoolooter Frets: 886
    God almighty, glad I'm self employed. Most of this is utter bollocks. 
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  • LuttiSLuttiS Frets: 2243
    I don't like job applicants. I like appliCANS!
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  • Phil_aka_PipPhil_aka_Pip Frets: 9794
    I've just had a telephone interview. To be fair the chap didn't ask me about "strengths and weaknesses" in so many words, for which he has my respect. Instead, he asked me what I thought I did best, and what previously executed tasks gave me the most trouble. Fair do's, I tried to give him honest answers.

    I got on OK with him so I didn't feel inclined to use any of my stock put-down answers to silly HR-type questions. He was a senior engineer. I hope not to have to talk to HR types other than to give them my NI number should I start working there.
    "Working" software has only unobserved bugs. (Parroty Error: Pieces of Nine! Pieces of Nine!)
    Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
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