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I have recently been asked which debates I've had in the workplace and how I handle stress. I'm interested to know which debates you have had in the workplace and how you handle stress.
Do you have other tough/interesting interview questions which stand out?
I quite enjoyed the Ridiculous things said during job interviews [webmasterworld.com] post.
I usually spice it up with some role playing (I'll let them play their future role and I'll play obnoxious customer or so), if they survive that, they'll survive the real world. Cause I'll promise: everything that can go wrong will go wrong when I'm playing. I've even played the computer part and let more technical folks find what's wrong with the computer that way. [It's kind of unusual for techies to think of the interviewer role playing the computer part ;-) ]
Candidates that are too nervous: I usually try to calm them down first. If they don't have customer facing roles, I'll not hold it against them at all. Even hired a dude literally trembling like a leave once. Turned out to be a very good asset.
Nervous means they care, and if you combine care with good enough, you got a better candidate than one who's excellent but doesn't bother to care enough to even try.
One of the ways to get them to calm down its talk about their current activities (put them in familiar settings), and let them talk about that.
Candidates that aren't good enough: I usually bother to let them answer a few things correctly at the end, even if I already know they'll never get hired to let them go away with some self respect intact.
First impression after they are calmed down is usually the one that lasts till the very end.
The most nasty thing you can do to a candidate: Ask a very open-ended question and then not speak or interact at all. Let them talk themselves into trouble.
Last time I solicited for a job myself I told the HR dept that I didn't want to be an employee like their others, that I didn't care for their work mentality nor ethics, but I wanted to lead an aspect of a project they were going to do. Got the paperwork the next morning, job was mine for the talking. That HR lady said later I was quite "direct" in my approach, and that she wished all candidates that passed by were a bit more like that instead of trying their best to be sheep trying to blend in.
As for answers to difficult questions, I've hired people giving the wrong answer, I've let people pass that gave the right answer. It's far more complex.
My bottom line has always been simple:
- Do I want this person on my team Y/N? , Do I feel some "connection"?
- Do I see potential in 2 years time for something bigger, better?
- Does this person bring something new, none of the others in the team has?
