Recently, I had an interview with a site client for a position and felt
very positive - until the last couple of questions. After having spent the
past 30 minutes discussing my talents, how I could help the team — not to
mention getting answers to my questions — the interviewer taps his
notebook three times, puts his pen in his mouth and says “I have just a few
more questions for you…” What came next caught me unawares…
I was asked a series of inane questions apparently designed to measure the
true identity of the candidate. I can only imagine what the response would
have been had I asked him! These questions included the
following:
- Why are manholes round?
- What would you do if a delivery man brought over an elephant?
What is the right answer to these questions? Well, it all depends. The
former is clearly an analytical test designed to see how you think. Most
likely, your would-be manager missed this one during his or her interview.
Seriously, there is no right or wrong answer. These questions are meant to
guage how well you think on your feet, how you handle the unexpected. The
practice was reportedly common some years ago in the banking sector: it was
a means to rate fresh-out-of-college recruits, people who couldn’t exactly
fill an interview discussing previous work experience.
Some technology
firms also use these off-the-wall questions as an extension of the “Getting To
Know You” interview, in which you and the interviewer just talk shop.
(By the way: getting to this part of the interview is typically a good
sign: it shows you’ve met their technical requirements, and now they just
want to see whether your personality will fit in with the team.)
Personally, I like to answer these types of questions in the spirit that I
interpret them. As a senior-level professional, I find them silly. However,
the employer has the right to ask them and it is up to me to answer. In
these case, I give a joking response that offers an indication of my
personality. If my answer is unacceptable or not what they’re looking for;
odds are this isn’t the type of company I’m looking for.
Of course, your milage may vary. Cliche though it may sound, be prepared
for the unexpected in interviews.
For a more in-depth look at this sort of interview tactic, and some of the questions asked therein, take a look at
William Poundstone’s How Would You Move Mount Fuji?