No - don’t do this. You’re asking them to incriminate someone.
Sorry, I actually phrase the question in terms of a hypothetical.
MaddyStrut - Exactly. I can smell when someone doesn’t know their shit (that sounded wierd). “Why did you do it that way”. “I don’t know, Joe said to” is not an acceptible answer. The other day some coworkers and I were talking about going out drinking and I expressed that I thought “The Crowbar” sounded gay. One of the girls trying to be clever is like “oh…how does a bar SOUND gay.” Jokingly trying to make me uncomfortable. Without missing a beat, I reply "because it is a common marketing theme with bars that cater to homosexual clientelle to use phalyic or implicitly sexual sounding names of hardware or machinery parts as bar names - Ramrod, Anvil, something -Shaft, whatnot. Sounds like I know what I’m talking about, right? That’s the kind of thinking I’m looking for. If they wanted some random programmer, they could easily have some boob on the beach hang out with them to see if they’d make a good drinking buddy.
What’s a tortoise?
About the relative fairness and efficacy of such questions…
I like to use them because they can cut through the rehearsed BS but–and this is huge qualifier–I make sure the candidates know that the questions aren’t be asked or approached as “tricks”. I’ve been on the other side of the process enough to remember how stressful it is. Frankly, it usually sucks.
My usual process is to describe the position and general work environment in some detail. I don’t try to project that the place is already perfect so any candidate had better walk on water to be considered. I try very hard to set candidates at ease, so the process more resembles a conversation. (Which can be tough, given that notes have to be taken and kept. It helps to have a second interviewer as well.) Anway, setting an open, nonconfrontational tone helps more than anything.
As for specific questions, one of my favorites is, “What was the most difficult work situation you ever faced, and how did you handle it?” The answers can be illuminating. They’ve ranged from completely wacko, abusive bosses to blatantly fake ‘non-problems’ intended to evade the question.
Interesting suggestions in this thread. I’ve made note of some of 'em for future use.
Veb
Most of the discussion so far has not been about behavioral interview questions. I have had great luck with behavioral questions. They are not intended to be tricks. Sometimes they are perceived as tricks by people who are not familiar with the technique and were not expecting this type of question, but they are not trick questions.
Behavioral interviewing is based on the theory that past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. All answers to behavioral questions should be first person, past tense.
The key to developing the right behavior-based questions is to understand what behaviors are key to success in the job you are hiring for, which I take is some type of consulting software engineer.
I think a question about a time when their ethics were challenged is good, and it should not be a hypothetical question. We all know the right answer to hypothetical ethics questions. You might drop illegal from the question, and start it off “without naming names,” but you should ask about a real situation that the applicant actually handled in the past.
The question about spectacular failure comes across as manipulative. A better question might be “Tell me about a time you had to renegotiate a deadline.” “Tell me about a time when your work was impacted by an unexpected equipment failure.” “Tell me about a time you had to increase the scope of a project you were leading.”
In my experience there are not right and wrong answers to these behavioral questions, but after a series of good questions, it will become very clear which of the applicants really has a sense for the type of work you need them to do.
A couple concluding tips, give the applicant all the time they need to answer and if you are interviewing people with relatively short work experience, let them give a few non-work examples.
The training materials “More Than a Gut Feeling” are the classics on behavioral interviewing, for anyone who wants to learn more.
Also, for those of you on the other side of the desk, I will attest to having good results giving a behavioral answer even if the question is hypothetical or open ended. For example, if they ask “What would you do if you knew you weren’t going to meet a deadline?” I tell about a time I had successfully renegotiated a deadline in the past.
This could even work for “Why did you study X vs. Y?” Explain what you studied, why, then give an example of how that turned out to be a good choice based on using your X skills in your job.
The behavioral examples are much more credible and memorable than “I never miss deadlines” or “I’d work harder.”
If you’re actively interviewing, you may even want to think through some of your recent work experience and see how it might make a good behavioral anecdote getting into the kind of background people look for in your field “How did you demonstrate creativity?” “How did you improve quality?” “How did you attract new customers?”
Ask them to think of their own question that fits your guidelines. Then tell them to answer it.
First off, I don’t think tortoises live in the desert. I believe they live near the ocean.
What about the desert tortoise?
Okay, then I got nothing.
Could it be the tortoise is hurt?
Yo, Scruloose! What’s up with the damn tortoise???
The tortoise is bleeding from its foot and as it walks it keeps re-opening the wound. Putting it on its back gives the wound a chance to get off the sand and clot properly.
That’s what I would say. I have no idea if there is a ‘proper’ answer to this scenario.
It’s part of the “Voight-Kampff” test used in Blade Runner to see if a person was a “replicant” (somthing like a genetically engineered robot or whatever IIRC).
Hmmmm… note to self: Subject ivylass displays moderate replicant type behavior. Close scrutiny recommended.
:dubious:
Possible answers to the tortoise question:
-
You’re starving to death, and you’ve gotten very, very weak. This tortoise is the first thing that could possibly become food for you. You’ve flipped it over because you know the sun is broiling hot. When the tortoise is lying on its back, it doesn’t get the life-saving shade given by the shell. You know that, if you let the tortoise sit there on its back long enough, that it’ll be cooked. Then you can eat it. With any luck, that’ll keep you going for a little while longer–hopefully in time to be rescued or something.
-
You’re doing some sort of study on the dynamics of tortoise self-righting. You’re only going to let it kick for a few minutes while you take your notes and data readings.
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You’re part of the Tortoise Protection Team, and you’ve flipped the tortoise over looking for deadly Tortoise Underbelly Parasites (hereafter known as TUPs.) You’re not going to flip the tortoise over again until you’ve given it a thorough inspection. And if the tortoise has the parasites, you’re going to dispatch it rapidly, to make sure those parasites aren’t carried to other endangered turtles.
So…am I hired?
Tortoises, I mean–endangered tortoises. Not endangered turtles.
Sheesh.
Or maybe you knew that the tortoise was going to be put through lots of stressful interviews. Through telepathy, the tortoise begged you to put it out of its misery, no matter how much it struggled. At first you refuse. But after ceaseless whining and begging from the tortoise, you finally decide to comply with its wishes. Now the tortoise is desperately sending out brainwaves for help, but you tell it that it got nothing more than what it asked for, so there.
Whatever my hireability was before I gave this answer, I’m sure it’s plummeted down to zero. Or maybe it’s gone negative. Is there such a thing as negative hireability?
Possible tortoise response - because you kept walking?
Clearly they will hire me because I stay on task. :dubious: