Interviewing for a job is nerve wracking on many different levels. You have to figure out what to wear, what to say and research the company and position. Considering the economy’s dip in the past few years, interviews can be a little harder to come by—putting even more pressure on the situation when you do get one.
Unemployed people as well as soon-to-be-graduates spend a good amount of time brushing-up on their traditional interview skills: be energetic, knowledgeable and have a clean, professional appearance. However, with many tech companies faring very well in the economy, more people are finding themselves looking to these innovative, not-so-traditional, start-ups for employment.
Tech companies often have unique cultures very specific to them, so, naturally, part of their interview process tests if you are a good fit for the company. These companies are creative and inventive, and their hiring processes reflect the way these companies operate. Tech companies have quickly gained a reputation for asking some of the weirdest, unpredictable questions to interview candidates.
Here are some examples of odd questions asked in tech company interviews:
- “How many people are using Facebook in San Francisco at 2:30 p.m. on a Friday?” (Google)
- “If Germans were the tallest people in the world, how would you prove it?” (Hewlett-Packard)
- “How would you cure world hunger?” (Amazon.com)
- “Rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 how weird you are.” (Google)
- “Given the numbers 1 to 1000, what is the minimum numbers guesses needed to find a specific number if you are given the hint “higher” or “lower” for each guess you make.” (Facebook)
- “How do you weigh an elephant without using a scale?” (IBM)
In general, these companies are more interested in how an individual answers a question than the actual answer. They want to see the way you work through the problem. So don’t sit there silently until you come-up with your answer. If you are asked an off-the-wall question, verbally communicate the path your brain is taking. You may have a weak answer, but they could still like the way you got to it. The worst answer is always, “I don’t know.” They know you don’t know the answer right off—work through it.
Some companies ask a branded question. Prompting their candidates to name what Google search spec or Windows program they would be. For this, it may be a good idea to match the company’s quirkiness. Don’t spout off a typical answer like, “I would be Microsoft excel.” Or “I’d be Google news.” Give them something more unique, like relating yourself to Microsoft Dynamics CRM or a lesser-known Apple Product. Your goal should be to sound smart and be remembered.
Image credit, Robbie Biller
Article by Danielle
Danielle, who blogs on behalf of Sears and other prestigious brands, enjoys networking with thought leaders in her field and sharing what she's learned with her coworkers. Read her work at SuitsandLadders.co.uk.
Danielle has written 16 awesome articles for us at FT Careers
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Twitter: SeoRizwan
February 1, 2012 at 2:47 pm
well, what can I say but that is obviously that the interviewers have run out of imagination and have absolutely no idea how to choose the best candidate for a position….
And I am pretty sure that not even them know the answer the questions.
Rizwan Sultan invites you to read..snow socks
Twitter: studentscrunch
February 12, 2012 at 2:38 pm
rightly said ,but thts y they filter students in the name of Apps Test..
jeni invites you to read..How many Apps are available in Android Market ?
The people at interviews now a days are the weirdest of people you will come across. They should come up with some new ideas and not harass people with questions like “If Germans were the tallest people in the world, how would you prove it?”
Thanks for sharing.
-Ian
Ian Stanley invites you to read..How To Attract Women
For me this is the another way to ask the applicants in a weird questions because it may help the interviewer to determine who is qualified in the position.
Nicholle Olores invites you to read..Timber Doors Brisbane
Love this. I think the hardest is the question from Facebook and the funniest is the one from IBM. I dunno why high tech companies like to ask such questions? Is it because they only want to hire “weird” people?
Maybe high tech companies should start asking normal questions, then they can start designing devices like iphone that is easier to use.
Don’t you encounter many a times where the engineer is smiling ear to ear on their latest invention but you don’t know what the hell he invented that thing for?
or websites that pride themselves on their technicality but normal pp like us don’t even know where to click?
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Twitter: ftarnogol
February 14, 2012 at 1:16 pm
Hey guys,
I think the aim of this questions is to find creative candidates.
These questions are hardly predictors of future or past performance but some times, companies don’t care about this, as a lot of smart candidates know how to “trick” a conventional interview process and tell the recruiter what he wants to hear.
It feels like the recruitment market is up in an evolutionary arms race against these type of people, which in turn leads, as Ian well put it, to honest people feeling harassed by these type of questions.
Fernando invites you to read..Wearing a Suit for a Job Interview: Is it In or Out?
Twitter: myinterviewtips
April 20, 2012 at 9:18 am
LOL some funny questions here, I was asked “how would you weigh an airplane without a scale” and the job interview for my current job, it helped to break the ice, and it gave the interviewers a chance to see how the applicants think on their feet.
Shaun invites you to read..Interview Questions for Teachers
Twitter: FlightSim4PC
February 26, 2013 at 2:28 am
Expecting questions from left-field is one of the more important things you can prepare for when going in for an interview. Companies are trying to get more and more creative with how they assess potential workers so you can expect things to get even crazier and stranger from now on.