Snake Plissken Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 I'm back on the job hunt after a job I took didn't work out and I already hate the process of finding work once again. I got a couple of replies to some of the many applications I made and one of them was quite bizarre. If you are still interested, then we would like you to do this short exercise in communication. Please produce a written description to explain clearly to someone who has never prepared a boiled an egg before, how to create this simple meal. It reminded me of some of the other daft questions or tasks I've had to deal with in the past. I remember for an Xmas temp job I had to"sell" a paper clip to the interviewer, or the group task where we had to create a standing structure using only paper and paper clips. Anyone else had some bizarre questions in interviews? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tynecastle Valhalla Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 what is your biggest weakness..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 what is your biggest weakness..... eczema Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creepy Lurker Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 At least you're getting interviews! Looking for a Christmas job at the moment and having no luck at all. All of my experience is in banking (started uni as an adult returned in September, hence the lack of a job) and there appears to be a severe shortage of short-term temp work in that area at the moment, for obvious reasons. Now stuck in the experience needed / can't get experience because everywhere wants people who already have experience vortex with regards to getting a job in a shop or something. Do have a wee bit of experience of bar work, but haven't even had any luck in that area! Must have a ****e CV or something. ...er, not that any of that answers the question. The strangest thing that I've had to do as part of an interview was play musical statues. Wtf? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gershwin Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 I remember having to come up with an ad campaign for a product in a group interview for a summer job in Asda. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Chat Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 what is your biggest weakness..... Slags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 Anyone else had some bizarre questions in interviews? My favourite bizarre question was in an interview I did a few years ago. It was for an internal promotion, and one of the interviewers was our Director of HR. His question (and preceding rant) went more or less as follows: "In recent years, we've developed a systematic approach to HR development using competencies. We recruit using competencies. We assign people to jobs on the basis of competencies. We train and develop using competencies, and we use competencies as the basis to promote people. In our head over heels love affair with competencies, are we in danger of freezing out valuable madmen?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander Harris Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 My favourite bizarre question was in an interview I did a few years ago. It was for an internal promotion, and one of the interviewers was our Director of HR. His question (and preceding rant) went more or less as follows: "In recent years, we've developed a systematic approach to HR development using competencies. We recruit using competencies. We assign people to jobs on the basis of competencies. We train and develop using competencies, and we use competencies as the basis to promote people. In our head over heels love affair with competencies, are we in danger of freezing out valuable madmen?" fecking hate competency based interviews. and yes, they do feeze out valuable madmen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diane Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 I worked for a company years ago (I'm talking eighties, here) which had a graduate recruitment scheme. If they made it to interview, the last question they got asked was: "What shape do you get if you turn an inner tube inside out?" Personally, whenever I've been in the position of recruiting, my favourite question is: "What's your idea of fun?" You get some bizarre reactions to that one, I can tell you. The bloke who said "Err.. I dunno.... going out with the lads, clubbing down town, going to the fitba', that sort of thing" clearly had a better chance of working with me than the bloke who said "Well.... have you heard of the Sealed Knot Society?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only a Game Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 My internal promotion interview included the question from my (then) boss. "I see youve listed being a team leader as one of your attributes.(thats what the job application asked for) Personally I think teamwork presents a vehicle for weak and lazy people to hide in with the actual work being done buy a few individuals who end up resenting the non productive members they helped to create. Team work is a great catchy word and a nice idea but its bad for business, What do you think ?" I now have HIS job. Turned out it wasnt a trick question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondejamtart Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 When I went for the interview for my current job (many moons ago), my then boss asked me various "normal" interviews questions, then threw in "and what type of house do you live in?" As I tried to get to grips with this, he followed it up with "I mean, is it a council house or privately owned?" Yes, he was quite eccentric...(looked and acted like Basil Fawlty half the time!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ribble Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Not an interview question but recently a friend was filling out an application form to be a part-time usher/guide at the Scottish Parliament. The security questionnaire was unreal and it did actually contain the following: - Please indicate if you are currently involved in, or at any time in the past have been involved in the following? Terrorism Yes No Espionage Yes No Violent Demonstration Yes No If you have answered yes to any of the above please provide details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe.gausden Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 My favourite bizarre question was in an interview I did a few years ago. It was for an internal promotion, and one of the interviewers was our Director of HR. His question (and preceding rant) went more or less as follows: "In recent years, we've developed a systematic approach to HR development using competencies. We recruit using competencies. We assign people to jobs on the basis of competencies. We train and develop using competencies, and we use competencies as the basis to promote people. In our head over heels love affair with competencies, are we in danger of freezing out valuable madmen?" Was that a question from Dex or one of the Mods ?? :santa1: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4,991
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.