Hardest interview question you’ve received lately

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:tell me about a project that did not go as planned.

(I now ask this one and it is amazing to me that people say-I have never had a project go poorly).

Np but curious- so would you rather hear the honest answer (I have never had a project go poorly) or hear a made up story that was well thought out to impress you?

there is no way anyone has not had something not go as planned on a project. be honest about it.

[Anonymous]

My most recent interview opening question: "Tell me something about you that I won't find on your resume."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:tell me about a project that did not go as planned.

(I now ask this one and it is amazing to me that people say-I have never had a project go poorly).

Is the issue you're testing here listening comprehension? Amazing the number of people who equate "did not go as planned" with "went poorly" "went off the rails" etc. That's a pretty open ended question that can be interpreted a lot of different ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:tell me about a project that did not go as planned.

(I now ask this one and it is amazing to me that people say-I have never had a project go poorly).

Is the issue you're testing here listening comprehension? Amazing the number of people who equate "did not go as planned" with "went poorly" "went off the rails" etc. That's a pretty open ended question that can be interpreted a lot of different ways.

Agreed. There's a big difference between the two. The phrase "didn't go as planned" could mean that you didn't anticipate how it turned out, but the end result may have been very positive. The question focuses on a potential employee's adaptability (i.e. no plan survives first contact with the enemy, or as Mike Tyson put it - everybody got a plan until they get punched in the mouth). The phase "went poorly" demonstrates that the person (or his/her team) couldn't adapt to the change in circumstances.

If you get "went poorly" instead of "didn't go as planned" there's nothing wrong with demonstrating that you know the difference and answering the latter question. In other words, "I have never had a project go poorly, but I have had a project that didn't go as planned...."

[Anonymous]

Google asked my business plan assuming it is the year 2045 and I am in charge of the flying car division

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:one that really tripped me up at the time: "tell me about a time recently that you were wrong."

“When I sat down for this interview, thank you and have a great day.”

Or

“When I assumed you wouldn’t ask stupid questions in this interview.”

ahahahaa! I mean, you're not wrong! There were several glaring red flags in that interview, it was not going to work. But at the time it was just frustrating because it was very difficult to recover the flow of conversation. My goal for interviews is for it to be at least a useful conversation, even if neither party wants to move forward.

[Anonymous]

"How are you actively supporting and promoting the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion?"

Received this question at two FinReg agencies in the last year during the in-person panel interview round. Have a good answer ready. POCs on my interview panels were paying close attention to my answer.

Got offers at both agencies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"How are you actively supporting and promoting the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion?"

Received this question at two FinReg agencies in the last year during the in-person panel interview round. Have a good answer ready. POCs on my interview panels were paying close attention to my answer.

Got offers at both agencies.

What was your response? I am remote and have no real interactions with anyone other than Zoom.

It's hard to promote any principles via Zoom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Behavioral interviews are exhausting and ultimately unhelpful for everyone involved because they assume there are problems - big ones. In reality, most people continuously adjust their plans, not wait for catastrophe and then course correct. I don’t have examples of projects that have gone off the rails!

Preach!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"How are you actively supporting and promoting the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion?"

Received this question at two FinReg agencies in the last year during the in-person panel interview round. Have a good answer ready. POCs on my interview panels were paying close attention to my answer.

Got offers at both agencies.

What was your response? I am remote and have no real interactions with anyone other than Zoom.

It's hard to promote any principles via Zoom.

Say I create equality by not looking at zoom tiles. It allows me to not have any preconceived notions based on race or gender.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"How are you actively supporting and promoting the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion?"

Received this question at two FinReg agencies in the last year during the in-person panel interview round. Have a good answer ready. POCs on my interview panels were paying close attention to my answer.

Got offers at both agencies.

What was your response? I am remote and have no real interactions with anyone other than Zoom.

It's hard to promote any principles via Zoom.

It's a bit of a trick question - don't make your answer about race/gender/orientation. The right answer should address how to treat everyone fairly and equally.

My response:
-On any given issue, I actively solicit feedback from all stakeholders and involved team members. Getting a diversity of view points is essential to coming up with the right solution.
-In meetings, I actively listen to others' ideas and ensure that I do not talk over other people.
-Provide a space for everyone to safely express their views and engage in healthy & respectful debate.
-Do not hoard opportunities and ensure everyone gets an opportunity to shine, gets a chance to work on high-visibility projects, etc.
-Give people credit for their ideas and hard work, particularly in front of senior management.
-With these conditions met, we create a culture where everyone - regardless of background - has the opportunity to meet their career goals and develop their skillset.

[Anonymous]

What's 963 times 2,458? Quick, no paper.

I don't remember the exact numbers but I'm not kidding about being thrown hard mental math problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"How are you actively supporting and promoting the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion?"

Received this question at two FinReg agencies in the last year during the in-person panel interview round. Have a good answer ready. POCs on my interview panels were paying close attention to my answer.

Got offers at both agencies.

What was your response? I am remote and have no real interactions with anyone other than Zoom.

It's hard to promote any principles via Zoom.

It's a bit of a trick question - don't make your answer about race/gender/orientation. The right answer should address how to treat everyone fairly and equally.

My response:
-On any given issue, I actively solicit feedback from all stakeholders and involved team members. Getting a diversity of view points is essential to coming up with the right solution.
-In meetings, I actively listen to others' ideas and ensure that I do not talk over other people.
-Provide a space for everyone to safely express their views and engage in healthy & respectful debate.
-Do not hoard opportunities and ensure everyone gets an opportunity to shine, gets a chance to work on high-visibility projects, etc.
-Give people credit for their ideas and hard work, particularly in front of senior management.
-With these conditions met, we create a culture where everyone - regardless of background - has the opportunity to meet their career goals and develop their skillset.

Why do interviewers bother asking questions where the expected/acceptable answer is basically a list of BS talking points?

Honestly wondering, I feel like I am too old for this nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"How are you actively supporting and promoting the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion?"

Received this question at two FinReg agencies in the last year during the in-person panel interview round. Have a good answer ready. POCs on my interview panels were paying close attention to my answer.

Got offers at both agencies.

What was your response? I am remote and have no real interactions with anyone other than Zoom.

It's hard to promote any principles via Zoom.

It's a bit of a trick question - don't make your answer about race/gender/orientation. The right answer should address how to treat everyone fairly and equally.

My response:
-On any given issue, I actively solicit feedback from all stakeholders and involved team members. Getting a diversity of view points is essential to coming up with the right solution.
-In meetings, I actively listen to others' ideas and ensure that I do not talk over other people.
-Provide a space for everyone to safely express their views and engage in healthy & respectful debate.
-Do not hoard opportunities and ensure everyone gets an opportunity to shine, gets a chance to work on high-visibility projects, etc.
-Give people credit for their ideas and hard work, particularly in front of senior management.
-With these conditions met, we create a culture where everyone - regardless of background - has the opportunity to meet their career goals and develop their skillset.

Why do interviewers bother asking questions where the expected/acceptable answer is basically a list of BS talking points?

Honestly wondering, I feel like I am too old for this nonsense.

I mean, this is most interviews. They are seeing if you can play the game, assessing your soft skills, and if you'll fit with the organization's culture.

If you're the type who says "Why do I need to go through BS talking points?" you're probably not a good fit for workplaces where interpersonal relationships are important or where you need to get along with lots of different people.