Strangest interview question?

[tbb113]

The thread on the group interview got me thinking. What was the strangest question you have ever been asked on an interview?

Mine was: Why are manhole covers round?

I was interviewing for a programmer/analyst position and the manager wanted to make sure I had a logical answer for the question, I didn't care if I had the right reason, just a well thought out logical one.

My response was because it was the least likely shape to pop out of the road when cars drove over it. He said the correct answer was that circles are the only shape that fit no matter how they are placed in the hole so they are least likely to fall out.

[jellyben]

For me it was "Describe an orange." It was one of my first interviews out of college and it had been going so well! I was literally walking out the door when the woman interviewing me says. "One last question-describe an orange." I was so flummoxed I think I muttered something deeply profound like it's round and it's orange Never heard back from them!

[Terri_A]

Who was you favorite character from the Wizard of Oz?

The guy apparently thought he could peg your personality based on your answer. I threw him a bit when I said "Toto"....I guess that wasn't one he'd managed to analyze! For the record - I got the job.

[LaraW]

She never asked me this question, but an old boss of mine said that she sometimes liked to ask candidates how they would figure out how many gas stations there were in the US, just to try and get an idea of how they thought.

[jjsooner73]

Similar to what Tyra and Lara have said, I had questions that gaged my analytical process.

I had a series of interviews throughout the day--with 5 or 6 different people. I had about 4 or 5 of those types of questions.

How much does a 747 weigh? (I asked if it had passengers/luggage/full fuel tanks.)

One was regarding "Let's Make a Deal" and probabilities of choosing first (1/3 of getting it right) or choosing after one has been eliminated. I can't remember exactly how it was worded, but the answer wasn't what you thought. I do recall the interviewer having scratch paper out and a lengthy discussion. . .

Another had something to do with the probability that an oxygen molecule I breathed in that room was one that was also breathed by ___some famous person in history___ (can't recall who but he's been dead a long time).

Yes, this was for a position in an analytical group.

On the same day, the HR interviewed told me if he saw me walking down the street, he wouldn't pick me out to be "a mathematically inclined person". He also said I could comment or not on that statement. I kept my mouth closed, because if I had said what I was thinking I probably wouldn't have gotten the job.

[acginkc]

Mine isn't so much a question, but a very strange exchange.

I was interviewing for a position right out of college and they asked about my form of transportation (you had to drive to clients' houses and often take them to their appointments). I mentioned that I had a car now, but was about to buy a new one since mine was getting to the point where more was going into than I could get out of it (over 10 years old, with 100K+ miles). They said I might want to reconsider that move since clients would vomit, urinate or defecate in your car quite frequently. They were adult clients who would do this as a form of defiance against the person making them go places they didn't want to go.

I decided I wasn't quite ready to take on that career, though I have the utmost respect for those who do.

[pointerhaven]

Mine was along time ago in SC, the interviewer asked me why I wasn't at home having babies?

In too few words I told him that was none of his **** business and I end the interview and walked out...

[sfarler]

A long time ago I had someone ask me what was my religion! I was so shocked that all I could do was ask if that was important.

I also had some man who was inverviewing me tell me that 'all the women start in this department'. My response was "where do the men start?" At that point all he could do was mumble.

Surprisingly I got both jobs and moved on up from both.