
Ask HN: What have you found the worst interview question to be? - chupa-chups
The opposite of the thread here:<p>https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=19076131.<p>What are in your experience the worst questions, both as interviewee or interviewer?
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seattle_spring
Google, Front-end interview:

Interviewer: "Prove to me that a random number is truly random."

Me: "uhhh, I'm not really sure where to start with that one."

Interviewer: "Prove. To me. That a random number. Is. Truly. Random"

Literally just me floundering because the interviewer wouldn't give me a clue
as to what he was looking for.

\------------------------------

Docusign, front-end interview, after phone screen:

Interviewer: "Write a program using Coffeescript, Jade, Stylus."

Me: "I have a ton of experience with FE engineering, but 0 experience with
those specific technologies. It would take me a week+ to ramp up sufficiently
to write a program I'd be proud to submit."

Them: "That's ok, some of our candidates spend 2 or more weeks on this
problem."

Me: "Ok, well... uh, I'm going to go take this other job and not spend 2 weeks
on song-and-dance for a B-tier startup."

~~~
ansy
Regarding the first question, fundamentally you can’t “prove” a number is
truly random. Even if a number or sequence is completely not random looking
(e.g. a valid copy of Windows 98), there is a chance it really is random and
coincidental. You could have immediately said that. Did you?

But, given that this was a front end job, a common way to visually test the
quality of a pseudo-random number generator is to generate a series of numbers
and plot the results with pixels visually[1]. If the PRNG is high quality
you’ll get a nice even static field. If there is a bias it will show up as a
gradient or pattern in the pixels. I suspect this is actually what the
interviewer was after.

[1] [http://judeokelly.com/simple-visual-random-number-
test/](http://judeokelly.com/simple-visual-random-number-test/)

~~~
seattle_spring
That was literally my first guess, and he flatly said it was wrong and not
reliable, and to try again. I'm not joking here.

------
mchannon
Do you have your laptop? Good. Write a program that does this while I watch
you code and criticize/ask noob questions.

(checks watch)

We don't use that old version here. Sorry, we don't have any company laptops
available with it installed. No, install the latest version of X/Y/Z on yours.
Let me get the wifi password for you.

(checks watch, leaves room for a really long time, comes back with password,
checks watch again)

(while it's installing) So, how long have you been writing in X/Y/Z? Do you
have any questions for me?

(checks watch, showing 20 minutes elapsed) Looks like my 30 minutes are up.
I'll go check with #RECEPTIONIST and see if there's anyone else to interview
you.

(later, at the wrap-up meeting) I didn't think they had the experience
necessary to do the job. They couldn't write a program in X/Y/Z.

~~~
kazinator
In no way I'm trying to be "that guy" here, but to be maximally charitable to
this interviewer (while continuing to acknowledge he was generally a
dickhead), one _can_ code while something is installing.

------
neurocline
"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"

~~~
yellowapple
I'm always tempted to answer this one with "Where you're sitting, asking
better interview questions".

The only thing curbing that temptation is the risk that the interviewer might
call my bluff and railroad me into a recruiter position.

~~~
5555624
I have answered it with the first half of that, "In your job." He was
surprised by that answer. I guess I was the first person to answer it that
way. He decided it was a good answer.

Had I thought of it, I'd probably have added the "asking better interview
questions" part. Of course, I answered "How would you deal with a problem
employee" with "Does he have a weapon?"

------
gvand
Every question that makes me think that the interviewer believes to be an
expert in the human psyche and analysis of behaviour.

Just stick to technical question people.

------
roland35
"What is your greatest weakness?"

~~~
codyogden
Can you elaborate? I actually love (forms of) this question. It helps identify
if a person has the self-awareness to be a good team member.

~~~
gvand
> It helps identify if a person has the self-awareness to be a good team
> member.

Beware, this could just give them the impression that you like playing the
cheap psychiatrist is some sort of depressing make-believe game. Stop.

Or go full circle and ask them "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" too.

------
rajacombinator
As an interviewee: online coding quiz while on the phone with interviewer
who’s screen mirroring the quiz. I found this an unnatural and unnerving way
to write code with someone looking over my shoulder, and made mistakes I
wouldn’t otherwise simply due to nerves. Also, rapid fire probability
questions. I doubt these have any bearing to any job function anywhere.

