Yeah, I try and background check my interviewer thoroughly because of the “threat” issue. I always ask who will be interviewing me and look them up.
I specifically try and answer their questions and “hold back” a bit when answering if I can. I also sometimes will drop a nugget of knowing more and study their reaction. Some interviewers react quite poorly if you hint you know considerably more about a subject than they might want you to know.
I have friends with a lot more education than myself (PhD, masters, very senior) and they say they have to do this A LOT.
The goal is to see how the interviewer handles not being the smartest in the room about everything. This is a big deal because it can suss out whether the other person is “on good behaviour for the interview” but otherwise has an enormous ego during regular work hours.
No one wants to work for an ego maniac vetting out all the A+ candidates out of fear of competition.
I have done 300+ interviews in a 13 year career in FAANG companies and anytime I get a sense a candidate knows more than me, I get all excited and will work extra hard in the debriefs to get the person hired. If the spot is for my own team, even better ans will nudge my manager to hire the candidate. The prospects of learning from the person on the job is too enticing.
Good for you! Andrew Carnegie said something like "I don't know how to make steel, but I do know how to HIRE the men who do!" He wasn't threatened by competence.
However, my experience with FAANg companies is: the interviewers cannot handle an interviewee who knows more, has more experience, and who comes up with better solutions to their stock 'whiteboard' problems.
Such a person should not squander his/her talents in a FAANG. That's why there are start-ups.
I never heard about having to do this during an interview, but it sounds concerning.
My advice would be to not play mind games and just interview as yourself. Interviews go both ways, so if your interviewer is a psychopath you'd want to know sooner. Then just give the job a pass.
I specifically try and answer their questions and “hold back” a bit when answering if I can. I also sometimes will drop a nugget of knowing more and study their reaction. Some interviewers react quite poorly if you hint you know considerably more about a subject than they might want you to know.
I have friends with a lot more education than myself (PhD, masters, very senior) and they say they have to do this A LOT.
The goal is to see how the interviewer handles not being the smartest in the room about everything. This is a big deal because it can suss out whether the other person is “on good behaviour for the interview” but otherwise has an enormous ego during regular work hours.
No one wants to work for an ego maniac vetting out all the A+ candidates out of fear of competition.