Why do interviewers ask hard questions for entry level jobs?

[Toothpick]

It's decent advice, if you choose to play it that way, the numbers game can definitely work out for you. I was trying to support op to get the specific job they wanted/were applying for but if op is just looking for any job this is a valid method in achieving that goal.

OP also doesn't asking the veterinarian how to administer ear mite solution to their dog. So I just image they are looking for the "easy way out"

 

[Mirrium]

It's about the same with online dating some people spam and others are more thoughtful.

Exactly that, many ways to catch a fish ^-^

 

[Mirrium]

OP also doesn't asking the veterinarian how to administer ear mite solution to their dog. So I just image they are looking for the "easy way out"

Sorry? I don't quite understand

 

[Toothpick]

Sorry? I don't quite understand

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/applying-antiseptic-ear-solution-to-dogs-ear.1657559/

 

[Mirrium]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/applying-antiseptic-ear-solution-to-dogs-ear.1657559/

That hardly seems fair, come on now. You have no idea about ops situation and everyone needs help from time to time that's what this whole place is for. It's good to get a 2nd, 3rd even a 4th opinion especially when it's something important like the health of a pet.
It's not like op HAS to do exactly what random people are saying but if other people have gone through similar they may be able to help and if multiple unrelated people are saying the same thing then it seems like a reasonable consideration for them.

 

[azurbanclucker]

Why do interviewers ask hard questions for entry level easy jobs? For example, this entry level job is basically opening and sorting mail and entering data onto a computer. Why the heck do interviewers ask hard questions for a simple job? Why can't they ask, "How experienced are you with opening mail on a daily basis?" rather than "Name a time in which you experienced a problem and how did you solve it?" Also, the difficulty of their questions is more appropriate for someone who is applying for a job as a CEO, not a bottom ranking office clerk.

Hiring people is easy. Hiring the right people to fit your purpose requires more intensive questioning. There's a lot of psychology in putting together successful teams, and one non-player can wreck everything.

As a hiring manager, I have a standard list of questions I ask, as well as a set of specific questions directly related to the position we're interviewing for (which are generally more technical). Some of them are probing an applicant's thinking and problem-solving skills, and some of them are me trying to figure out if their personality is a good fit for my team.

Part of that is understanding an applicant's motivations and goals. So you get those "what do you want to be when you grow up?" questions, because it helps a hiring manager understand what's motivating you to apply. And I also ask the "give me a great success in your career and a great failure, and what did you learn from each?" question. Anyone who says they've never soiled the sheets working at a previous gig is either lying or has never experienced failure, and they can be a risk to hire.

There's also the "get these people across the bridge in as few steps as possible" kinds of questions that are purely exercises to understand an applicant's thought process and critical thinking skills. Even the most menial fry cook needs to think their way through how to get things done the most efficiently in a rush, so they aren't dragging down their team when it's important. Understanding how someone thinks their way through a problem matters. Exposing them to a little stress in an interview can give you an idea of how will they will handle really being on fire later, so hiring managers will probe to get the info they need.

It's all about balancing skill, problem solving, and personality, no matter how low or high up the chain the gig is. THAT's why you get asked those inane questions.

 

[EmmaDonovan]

Hiring people is easy. Hiring the right people to fit your purpose requires more intensive questioning. There's a lot of psychology in putting together successful teams, and one non-player can wreck everything.

As a hiring manager, I have a standard list of questions I ask, as well as a set of specific questions directly related to the position we're interviewing for (which are generally more technical). Some of them are probing an applicant's thinking and problem-solving skills, and some of them are me trying to figure out if their personality is a good fit for my team.

Part of that is understanding an applicant's motivations and goals. So you get those "what do you want to be when you grow up?" questions, because it helps a hiring manager understand what's motivating you to apply. And I also ask the "give me a great success in your career and a great failure, and what did you learn from each?" question. Anyone who says they've never soiled the sheets working at a previous gig is either lying or has never experienced failure, and they can be a risk to hire.

There's also the "get these people across the bridge in as few steps as possible" kinds of questions that are purely exercises to understand an applicant's thought process and critical thinking skills. Even the most menial fry cook needs to think their way through how to get things done the most efficiently in a rush, so they aren't dragging down their team when it's important. Understanding how someone thinks their way through a problem matters. Exposing them to a little stress in an interview can give you an idea of how will they will handle really being on fire later, so hiring managers will probe to get the info they need.

It's all about balancing skill, problem solving, and personality, no matter how low or high up the chain the gig is. THAT's why you get asked those inane questions.

What kinds of questions do you get back from candidates these days? Would you hire someone who interviewed you and asked questions like: why is this position open and how long have you been interviewing candidates for it, what's your employee turnover rate, where do you plan to be in this company in five years, what time does your parking lot empty out, etc.?

 

[azurbanclucker]

What kinds of questions do you get back from candidates these days? Would you hire someone who interviewed you and asked questions like: why is this position open and how long have you been interviewing candidates for it, what's your employee turnover rate, where do you plan to be in this company in five years, what time does your parking lot empty out, etc.?

I love it when people ask questions back. It's part of that critical thinking mindset we look for (remember, I'm in tech, I need people who can think like engineers with their hair on fire). The typical ones we get revolve around our infra setup, things like "tell me about the day-to-day of the position", training opps, perks, oncall, what the schedules are like, etc... I usually talk about staff turnover as part of my discussion, because It's a point of pride for myself and my managers that it's super low. Part of making sure people we add are a good fit. Normally when I'm hiring, it's because we're adding net new positions to meet increased demand. We're 100% remote so office life kind of questions are always "well, how's the commute from your couch to your desk?"

 

[notabitail]

I love it when people ask questions back. It's part of that critical thinking mindset we look for (remember, I'm in tech, I need people who can think like engineers with their hair on fire). The typical ones we get revolve around our infra setup, things like "tell me about the day-to-day of the position", training opps, perks, oncall, what the schedules are like, etc... I usually talk about staff turnover as part of my discussion, because It's a point of pride for myself and my managers that it's super low. Part of making sure people we add are a good fit. Normally when I'm hiring, it's because we're adding net new positions to meet increased demand. We're 100% remote so office life kind of questions are always "well, how's the commute from your couch to your desk?"

How well does all remote work? Better than all office?

 

[azurbanclucker]

How well does all remote work? Better than all office?

So, we were 100% a "butts in seats" company before. Like, managers and less had to punch the time clock daily. Ops teams were allowed to do "alternate time" (remote time clock) because of oncall duties and overtime, and MY leadership team up to the CTO basically turned a blind eye to us flagrantly abusing it as long as the CEO didn't complain. I was in the office 3 days a week and I wasn't forcing anyone to come in more than I did. We were always sure to meticulously manage time and make sure we were not being accused of just slacking at home, and it worked out fine.

Then just like lots of other places, we shut office down and went home March 2020 because covid. By August 2020 it was glaringly obvious our productivity was much higher and morale overall was significantly better. We're averaging 14% better productivity since then (compared to before covid) and 100% less sick people coming to the office to spread their germs. This year we decided to sell both our US and EU headquarters buildings to the tenants who were leasing them from us and just get them off the books. We aren't going back, our CEO is fully on board with it now (a major 180 for him), and none of us miss it.

We are seeing a lot of places mandating RTO and losing top staff because of it. Cutting off your nose to spite your face because you feel like you don't have enough control is a great way to run a business into the ground, if you want my honest opinion.