6 ms·

> Don't insult the interviewer If you are the type of person who insults others at work, please...please insult me in the interview. It's so much better to fi

> Don't insult the interviewer If you are the type of person who insults others at work, please...please insult me in the interview. It's so much better to find out this type of thing earlier rather than later.

xmprt 5y ago
I had an interview once where I felt like the interviewer really didn't even know the answer to the question they were asking. I was surprised because of how confidently they were giving me the wrong answer. Instead of insulting them I just took it as a red flag to not work there. Or maybe re-interview a few years later.
- rjzzleep 5y ago
  > confidently they were giving me the wrong answer This cuts both ways. Interviewers are not by default right. So likewise an interviewer that doesn't know what he's talking and doubles down on it, I'd rather find that out at the interviewer because it points to a dysfunctional organization.
  - pbhjpbhj 5y ago
    Seems like exactly the sort of "trick" an interviewer might try to use: 'can this person correct someone in authority who is blatantly wrong?'. Most organisations, it seems, would be served well by people who constructively handle bullshit/misunderstanding from senior people; for some it's absolutely vital.
    - gentleman11 5y ago
      Mind games, great sign that the company will be fun to work for
    - salamanderman 5y ago
      It's gone both ways for me. I had one interview where the interviewer got very mad at me, and another where the interviewer was very impressed and was pleased to learn something. I got an offer from the latter company, and accepted.
    - heelix 5y ago
      We will occasionally mix one of these in. We are really looking for folks that can actually say 'no'. In some cases, we will keep tossing out absurd requirement on a 'how would you' project. One that some use is asking for a method that does not exist -- we are hoping they know the language well enough to say 'you mean this or this?' or how they can actually say I don't know, but I know where I could look it up.
  - lmilcin 5y ago
    Correcting the interviewer and insulting him are two different things. The difference is whether you aim at correcting the information or whether you are aiming at the interviewer. I want the first one, not the second one.
- walshemj 5y ago
  I had that a few years ago at a very well known digital agency. The interviewer had on a tshirt that was only fit for rags and did not know anything about the role. Fast forward to today any interaction with that agency is always like pulling teeth and the lack of knowledge is staggering
m463 5y ago
I once thought the result of a programming problem was wrong and questioned the candidate, and he eloquently explained why it was correct. Now I don't worry about questioning a line of code or result since it is an interesting insight into how the candidate thinks and communicates.
- Jare 5y ago
  Interviews should consist almost entirely of this dynamic: a conversation, a dialogue, an exploration, of a number of topics, processes and attitudes. Oh, and both ways of course! If you're interviewing for senior position and you don't have anything to ask the interviewer, you're putting a huge red flag on your head (if you've already asked everything in previous interviews, just bring up something in the answers that you found interesting.
  - imiric 5y ago
    I've seen this mentioned in past discussions, and this is definitely the way to do interviews. Show the candidate a piece of code and let them review it, something they'll actually be doing frequently. You'll get an insight into their understanding of the code and how they communicate improvements. For a follow-up/bonus round ask them to suggest changes and fix it. A candidate that does this unprompted and well is a positive signal in and of itself. No stressful whiteboarding and trivia questions. Just a relaxed conversation with their peers that they'd regularly have during work.
  - lmilcin 5y ago
    Well... I don't think it is on the interviewee to do this (ie start a discussion). A lot of interviewing advice tells candidates to only speak when they are spoken to and to only answer the questions they are given. It is also a cultural thing, in some cultures candidates will absolutely not volunteer any information on the interview. I can't really fault a candidate for doing that. On the other hand I can create opportunities for discussion, especially when my interests or expertise and the interests or expertise of the candidate intersect.
    - 5y ago
lmilcin 5y ago
I, of course, agree with you:) I give this as advice because I don't really care if the candidate likes me or not. What I care about if he can control himself and behave befitting the occasion. If you can't do that on an interview there is no way you can do that later during normal work. And I have clear, strict no asshole policy. We come to work to solve problems which does not require insulting each other. There is going to be problems and there is not going to be any insults because we understand we all want the same thing even if we have different capabilities, approaches and value systems. I understand this doesn't mean people don't want to insult each other. There are always going to be tensions and what not. But I want workplace to be safe space for everybody. There is already enough stress, no need for people to be additionally miserable by asshole coworkers who can't control themselves.
- skeeter2020 5y ago
  >> I give this as advice because I don't really care if the candidate likes me or not. I interview and hire a lot and I really do care and want the candidate to like me. Is this this rare, naive, both?
  - voakbasda 5y ago
    I would guess naive, because I have had the same issue in the past. Employees do not all feel the need to be our friends, and it is not realistic to believe they will become such. While it’s important to get along with your coworkers, it should never be necessary that they “like” you. Personally, I like everyone at work that is a competent and dedicated worker; a rising tide floats all boats. Want to make friends with me at work? Be part of a team that consistently exceeds my expectations.
    - lmilcin 5y ago
      Trying to get everybody to like you can override your ability to say what needs to be said and act when you need to act. Also, it is usually impossible to please everybody and by trying to do that you can easily turn everybody against you. Trying to get people to like you can easily impair your objectivity (as if there wasn't enough occasions for that), play favor game and get people to dislike you for playing the game. Now, just because I don't like somebody or somebody doesn't like me does not we can't behave civil and discuss and try to resolve our differences. Or even agree to disagree but still keep cooperating on this and other matters. It also doesn't mean I have to go out of my way to get people to dislike me. I am trying to be reasonable, fun, I smile and compliment and I try to find and expect good in everybody until I am proven wrong. It is just I try keep this separate from ability to think straight and cooperate with people.

xmprt 5y ago

I had an interview once where I felt like the interviewer really didn't even know the answer to the question they were asking. I was surprised because of how confidently they were giving me the wrong answer. Instead of insulting them I just took it as a red flag to not work there. Or maybe re-interview a few years later.

rjzzleep 5y ago
> confidently they were giving me the wrong answer This cuts both ways. Interviewers are not by default right. So likewise an interviewer that doesn't know what he's talking and doubles down on it, I'd rather find that out at the interviewer because it points to a dysfunctional organization.
- pbhjpbhj 5y ago
  Seems like exactly the sort of "trick" an interviewer might try to use: 'can this person correct someone in authority who is blatantly wrong?'. Most organisations, it seems, would be served well by people who constructively handle bullshit/misunderstanding from senior people; for some it's absolutely vital.
  - gentleman11 5y ago
    Mind games, great sign that the company will be fun to work for
  - salamanderman 5y ago
    It's gone both ways for me. I had one interview where the interviewer got very mad at me, and another where the interviewer was very impressed and was pleased to learn something. I got an offer from the latter company, and accepted.
  - heelix 5y ago
    We will occasionally mix one of these in. We are really looking for folks that can actually say 'no'. In some cases, we will keep tossing out absurd requirement on a 'how would you' project. One that some use is asking for a method that does not exist -- we are hoping they know the language well enough to say 'you mean this or this?' or how they can actually say I don't know, but I know where I could look it up.
- lmilcin 5y ago
  Correcting the interviewer and insulting him are two different things. The difference is whether you aim at correcting the information or whether you are aiming at the interviewer. I want the first one, not the second one.
walshemj 5y ago
I had that a few years ago at a very well known digital agency. The interviewer had on a tshirt that was only fit for rags and did not know anything about the role. Fast forward to today any interaction with that agency is always like pulling teeth and the lack of knowledge is staggering

m463 5y ago

I once thought the result of a programming problem was wrong and questioned the candidate, and he eloquently explained why it was correct. Now I don't worry about questioning a line of code or result since it is an interesting insight into how the candidate thinks and communicates.

Jare 5y ago
Interviews should consist almost entirely of this dynamic: a conversation, a dialogue, an exploration, of a number of topics, processes and attitudes. Oh, and both ways of course! If you're interviewing for senior position and you don't have anything to ask the interviewer, you're putting a huge red flag on your head (if you've already asked everything in previous interviews, just bring up something in the answers that you found interesting.
- imiric 5y ago
  I've seen this mentioned in past discussions, and this is definitely the way to do interviews. Show the candidate a piece of code and let them review it, something they'll actually be doing frequently. You'll get an insight into their understanding of the code and how they communicate improvements. For a follow-up/bonus round ask them to suggest changes and fix it. A candidate that does this unprompted and well is a positive signal in and of itself. No stressful whiteboarding and trivia questions. Just a relaxed conversation with their peers that they'd regularly have during work.
- lmilcin 5y ago
  Well... I don't think it is on the interviewee to do this (ie start a discussion). A lot of interviewing advice tells candidates to only speak when they are spoken to and to only answer the questions they are given. It is also a cultural thing, in some cultures candidates will absolutely not volunteer any information on the interview. I can't really fault a candidate for doing that. On the other hand I can create opportunities for discussion, especially when my interests or expertise and the interests or expertise of the candidate intersect.
  - 5y ago

lmilcin 5y ago

I, of course, agree with you:) I give this as advice because I don't really care if the candidate likes me or not. What I care about if he can control himself and behave befitting the occasion. If you can't do that on an interview there is no way you can do that later during normal work. And I have clear, strict no asshole policy. We come to work to solve problems which does not require insulting each other. There is going to be problems and there is not going to be any insults because we understand we all want the same thing even if we have different capabilities, approaches and value systems. I understand this doesn't mean people don't want to insult each other. There are always going to be tensions and what not. But I want workplace to be safe space for everybody. There is already enough stress, no need for people to be additionally miserable by asshole coworkers who can't control themselves.

skeeter2020 5y ago
>> I give this as advice because I don't really care if the candidate likes me or not. I interview and hire a lot and I really do care and want the candidate to like me. Is this this rare, naive, both?
- voakbasda 5y ago
  I would guess naive, because I have had the same issue in the past. Employees do not all feel the need to be our friends, and it is not realistic to believe they will become such. While it’s important to get along with your coworkers, it should never be necessary that they “like” you. Personally, I like everyone at work that is a competent and dedicated worker; a rising tide floats all boats. Want to make friends with me at work? Be part of a team that consistently exceeds my expectations.
  - lmilcin 5y ago
    Trying to get everybody to like you can override your ability to say what needs to be said and act when you need to act. Also, it is usually impossible to please everybody and by trying to do that you can easily turn everybody against you. Trying to get people to like you can easily impair your objectivity (as if there wasn't enough occasions for that), play favor game and get people to dislike you for playing the game. Now, just because I don't like somebody or somebody doesn't like me does not we can't behave civil and discuss and try to resolve our differences. Or even agree to disagree but still keep cooperating on this and other matters. It also doesn't mean I have to go out of my way to get people to dislike me. I am trying to be reasonable, fun, I smile and compliment and I try to find and expect good in everybody until I am proven wrong. It is just I try keep this separate from ability to think straight and cooperate with people.