You can’t script imagining, so it forces them away from the script and toward considering the question from scratch. You can't script imaginging, but you can s

You can’t script imagining, so it forces them away from the script and toward considering the question from scratch. You can't script imaginging, but you can script your answer to this question... I think it's a reasonable question. I might try it. One I've started asking recently that's interesting is "tell me about some interesting programming books/articles you've read recently." If they have ready answers, it indicates that they're really engaged in the field. If they come up blank, it's not a good sign, though admittedly, they may be in a lull or have other priorities, so the question can't be viewed in isolation. I think all of these questions can be gamed to some extent, if a candidate really does a lot of research/preparation. Of course. that someone is willing to put in the time to research/prepare for interviews is probably a good sign. But just because I've learned to say "I love solving problems!" doesn't mean I'm great at solving problems. Hence, when interviewing I prefer to focus on technical problems.