What's the worst interview question you've ever encountered?

[flowershowerhalfanhour]

I was interviewed today by the LOVELIEST interview panel. It was a great interview and gave me just the best feeling about the company, and then out of the blue the last question was:

Please rate each of (the three of) us as an interviewer, out of 10, and give us a piece of feedback.

I was TOTALLY thrown. Please make me feel better by telling me the awful things you've been asked in an interview?!

Graduate interview for a very unsuitable role as a software developer. No experience needed, you get complete training on the job they said.

We had to do an aptitude test on programming...again...apparently no prior knowledge needed. The test was impossible without a degree level understanding of programming. I blundered through it and seriously considered leaving, but stayed for the interview, as it's good experience and all that crap.

The interviewer proceeded to ask me about my answers to the test. I tried to explain my answers and then said that I just didn't really understand and needed to do more research on the area. Interviewer proceeded to keep asking "but why did you put this answer?" So I explained again how I got my answers, but that honestly I had no clue. Then again he asked "but why did you write this?" This "but why?" cycle went on for about 10 long painful minutes. I was nearly in tears by the end.

I have no idea whether they were trying to push me to think about it more, were a bad interviewer or on a power trip. It was awful.

So I guess the worst question for me was "but why?"

If you don’t have children, will you commit to not having any while you work here?

Being asked to decribe an extremely obscure part of the anatomy that is hardly ever discussed in great detail for a grade 5 medical job.
I just said sorry I don't know because I had no bloody idea - I got the job.

“Are you planning on having a baby anytime soon?”

Why do you think I don't like employing women?

When I was 18, being interviewed to work part time in a bookies, the (male) interviewer asked if I'd be prepared to wear a short skirt to work

'If you were a biscuit, what type of biscuit would you be?'

This was a job with nothing to do with biscuits or food. It really put me on the spot because I don't think biscuits have particularly defining traits or qualities!!

@leftovercoffeecake

It wasn’t a group of teenagers asking you as part of a teaching interview, was it?

Graduate scheme recruitment day - overnight stay in which I had to share a room with fellow candidate. At the end of a looong day asked if you don’t get job who should we give the job to?
I was young but proud that I told them I’d have completely wasted mine and their time if I didn’t say me... but then mumbled something about another candidate.
Still to this day I don’t know what the ‘correct’ answer was.

I had an interview this week and was asked ‘what positive and negative things would my boss tell them if she could give a full, honest and open reference on me’.

I was also something along the lines of:
What impact do you think this job could have people who work here, what impacts do you believe it could have in you personally, how would handle those impacts and what would you do to overcome them’. Yes, that was all one question!

I didn’t get the job and I was actually quite happy with that! They never really introduced the service or the job role and I got the distinct impression they had already decided on someone else anyway.

When I was 18 I went for an interview to start Nurse training. On my application form I had one of my hobbies/ interest as animal rights. The interview took place at a large teaching hospital and the interviewer proceeded to ask me if I had come for the interview as an infiltrator as animal experiments took place there . I was utterly lost for words.

I was asked to draw a self-portrait on flipchart paper in the middle of an interview once (it was NOT an arty job). Bonkers.

"If you were a brick in the wall, what brick would you be?"

Answer - "I see myself more as the architect"

Brilliant!! 👏

“Describe yourself in the format of a tweet”.

When I got feedback after they said I’d cut myself short as I hadn’t included all of my achievements... but if I had, it would have been too long for a tweet?! Daft question

Ohmigoodness. I got off lightly! Some of these are awful!

I was asked who would be looking after my children while I was working..

To which you reply "Huh? Oh well I would just let them out in the morning and they would be quite happy staying out until I get home...." This is a joke obvs!

I was asked to describe a colleague I respect, so I thought about someone I worked with and went into detail about why.
The follow up question was "but don't you think all colleagues deserve respect?"

"Are you married or single?". I'd like to say this was back in the mists of time when that kind of question was acceptable, but it was December last year

"Why did you leave your last job? And dont bother lying, we'll find out the truth anyway"

"Do you plan to get married and have children?"
I was a 21 year old graduate

At a second round graduate assessment centre 'why do you think I don't like employing women?'

But what did the op answer? And did she get the job?

Aren’t you just going to go off and have babies?

Loads of questions about my DH's job (totally and utterly unrelated to anything) and our childcare arrangements. They also asked my age.... I nearly walked out. I gave them a lot of feedback by email afterwards.

What’s your dream job ?
I mean wtf is the answer to that. Am I meant to say this low paid admin job that I’m applying for ? In my dreams I don’t work ? What exactly do they judge from an answer to that !