15 Interviews lost faith in humanity

justin36220 · Aug 16, 2011

So i recently ran an ad in the local paper looking for A CNC operator. And one of my standard questions in how many 1/1000 are in One inch. I wrote them on there sheets and figured you would all enjoy them.

Interviewee and there Response
1. 1000
2. 150
3. 3000
4. 1000
5. "there's 1 inch in 1 inch"
6. 273
7. 100000
8. 580
9. 987
10 75
11. 100
12. 456
13. 25
14. 999
15. 1000

Tonytn36 · Aug 16, 2011

We see similar results on a simple engineering math test, and this from BSME and MSME applicants.....

Chip Chester · Aug 16, 2011

Well, their you go, then...

Chip

Ries · Aug 16, 2011

subjects like this always remind me of the quotes I read in a book about machine shops in 1900. Back then, it was MUCH worse. only 20% of americans could even read.

HuFlungDung · Aug 16, 2011

Wow!

Here's a good one: its time to print checks. You open a new box of checks fresh from the printer, and all in numerical order, and the number of the first one is 1000. You have 10 checks to print and you want to put exactly the quantity of blanks in the printer that you need. What is the number of the last check in the stack?

aerodark · Aug 16, 2011

HuFlungDung said:
Wow!

Here's a good one: its time to print checks. You open a new box of checks fresh from the printer, and all in numerical order, and the number of the first one is 1000. You have 10 checks to print and you want to put exactly the quantity of blanks in the printer that you need. What is the number of the last check in the stack?

712?

Chip Chester · Aug 16, 2011

The stack in the printer or the stack left in the box?

Chip

jamscal · Aug 16, 2011

Chip Chester said:
The stack in the printer or the stack left in the box?

Chip

Thanks, we'll be in touch.

sfriedberg · Aug 16, 2011

jamscal said:
Thanks, we'll be in touch.

Actually, Chip's question is the same one I had. Can't blame the interviewee/trainee/rookie if the question's not clear, can you?

PeteM · Aug 16, 2011

I suppose, depending on the tolerances you wish to keep, they guy with "999" might be close enough? The "answers" are a sad comment, thanks for the sanity check.

aerodark · Aug 16, 2011

Will I receive a "Thanks", but "No Thanks" letter?

:toetap:

aerodark · Aug 16, 2011

I have no part in the hiring process anymore, BUT...

.......I am wondering: Are you seeing a more difficult time filling roles in your business now that there are so many people out of work? I have heard this sentiment from others on this subject. It makes me believe that when business is "assholes and elbows", there must be a whole bunch of dead weight on the shop floor. I guess I have seen it in industry in my career, but have not realized the current crunch for semi-qualified/motivated people.

I would hope that the folks who desperately need work would be doing their homework to impress Hiring Departments during the application/ interview process. Spell check on your resume for starters.

Miguels244 · Aug 16, 2011

1/1000 of what?

Ox · Aug 16, 2011

sfriedberg said:
Actually, Chip's question is the same one I had. Can't blame the interviewee/trainee/rookie if the question's not clear, can you?

The punchline really would be that if you realize that there is still two piles, go ahead and answer for both.

(May require prior knowledge of how many checks normally come in a stack tho. 250 maybe?)

I hope the guy with 999 gets at least partial credit. ???

-------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

powerglider · Aug 16, 2011

I let my wife read the question and thread on the web site ....

I would rather not say what her answer was but I started giggling, then went into laughter that was difficult to control.

What she couldn't understand was why there were 15 answers to choose from to your multiple choice question (she's only used to 3 or 4 at the post office).

Then she asked why some were the same answer, so she thought it was a trick question...

Bless her heart....

aerodark · Aug 16, 2011

powerglider said:
I let my wife read the question and thread on the web site ....

I would rather not say what her answer was but I started giggling, then went into laughter that was difficult to control.

What she couldn't understand was why there were 15 answers to choose from to your multiple choice question (she's only used to 3 or 4 at the post office).

Then she asked why some were the same answer, so she thought it was a trick question...

Bless her heart....

No offense but I'm still laughing!

PDW · Aug 16, 2011

HuFlungDung said:
Wow!

Here's a good one: its time to print checks. You open a new box of checks fresh from the printer, and all in numerical order, and the number of the first one is 1000. You have 10 checks to print and you want to put exactly the quantity of blanks in the printer that you need. What is the number of the last check in the stack?

What number would you like it to be???

Binary, octal, decimal, hexadecimal or <pick other> base numbering system?

Even seemingly simple questions can get complex.

Anyway all competent C programmers know how to use zero based counters....

PDW

Miguels244 · Aug 16, 2011

PDW said:
What number would you like it to be???

Binary, octal, decimal, hexadecimal or <pick other> base numbering system?

Even seemingly simple questions can get complex.

Anyway all competent C programmers know how to use zero based counters....

PDW

Fence post errors...the mark of some one who does not have enough stack overflows under his/her belt to knoe WTF is going to happen.

coyotekid · Aug 16, 2011

I'd hire applicant #5 if it was up to me.

He's not going to over complicate ANYTHING, and his answer really can't be deemed a false statement...

lazarus · Aug 16, 2011

About 90-95% of college grads will get all of these wrong:

A doctor gives you 3 pills. You have to take one every 8 hours. How long will they last?

You have two American coins that equal 55cents. One of them is NOT a nickel. What are they?

How far can a dog run into the woods?

A man built a house and all 4 outside walls faced south. A bear walked by. What color was the bear?

The best, not one Naval officer got right in 12 years--

You moored your yacht at the pier. The diving ladder over the side has 3 steps, each a foot apart. When you tied up, the water was at the middle step. The tide goes out, the water drops 1 foot. What step will the the water be at?

Enjoy, Ben

15 Interviews lost faith in humanity

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