Tricks by interviewers..!

[lightng]

This isn't a trick. It is a competency based assesment designed to test you for a particular skill that is required for that role IMO. For senior managmenet we used to do an outdoor day to test against common management competencies and clarrification and negotiation was one of them. We gave them a pond and a load of planks and said get that barrel from here to here (pointing at different sides of the pond). We took a very dim view of anyone that didn't (even jokingly) suggest just walking round the pond with it. It an effin pond not a river!

First one was a tad sly I have to say. That is more like baiting than testing but sending him anything at all was a bit oops.. Guess in the heat of the moment with a contract hanging over you it is too tempting to turn down.

Did anyone ask how moving a barrel to the other side of the pond would help achieve the organisation's long-term strategy? Indeed, what is the organisation's long-term strategy? If you're senior management, you should ask these questions, otherwise you're just an operational grunt.

[Spacecadet]

Did anyone ask how moving a barrel to the other side of the pond would help achieve the organisation's long-term strategy? Indeed, what is the organisation's long-term strategy? If you're senior management, you should ask these questions, otherwise you're just an operational grunt.

I'd have outsourced it, just pop round to the local pub and pay a couple of lads £5 each to move it

[northernladuk]

Did anyone ask how moving a barrel to the other side of the pond would help achieve the organisation's long-term strategy? Indeed, what is the organisation's long-term strategy? If you're senior management, you should ask these questions, otherwise you're just an operational grunt.

It is called a comptency based approach. Not all jobs are about knowing how to follow rules like in coding. At their level they need to be able to think lateraly about different situations which probably won't have a wrong and a right so different kinda of thinking is required, strategic rather than operational etc

The same test is given to people from different areas of the business and we look for different competencies. Team leader level need to organise people, direct, watch the time, achieve. Senior staff need to influence, negotiate etc.

It is stupid building planks over ponds, so just take the fookin barrel round and lets go do something more interesting. If he rolled his sleeves up and started throwing planks in to the water he isn't going to move the company forward strategically

Not everyone believes in this type of stuff it has to be said but it works imo.

[northernladuk]

I'd have outsourced it, just pop round to the local pub and pay a couple of lads £5 each to move it

You in a contract at mo? Our CEO just popped it....

[lightng]

I'd have outsourced it, just pop round to the local pub and pay a couple of lads £5 each to move it

I like your thinking.

Outsourcing though? Great in theory. In practice, the lads at the pub will expect endless knowledge transfer sessions (i.e. you rolling the barrel round for them). When they finally get it, they'll push the barrel into the road where it is smashed by an on-coming truck. Your boss will then blame you for the f*!$ up (pardon my french).

And yes I am speaking from experience.

[northernladuk]

I like your thinking.

Outsourcing though? Great in theory. In practice, the lads at the pub will expect endless knowledge transfer sessions (i.e. you rolling the barrel round for them). When they finally get it, they'll push the barrel into the road where it is smashed by an on-coming truck. Your boss will then blame you for the f*!$ up (pardon my french).

And yes I am speaking from experience.

Hahhaaa!! Sweet Guess most of us here could put a similar spin on this but good post.

[Darren_Test]

Ideally, you have the document, but aren't able to share it with others because of an agreement you have with that client.

You can prove that you did the document by providing the index etc., but you also don't give them anything too useful that they can rip-off. Client might also be a little assured that you won't go sharing all their gumpf with anyone else.

I have plenty of documentation and code that I have written for a number of clients - the idea of sharing the documentation with a third party is a no-no for me, though.

Before most of contracts now a days we have to sign confidentiality agreement etc. So I don't think clients are expecting us to keep copy of docs even though we prepared it from scratch.

[northernladuk]

Before most of contracts now a days we have to sign confidentiality agreement etc. So I don't think clients are expecting us to keep copy of docs even though we prepared it from scratch.

I dont think confdientiality is the clause that covers this bit. Most if not all clients will expect you to sign a clause saying anything you create while there is their property. It's too late at night to remember what it is called exactly. Intellecual property, or rights or something. This makes taking ANY documentation home theft doesn't it? You shouldn't have it so disclosing something you shouldn't have isn't a problem.

It has definately been in my past contracts. Whether you could pull it out if a true consultancy based contract I am not sure.

HTH

[herman_g]

The "tricks" you are describing are simple tests - one a test of integrity, the other a test of common sense.

Failing the common sense test is forgivable and you do learn from these - interviews that work out this way only help to hone your interviewing skills and soon you will be a pro ( and get that job ).

However, failing the integrity test IMO is unbelievable.

Whether a contract states this or not, keeping any work from a previous assignment is plain wrong. No other way to describe it.

I knew one contractor who would bring a tape full of source with him onsite on the first day of a gig and ask to have it loaded on the system ( those were pre-terminal emulation days ). God knows how he got away with it. I would have had him escorted out the building straight away.

Work you do for a company stays with the company full stop. On the day I come home after a contract finishes, I immidiately delete any notes and documents from my laptop and shred any hard copies that I happened to have brought home during the gig.

Mr Magnetic Tape was a pimp last time I heard mention of him - enough said.

[escapeUK]

I would never want to work for any company that practised such bulltulip. You know that if their interview technique is so pathetic the rest of the company practises will be equally so.

Id consider it a lucky escape.