This week’s KIQ comes from Lisa Thompson, Commvault human resources director for Asia-Pacific. The aim of this question is to make the interviewee evaluate what ‘intelligence’ actually means and how it is used.
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“By giving this person an identity, the interviewee subconsciously divulges what they hope to use their brains for, which in turn, highlights whether their interests are altruistic or commercial,” Thompson told Lifehacker Australia. “We all know that candidates come in expecting to sell themselves, so by forcing them to sell someone else, we are given a direct comparison as to who the candidate aspires to be.
“Subliminally, what we are really asking the candidate is ‘what their values and aspirations are.’ Forcing them to think of a real person in their lives – not someone famous.”
A good answer will consist of the prospective employee providing examples of people that show the ability to think several steps ahead, have the willingness to learn, be part of a team and, most importantly, think outside the box, according to Thompson.
Comments
3 responses to “Killer Interview Question: Who Is The Smartest Person You Know And How Do They Use Their Intelligence?”
No one yet, ok!
Answer
I know 2,
Me for applying for this job!
You for hiring me!
The most intelligent person I know appears mildly sociopathic (or autistic?), and periodically suffers from near-paralyzing ennui and nihilism, in between casual bouts of seemingly-effortless achievement which they find hollow and empty.
…You probably don’t want to think of someone too intelligent. I hear it’s a curse. Just someone intelligent enough to come up with impressively-clever methods.
Re the bullshit published as the latest thing by organisational/industrial/business psychologists and HR experts, I would refer readers to:
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2015/08/a-lot-of-published-psychology-results-are-bullshit/