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Awkward Questions


A friend is looking for a new job and received an email of interest from an HR department with ‘pre-screening’ questions. While some of them were quite appropriate and useful, I’d like to share some of the less appropriate ones and the answers it would be fun to give.

1)      What are your main reasons for leaving your current position?

Because my boss keeps asking me inappropriate questions like this one.

2)      Due to budgetary parameters, it is important that we determine whether we have the resources to meet your needs. Please tell us about your salary requirements (give a specific number or range).
Just a little less than too much. (And, asking this question during pre-screening adds 10%.)

3)      Where are you currently within your job search (other recruiters, companies and/or other offers)?
Somewhere between interested and irritated, and moving quickly towards irritated.

I told my friend they should then send in their reply with questions in kind, such as:
1)      What is the dumbest reason you’ve ever given for firing someone?
2)      Is there anything in your accounting that would interest the New York Times?
3)      Due to work/life balance parameters, it is important that I determine how likely it is that I will work for a jerk or be downsized before retirement. Please provide employee satisfaction survey results of each manager in this division, and the long term outlook for its profitability (such estimates are legally binding should they prove too optimistic).

Personally, I would probably not want to work for a company that asks such questions before even agreeing to an interview. It’s like the girl asking the guy how big of a rock will be on her engagement ring before saying yes to the first date. With manners like that, she deserves to sit home on Friday night.

SDG

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