How Would You Move Mount Fuji?

Abstract: How Would You Move Mount Fuji? explores the riddles and puzzles used in interviews by Microsoft and other high-tech companies. The author traces the rise and controversial fall of employer-mandated IQ tests, the peculiar obsessions of Bill Gates (who plays figsaw puzzles as a competitive sport) and the sadistic mind games of Wall Street (which reportedly les one job seeker to smash a forty-third story window).

 

About the Author: William Poundstone is the author of nine books, including Carl Sagan: A Life in the Cosmos, Prisoner's Dilemma, Labyrinths of Reason, and the Popular Big Secrets series, which inspired two television network specials. He has written for Esquire, Harper's, The Economist, and the New York Times Book Review, and his science writing has been nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize. He lives in Los Angeles.

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How to Outsmart the Puzzle Interview? Contd...

2. An interview is not an IQ test: Some interviewers pose too many questions to the candidates and choose those who solved highest number. But, often the difference between the lowest score and the highest is one or two. One can hardly rule out the luck factor in finding out solution to the puzzle. Hence, before selecting the candidate the hirer should look at the resume as well. He should not select a candidate just for solving the puzzle unless other things are equally encouraging. 3. An interview puzzle is meant to prevent bad hires: A good interview puzzle should be easy enough. Interviewer can thus reject all the candidates who failed in solving that. Shipping a new product is far more complex than solving a puzzle. Hence, if a candidate failed at solving the puzzle means, hirer, can comfortably ignore him. 4. Interview questions are only as fair as you make them: An interviewer has an awesome responsibility. Different people grow in different environments. Hence, the interviewer must be prepared to explain the ground rules. He should not mistake the candidate for not approaching a question exactly the interviewer would have.

5. Choose the questions in such a way that it does not matter even if the candidate has already known the question before: Intelligent interviewers must assume that most of the candidates have prior exposure to the puzzles they are posing. Candidates should not be expected to disclose that fact. Hence, interviewer should choose questions for which it is possible to explain the ways of arriving at the answer. This is beneficial because, even if the candidates know the answer already, the ways of arriving at the answer is often highly personal. With careful listening interviewer can learn a lot about his or her problem solving ability.

6. Challenge the first impression: For sales jobs the first impression is important. This impression must play an important role in hiring sales people. But for most of the other jobs, first impression is less important. It is crucial that questions that challenge the first impression be asked.

7. Avoid Deception, even the common “white lies” about as-appropriate interviews: Employment should be based on a relationship of trust. The worst way to start this relationship is to start by telling lies. Just as a company expects the candidate to be truthful, candidate also expects the company to be truthful. Hence, a company should not deceive the candidate about the interview process. Honesty is necessary whether the candidate joins the company or not. Today's rejected candidate may be tomorrow's customer, stakeholder, or lawmaker. Company should not make a candidate leave feeling ill-used, ill-treated, or deceived.