Broadcasters, like any other members of the business community, are constantly bringing in new employees. Here is a compendium of oddball questions fielded by HR executives, followed up by a refreshing list of good questions, which you can use the next time you’re the applicant.
The list comes from hiring experts at OfficeTeam, which specializes in filling temporary office and administrative support openings.
The first category of interviewee questions is in the general weirdness category:
* “Do I have to be at work every day?”
* “Would you consider going on a date with me?”
* “Do you want to take a ride in my new car?”
* “What colour is the paint in this office?”
* “Can my husband finish this test for me?”
* “Is the boss single?”
* “Do you have a job for my partner?”
* “What are the women who work here like?”
* “How do you think I did on the interview?”
The second category includes questions in which the interviewee exhibits more desire to not work than to work:
* “Do you allow midday naps?”
* “Can I get every Tuesday off?”
* “How soon can I take my first vacation?”
* “Can I have three weeks off every three months to pursue my music career?”
* “How much time do I have to put in?”
* “Can I have my birthday off?”
Category three seems to pick up where category one left off, focusing the weirdness on potential working conditions.
* “Can I place my desk near the cafeteria?”
* “Could I get a pay advance?”
* “Can you help me search for an apartment?”
* “Is it OK to wear shorts to work?”
* “Can you help me with the employment test?”
* “Can I set my own hours?”
And finally, there is one question in the generally clueless category:
* “What job is this for?”
Now, for the antidote: OfficeTeam suggests that a job-seeker that would like to gain employment ask questions like these:
* While researching your firm, I learned the company recently [fill in the blank]. How does this affect your current strategy?
* Can you describe a typical workday for a person in this role?
* What skills and attributes are most important for success in this role?
* How would you describe the work environment here?
* Why is this position open?
* What is the typical career path for someone in this position?
* What do you enjoy most about working here?
* What are the next steps in the hiring process?
RBR-TVBR observation: We once had a very uncomfortable incident that would fit into category two. In fact, an interview went from generally uncomfortable to excruciatingly uncomfortable when the applicant began begging for the job. Then, once we managed to slog though that unpleasantness, the applicant was ready to discuss: Vacation time!
Needless to say, the interview did not result in a hire.
