The manager of a software developer has detailed the two-step 'confidence' test he uses in every interview and revealed why he won't hire anyone who fails it.
A boss of any company needs to make the right decision when it comes to a new hire, so a lot of them use certain techniques and even tests during the interview process.
We've heard all about the secret salt test in recent days, but now another boss has detailed the two-step 'confidence' test he uses in every interview.
Advert
Detailing the test to the Daily Mirror US, the boss said: "I ask the following questions, allowing the interviewee to submit their answer to the first before asking the second: 'What is 23 times 37?' (or possibly 'How do you spell surveillance?')." He follows this up by asking: 'What confidence do you have in that answer?'"
The boss then confirmed it doesn't really matter whether the candidate answers correctly at this stage, with the manager more interested in learning about an individual's attitude.
He continued: "What's of interest is how they approach it: do they ask for needless clarification or for permission to use a calculator?
Advert
"A second answer of '100%' says something different than '99.9 per cent'. The permutations of answers to questions one and two always have something to say about the interviewee's approach to problem-solving, to reporting information, and to customer service.
"I work in IT, specifically as a software developer. The traditionally high turn-over in the field is due not just to its dynamism, but also to the fact that, all too often, those with hiring and/or recommendation authority are not trained or even inclined to recognize the significance of character and professionalism."
Earlier this week, we heard about the coffee cup test a boss uses in every single interview.
Advert
Speaking on the business podcast The Ventures, businessman Trent Innes said: "I will always take you for a walk down to one of our kitchens and somehow you always end up walking away with a drink."
An interviewee is going to be receiving a cup at this stage, as there seems to be no option to turn a drink down.
The boss continued: "Then we take that back, have our interview, and one of the things I'm always looking for at the end of the interview is, does the person doing the interview want to take that empty cup back to the kitchen?"
And the crux of the test is, if you don't take the cup back to kitchen, then you're not the right fit for the company.
Advert
Innes added: "You can develop skills, you can gain knowledge and experience, but it really does come down to attitude, and the attitude that we talk a lot about is the concept of 'wash your coffee cup'."
Callum Jones