答好这些问题，进苹果和谷歌都不是事儿!│解答用人单位的十大超难问题

如今招聘市场竞争日渐激烈，尤其是科技行业，招聘者也得在问题上提高创意，才能选出合适的应聘者。

热门公司经常以标新立异的问题出名，让答题者绞尽脑汁，还能从中考察应聘者思考过程。

这种招聘方式对任何应聘者来说有很有压力。不过只要找对工具，适当培训，还是能从容应付的。针对一些应聘者已经碰到的难题，我们向专家请教解答之法。以下就是问题及专业人士的见解。

1.时间和资源都有限的情况下，首席执行官临时要求多加20项功能，怎么处理？

测试目的：科技公司的领导和团队经常面临人少活多的情况，尤其是时间急任务紧的时候。这个问题主要用来检测应聘者有效管理预期，以及给定范围后尽可能流畅表述意思的能力。

如何回答：如果你有类似经历，描述清楚你在别的公司如何成功处理这种情况。面试官并不希望听到应聘者说，首席执行官要求了就必须做到。他们希望知道你要如何解释实际情况，指定时间和预算下，可以抱有怎样的预期。合格的回答应当是深思熟虑的，包括如何传达信息，面临不合理需求时如何管理。

2.如果你有两个鸡蛋，想知道从多高的楼上扔下去鸡蛋不会碎，要怎么做？

测试目的：主要为了打破面试时的尴尬气氛，看看应聘者有没有幽默感。此外，面试官也能看出应聘者的分析能力，以及迅速设定“试错”实验的能力，类似写代码时的“if-then”条件语句。

如何回答：微笑，然后告诉面试官要计算摔碎鸡蛋需要多高，你不是专家，但可以用个最简单的办法测试：

从二楼扔下鸡蛋。如果没碎，去高一层扔，看看鸡蛋从哪层扔会碎。

根据测试结果，我们就能判断从几层开始扔下鸡蛋会摔碎。用第二个鸡蛋重复一遍测试。

3.你有没有曾对管理者的决策有不同意见？如果发生过，你如何处理分歧？举个实际案例，解释你如何解决争端，最后结果如何，以及与你意见不一致的人现在会如何描述你。

测试目的：面试官经常就是管理者，即便不是，这个问题也能帮助甄别应聘者如何在冲突中找到解决方案。

如何回答：这个问题看起来简单，因为每个人在工作中都会碰见意见分歧，但面试可不是吐苦水的时候。不要举让你看起来很情绪化的例子。这种问题是需要应聘者事先想好的，如果之前没准备，想想你过去怎么化解紧张情势的。多花点时间挑出正面案例，要能体现你服从命令、管理以及理性解决争议的能力。

4.向一个8岁孩子解释调制解调器或路由器的工作原理。

测试目的：考察技术领域的应聘者能否与行业外人士沟通自如。随着敏捷软件开发方法出现，技术人员经常要彼此沟通，也要与终端用户群体沟通。交流技巧在当今IT圈里非常重要，因为IT专家经常身兼数职，同时要处理多项任务，不仅要跟内部同事合作，还要跟外部供应商打交道。

如何回答：路由器就像打印机一样，在网络里相互连接的电脑间传输数据。数据在网络内传输时，路由器要确保信息的“路径”指向正确的个人或设备，网络内每个人和设备都有独一无二的地址，叫做IP地址。

5.有三个箱子，一个里面只有苹果，一个只有桔子，第三个里面既有苹果也有桔子。箱子的标签都错了，所以没法根据标签判断里面装的什么。只打开一个箱子拿出一个水果，不准看箱子里面。看一眼水果，怎样能立刻给三个箱子立刻贴上正确的标签。

测试目的：这个问题是为了检测应聘者的逻辑思维能力。虽然看起来像个考试题目，但可以由此观察遇到问题时应聘者的思考过程，也能帮你了解公司解决问题的思路。

如何回答：不管你有没有回答过这个问题，或是类似问题，一定要向面试官描述思考过程，显示你在寻找解决方案时逻辑清晰。记住，他们并不只关心得出“正确答案”，他们想知道你解答的能力，判断你以后的工作表现。

6.如果有100的硬币摆在桌子上，每个都分正反两面。10个硬币正面朝上，90个反面朝上。你不能摸，不能看，也不许用其他方法检查硬币哪面朝上，如何将硬币分为两堆，每堆的正面数量都一样？

测试目的：考察应聘者有没有认真倾听。

如何回答：每一枚硬币都有正面。只要数出50枚硬币就解决了。问题的关键在于两堆硬币的正面数量一样，而不是要有同样数量的正面朝上硬币。

7.把一杯水放在唱片盘上，开始慢慢加速。会有什么现象？杯子会倒么？水会洒出来么？

测试目的：这个问题很可能会问应聘工程师的人。根据题中的条件有好几种解决方法，所以公司是想看你有没有能力找出自己的解决方案。

如何回答：回答这个问题是向面试官展示遇到问题寻找解决方案时思考过程的机会。面试时如果遇到多种答案的问题，雇主不是为了找“正确”答案，而是想看你能不能理解影响题目的要素，想出多个可能的解决方案。这是尽情发挥解决问题能力的好机会。

8．如果有一罐硬币，里面有质量均匀的硬币，也有质量不非均匀的硬币。你取出一个掷三次，顺序分别是正面、正面和反面，你取出均匀硬币和非均匀硬币的几率是多少？

测试目的：这又是个测验听力和幽默感的问题，因为有点类似脑筋急转弯。

如何回答：问题是“取出均匀硬币或非均匀硬币的几率”，那么不管掷出的顺序如何，取出均匀硬币或非均匀硬币的几率都是100%（因为取出的要么是均匀硬币，要么是非均匀硬币，不存在第三种可能——注）。

9.解决用户的问题跟提高用户体验哪个更重要？

测试目的：每个应聘者都会说两样都很重要，但招聘方是想听你如何解释，通过你的选择更深入地了解你。

如何回答：要果断。这种问题可能很难，因为你很想强调两个都很重要，但既然只能选一个，就要果断决定，还要根据个人经历解释为何做出这个选择。回答这个问题会让潜在雇主更好地了解你解决问题时的思考过程。

10.如果遇到解决不了的问题怎么办？向同事求助时你会如何描述问题？

测试目的：检验你是否愿意找更聪明的人加入，一起解决问题，还是打算自己单干。如果自己解决的话可能要花更长时间，导致计划实施延迟。能否有效地找同事帮忙会显示你的协作能力。

如何回答：要根据问题的复杂程度采取相应措施。首先找出团队里最有相关经验，可能帮忙找出解决方案的成员。其次，退回一步从宏观层面解释当前的做法，确保前进的方向无误，如果一开始采取的方案有问题最后可能会钻进死胡同。最后大体上审查一遍，寻找各种解决方案。?（BT365的网址是多少）?

译者：Pessy

审校：夏林

With it being so competitive, especially in the technology realm, interviewers have to get creative with their questions to make sure they hire the right candidate.

Sought-after tech company Apple is notorious for asking outside-of-the-box questions, as it wants to keep candidates on their toes, while understanding their thought process.

This sort of interview can be intimidating for anyone. However, with the right tools and training, you can better prepare yourself for these challenging interviews. For some of the toughest questions candidates have encountered, we turned to a professionals to get advice on how to approach them. Dino Grigorakakis, the vice president of recruiting at IT recruiting firm Randstad Technologies, along with John Reed, a senior executive director for Robert Half Technology, an IT staffing company, both provided their insight for the below questions.

1.You have no extra time and no extra resources but are asked by the CEO to add 20 extra features, what do you do?

The purpose of the question: Tech leaders and their teams are often tasked with doing less with more – specifically when it comes to time budget. This question could be used to gauge a candidate’s ability to manage expectations effectively and communicate what is possible with given parameters.

How to answer: If you’ve been through a similar experience, be sure to communicate how you were able to handle the situation at another organization. The interviewer doesn’t simply want a candidate to say that they will just get it done because it was a request from the CEO; they want to know how you will communicate what is truly realistic and what work could be expected with the time and budget allotted. A good response will be thoughtful about how to relay the information and how to manage additional requests even when the demands seem impractical.

2.If you have two eggs, and you want to figure out the highest floor from which you can drop the egg without breaking it, how would you do it?

The purpose of the question: To break the ice and determine if the candidate has a sense of humor. Additionally, the interviewer will get a very real sense for the candidate’s analytical skills and his or her ability to come up with a good way to set up a “trial and error” experiment, which is similar to setting up “if-then” statements while writing code.

How to answer: Smile, and let the interviewer know that you are not an expert on egg-breaking distance requirements but that the easiest way to make the determination would be to:

Drop one egg from the second floor. If it is not broken, proceed to higher floors until eggs break.

Depending on when the egg breaks, we can say that from that floor upwards, eggs will break. Do the same for the second egg.

3.Have you ever disagreed with a manager’s decision? If so, how did you approach the disagreement? Give a specific example and explain how you rectified the disagreement, what the final outcome was and how that individual would describe you today.

The purpose of the question: The interviewer can often be the manager, but even when he or she is not, this question can

help identify how a candidate handles conflict resolution.

How to answer: This question can seem simple, as we all likely have an example of disagreement in the workplace, but this isn’t the time to air grievances. Don’t use any example that makes you too emotional. This is the kind of question candidates want to think about well ahead of an interview, but if you haven’t, take a moment to think of a time where you overcame tensions. Put a good amount of thought into responses like this, it will reflect on your ability to take orders,

manage up and resolve conflict in a rational way.

4.Explain to an 8-year-old what a modem or router is and its functions.

The purpose of the question: To determine if the technical candidate can communicate effectively to non-technical associates. With the advent of the agile software development methodology, technical professionals must interact often with each other and with the end-user community. Communication skills are paramount in today’s IT environments, as IT professionals often wear many hats and are assigned to multiple projects that involve collaboration with other colleagues and external vendors.

How to answer: Routers move data across a network of interconnected computers and devices, such as printers. When data moves through a network, the routers make certain that the information is “routed” to the correct person or device, which each have a unique address on the network called the IP Address.

5.There are three boxes, one contains only apples, one contains only oranges and one contains both apples and oranges. The boxes have been incorrectly labeled such that no label identifies the actual contents of the box it labels. Opening just one box, and without looking in the box, you take out one piece of fruit. By looking at the fruit, how can you immediately label all of the boxes correctly?

The purpose of the question: This question would be asked in order to identify a candidate’s logic-based thinking. While it has the feel of an exam question, it’s a good way to identify a candidate’s thought process when issues arise and will help you follow their line of thinking to a solution.

How to answer: Whether or not you’ve answered this or a similar question – walk the interviewer through your thinking in order to show them the path of logic to get you to a solution. Remember, they aren’t just concerned with getting a “right answer,” they want to know how you were able to reach your answer to gain more insight into how you work.

6. You have a 100 coins laying flat on a table, each with a head side and a tail side. Ten of the coins are heads up, 90 are tails up. You cannot feel, see or in any other way find out which side is up. How would you split the coins into two piles so there are the same number of heads in each pile?

The purpose of the question: To determine if the candidate has good listening skills.

How to answer: Every coin has a heads side. Just count 50 and you are done. The riddle/question asks to split-up the coins into two piles with the same number of heads not the same number of coins with the heads up.

7.You put a glass of water on a record turntable and begin slowly increasing the speed. What happens first? Does the glass slide off or tip over, or does the water splash out?

The purpose of the question: This question would likely be asked of engineer candidates. However there are several possible solutions based on a number of factors, so employers want you to walk them through to your solution.

How to answer: Answering this question will be a chance to showcase your thought process when approaching problems and reaching solutions. When an interview asks a question that has multiple solutions, employers aren’t looking for the “right” answer, they are looking to see whether you come up with multiple possible solutions and understand the factors that would impact the issue. This is your chance to show off your problem solving skills.

8.If you’re given a jar with a mix of fair and unfair coins, and you pull one out and flip it 3 times, and get the specific sequence heads, heads, tails, what are the chances that you pulled out a fair or an unfair coin?

The purpose (of the question): This is another listening and humor-focused question, in my opinion, because it can be viewed as a trick question.

How to answer: The question is “what are the chances that you pulled out a fair or an unfair coin?” – and the chances are 100 percent that you pulled out fair OR unfair coin regardless of what the sequence of flips is.

9.What is more important: fixing the customer’s problem or creating a good customer experience?

The purpose of the question: Not one job seeker would deny the importance of both of these issues, but employers are listening to how you answer the question and trying to understand you better by which you choose.

How to answer: Be decisive. Questions like this may be difficult because you want to stress the importance of each option, but since you were tasked with choosing one, it’s important to make a decision and rationalize how you got there based on your experiences. This will give a potential employer insight into how your mind works to tackle issues.

10. What would you do if you were stuck on a problem? How would you formulate the question to your co-workers?

The purpose of the question: To determine your willingness to bring other smart people into the problem-solving process as opposed to attempting to solve the problem on your own — which may take significantly longer and cause unwarranted delays in implementation. Your ability to engage co-workers

How to answer: Your approach would depend on the complexity of the problem. First, identify the team members who are most likely to have the experience necessary to help you reach with the necessary solutions. Second, take a step back and explain the broad scope of the exercise to ensure you are on the right path – as opposed to solving for the narrow problem that may have occurred from your selection of the wrong approach to begin-with. Then review broadly and move into the various methods for resolution.