# Do people REALLY ask these questions at interviews?

Category: Jobs and Employment

## Post 1 by squidwardqtentacles (I just keep on posting!) on Tuesday, 17-Aug-2010 13:59:48

Right now I'm employed, but I don't know if or when that situation may change. Clicked on this article on www.msn.com. Look around the site, every so often articles on interview bloopers that cost the interviewee the job come on. Here go their questions that most likely nixed that interview, from both POV's:
1) "Can this position be job shared?" What aversion do you have to working full time? BTW, I've never heard the term job sharing, anyone on this board know it? Is it a fancy way of saying "part time"?
2) "Can I telecommute?" You haven't even been hired yet. What is your aversion to our office?
3) "Is it possible to avoid direct deposit and get paid the old fashioned way?" What other aversion to you have to technology?
4) "Weekend work? Possible relocation? Are you serious?" Yes, we're serious, are you serious about wanting to work for us on our terms?

## Post 2 by wildebrew (We promised the world we'd tame it, what were we hoping for?) on Tuesday, 17-Aug-2010 16:23:46

I don't really find these questions that unnatural, honestly.
The first one is silly, since the job description should tell you whether it is full time or part time, and it is unlikely the employer wants to switch that around for you.
Some jobs, such as programming, allow people to work from home. Some people work better from home, more peace, less time spent commuting etc. I like jobs where I can work from home, luckily I have one, unluckyly it does not pay nearly as much as I want it to.
The weekend thing, well, some jobs are strictly 9 to 5 Mon to Fri with fixed sallary, and tat might be all you are looking for, so it is good to be up front about it, again it depends on the type of job. If it is stores or restaurants you could not expect an 8 to 5 job with no weekend work, but if it is a government office work you should expect it.
I pulled out of interviews for a position recently because I was hoping to be able to work part time from home, but the nature of the job turned out to be such that they required someone on-site in Europe at all times, and that was the end of that, but no offense taken on either side.
So I think you should not avoid these questions if they matter to you, and if the job requirements are different from yours it is better to find out at that stage.
If you desperately need any job, you won't worry so much but hopefully you are in a position to be a bit picky and get some of the aspects you want.

## Post 3 by Blue Velvet (I've got the platinum golden silver bronze poster award.) on Tuesday, 17-Aug-2010 19:49:35

Regarding job sharing, yes, I have heard that term. It basically means working part-time and that you are sharing a full-time job with another person. For example, you might do the job in the mornings and leave at noon, and the other person comes in to work the afternoon. It's the same job, and neither of you are getting full-time benefits, but it is a full-time job.
Regarding the types of questions, I think they would be OK to ask if you are called back for a second or third interview and it looks like you might actually get the job. But I would not ask those types of questions in a first interview.

## Post 4 by Eleni21 (I have proven to myself and the world that I need mental help) on Tuesday, 17-Aug-2010 22:29:59

I think that these are very good questions and that when you ask them should depend on how important they are to you. For example, a parent who might be worried about problems with his/her child at school, health concerns of the child etc. might very well ask about job sharing (which I also hadn't heard of until now). I'm not saying that he/she would do it all the time, but if it was an important position, he/she might want to make sure that there would be someone to cover if he/she absolutely had to leave to take care of an emergency. Working at home is another such question and for similar reasons, or perhaps, the person might have health concerns of his/her own that might make working some days impossible unless it was from home. The last question I really would ask on a second interview. Wait until the potential employer sounds ready to hire, since he/she has had time to consider you. But I see no reason why someone couldn't get hired just because they wanted a cheque or cash instead of money deposited into an account. Some people are just more comfortable doing it the "old fashioned way".

## Post 5 by Shadow_Cat (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Wednesday, 18-Aug-2010 9:51:10

Thanks for explaining the term job sharing, Becky. I had never heard it before either, but now that you explain it, it makes sense. As far as these other questions, yes, they are really asked in interviews. I'm not sure why you're so surprised, Sponge.

## Post 6 by BryanP22 (Novice theriminist) on Thursday, 02-Sep-2010 1:08:06

All this has made me rather nervous since I have a job interview tomorrow at a new call center that's opening up here in Twin Falls. Not that I see myself as having anthing really serious that might prevent me from getting the job but that doesn't make me any less nervous about the whole business. The thing that has me nervous is the fact that it's a call center that answers questions about insurance, whether it be just health insurance or insurance of various kinds. But it often seems to me that that sort of thing changes every other week if not every other day. LOL. But I've been trying not to sweat too many bullets over this thing or I really will give myself a heart attack, even if only figuratively.

## Post 7 by tallin32 (Veteran Zoner) on Saturday, 25-Sep-2010 19:41:03

Actually, all of these questions seem not unreasonable, depending on the job. I actually work at Microsoft presently (though I'm sort of looking around to see what other companies are offering), and they have all sorts of "flexible work options" which I was afraid I'd have to consider during a period of time where my wife was having a lot of physical difficulties. They do have job shares, and telecommuting is just given as an option to their employees (I've found myself not infrequently connected to the corporate network on weekends or late nights dealing with product specifications and writing test plans). Depending on your manager, you can do your job entirely telecommuting (I had a colleague that lived in Maine, but worked out of the office here in Redmond. He was flown in once every three months on his department's Travel and Entertainment budget.)

## Post 8 by CrazyMusician (If I don't post to your topic, it's cuz I don't give a rip about it!) on Saturday, 25-Sep-2010 21:44:05

Brian, how did that job interview a few weeks ago go?