I realise that in the past myself and Harry have been guilty of posing certain leading questions to further our own amusement.
To counter this what I propose is a set of scenario based interview questions that can be done via email, and subsequently posted on the blog. Disclaimers can be added that all the questions are not based on real events. I have come up with the following questions:
Question 1) You are a member of medium sized department of an public sector organisation. You are looking to gain a competitive advantage over your colleagues to get promoted quicker. Would you consider the following (comment upon each)
a. Walking around with an epic bunch of keys so that people think you are more important
Answer: This could have the opposite effect. Instead people might just think I am smartly dressed caretaker. So I would have to counter this in two ways. 1.) repeatedly remind people that only important and trusted people get keys, strengthening this argument by getting my own giant ‘fake’ keys to imaginary secret rooms cut. I can then tell people that I have access to top secret stores and information rooms. 2.) hire somebody to go around stealing everybody elses keys. That way people will need to come to me, allowing me to ask for favours in return.
b. Carry folders around that have in big letters on the front ‘SECRET : OPERATION BLADE’, again so people think you are important
Answer: Yes I would favour “TOP SECRET – ONLY AUTHORISED INDIVIDUALS PERMITED TO TOUCH – OPERATION VIPER. IF FOUND REPORT IMMEDIATELY TO THE SECRETARY OF SALVADOR TORRINO” I would leave them lying around, filled with copies of World Wrestling Entertainment Magazine, knowing that people would be to afraid to open the files.
c. Play the gay card, as part of positive discrimination
Answer: This would depend on whether a.) there were other gays to compete with and b.) whether I think my manager is more likely to promote a gay. Overall I think it wouldn’t make much difference, so probably wouldn’t change things.
d. Play the black card as part of positive discrimination
Answer: How? Shoe polish would not work. A synthetic mask like the diamond robbers would be better. Maybe I could have masks for each person in the office, and play people off against each other – including pretending that others are racist. Or just say I am black, and hope that is such an equal organisation that people simply just do not notice the difference between ethnic races, if not try to persuade people they are colour blind.
Question 2) You have two very good friends who are jibing a certain individual. You defend the individual to your friends, who make a comment that you would never sleep with them. Would you sleep with someone on principal?
Answer: I would prefer a bed rather than a principal
Question 3) Do you consider yourself above the law, if no where do you see yourself in relation to the law (in all 4 dimensions)?
Answer: Dimension 1: the laws, Dimension 2: the police, Dimension 3: the courts, Dimension 4: the prisons. I consider myself to be an observer.
Question 4) Do you accept that Father Christmas does not exist? If you do not believe he does, do you think that parents lying to children from an early age promotes dishonesty in our society and what remedial action would you take?
Answer: I think it is a good test of how clever your kid is. If your son still belives when he starts secondary school, you at least know not to bother with fees for some high achieving private school. But I would make the story a bit more realistic (i.e. replace the reindeer and slays with ufo’s and robots)
Question 5) You are attending a close friends wedding. You arrive in good time with gift in hand. The service goes well and at the reception you are making good progress with small talk, wooing the guests with your anecdotes relating to your travels and a particularly enjoyable trip you took up the Thames in the past few weeks. The subject turns to the role of the EU in relation to working practices, such as the differences in behaviour of the average worker in a nation state and also attitudes to tax. A close family friend of the groom’s father makes a remark about greeks (as he is greek) and how they don’t pay tax.
The following morning your face is splashed all across the news as your conversation about tax avoidance has been secretly filmed and you are been implicated. When you arrive back at work on Monday you are called into your boss’s office and he informs you that you are required to clear your desk as they have no room for further scandal relating to your financial matters.
Your career in tatters, your family disowning you and your name besmirched in the press you turn to your friends for support. They support you fully. You decide to bake them a cake to say thank you. What cake do you bake?
Answer: A chicken cake
Question 6) The non-married friend of yours has become very close to you. So much so that his long term girlfriend leaves him. With both of you not getting any younger, you decide to talk to him about taking your relationship to the next level. You round second base and indeed 3rd and 4th follow very quickly.
Several months down the line he becomes more demanding in the bedroom. Demanding 2/3 of the bed to sleep because of some bizarre disorder. You are becoming increasing alienated from your other friend and family ass he demands you stay in to watch classic wrestling matches and drink Tropicana. You end the relationship and he gets back with his former girlfriend.
You go on the internet and a system message asks if you want update your Java script. Do you do it now or later?
Answer: I never do it. I just click later into enternity.