You are handed a following list and asked to select one and to explain your choice:
White, red, pink, green, apple, peach, orange, lemon, kiwi, purple, asparagus, grape.
What, in your opinion, are the interviewers’ expectations?
(In reply to
possibility by Larry)
You have made an old man happy with your opening sentence.
The rest is less relevant, since you were not asked to make any choice, but to find out what can be derived from the interviewee’s answer.
In the eighties I was head of Engineering Division of a Major Israeli Company, supervising 300 engineers, scientists, programmers and technicians.
A list, similar to the list presented in the puzzle was created by me and used by me and my associates as a conversation starter
while interviewing candidates for a high-level position.
It helped me to find out the percentages of yesmanship, creativity and confidence: some candidates provided an answer (kiwi, asparagus, orange or else) + explanation (shortest word, the only vegetable, both fruit and colour etc.)
, not a word about the flaws in the task’s definition, even if provoked by me (Did you notice that one word was missing: ...select one..one what? What were the criteria for your selection? etc).
There were also some bold and intelligent guys that started by evaluating the problem’s shortcomings and even asked, what does one learn from their answers.
I intend to elaborate more when I will post the official solution.
Just now I try to point out that you assumed the role of a job-seeker
forgetting that you are a solver.
Still I have to credit you with mentioning that the list was used to trigger discussion and that only partial information existed.
I wrote all this. to convince you that you erred by rating
my puzzle so low.
I consider it one of my best, both challenging and tested in real life.
Not too late to change opinion, if you wish.
Edited on March 3, 2021, 5:00 pm
re: possibility. Partial spoiler
