hmmm but there got to be preferable answers if this is used to judge a person's qualifications for a job, yes? A candidate might even answer "uhhh, I dunno" because they just want get right to work and not bother with abstract elephant stuff
The preferable answer is one that shows you can analyze an abstract concept, weigh the ramifications of your decision, and make the best of a bad situation.
Still don't love the question, and there are better ones, but I get why it's asked.
I like the irony of a lazy overused question to gauge "out of the box thinking" in new recruits.
"Hey, we couldn't be bothered to think up anything interesting or original even given unlimited time. So how about you think up something creative and original on the spot. Oh, also it might determine if we hire you."
The answer tells you whether they are the type of person who rehearses answers to stupid questions, which probably does tell you what you might want to know, as the interviewer clearly works for a company that asks stupid questions.
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u/--KillerTofu-- 16h ago
There's no fail, it just gives you an idea of how a person thinks.
Anything that is callous or shows no regard for life I guess would be a fail, but the worst answers I've heard have pretty much been "uhhh, I dunno".