> 10 - Fermi problems. Good to get an indication of a candidate's problem solving skills.
Calculating the number of pencils used by Chicago's public school system in one year or whatever is pointless, though. I could "solve" this problem, or at least make a reasonable estimate, I suppose, but I'm a web developer. Wouldn't you get a better indication of my problem solving skills if you asked me about a problem related to web development?
A question like "what are some problems you ran into on previous projects and how did you solve them?" will be one I can answer instantly as well as give you a better indication of the competence I have doing the job you actually want to hire me for.
Calculating the number of pencils used by Chicago's public school system in one year or whatever is pointless, though. I could "solve" this problem, or at least make a reasonable estimate, I suppose, but I'm a web developer. Wouldn't you get a better indication of my problem solving skills if you asked me about a problem related to web development?
A question like "what are some problems you ran into on previous projects and how did you solve them?" will be one I can answer instantly as well as give you a better indication of the competence I have doing the job you actually want to hire me for.