Business Summaries - How Would You Move Mount Fuji? By William Poundstone

Have you ever been asked “Why are manhole covers round instead of square?” during a job interview? Or asked to answer other riddles and hypothetical or trick questions?

These puzzle-interviews have been emulated by numerous fortune 500 companies from Microsoft. Questions such as the above seek to separate the most creative thinkers from the merely talented.

“How Would You Move Mount Fuji?” gives you a peek into more than 35 of the most challenging questions, riddles and puzzles used by Microsoft and other companies. This book will teach you how to answer them creatively and effectively, giving you an upper hand on crucial job interviews.

The Impossible question

Logic puzzles, riddles, hypothetical questions and trick questions have long been used in computer-industry interviews. These are known as “impossible questions” and are believed to measure the intelligence, resourcefulness or “outside-the-box thinking” needed to survive in today’s very competitive business environment.

Today, these impossible questions are also being used, not just in computer-industry interviews, but in almost every line of business such as law firms, banks, consulting firms, insurance companies, the media and the armed forces.

The strangest thing about these impossible questions is that no one knows the answer – not even the person who is asking. Still, people are being hired or not hired based on how well they answer the questions.

The popularity of these puzzle-interviews can be attributed to the American company Microsoft. Its interview process is a reflection of how the company needs to be more selective and extra careful in its hiring. For the company, these questions are a reflection on how you handle a difficult situation. It is important for them to find out what you can do and not just what you have done.

Riddles and Sphinxes

These puzzle-interviews are updates on the ancient Greek legend of Oedipus and the Sphinx where the Sphinx devoured anyone who could not answer the riddle: “What is it that walks in four legs in the mornings, two legs at noon and three legs in the evening?”

With its use of puzzles in its hiring process, Microsoft tries to weed out those who think on their feet and those who do not. All that matters is your logic, imagination and your problem-solving ability.

Microsoft’s puzzle-interviews has changed the way companies hire. With bad hires more costly than ever, organizations have given the job interview an importance it was never meant to have. References have become less common and less useful so hirers seek information somewhere else. The job interview is the most direct means of assessing a potential employee...

Book Summary Preview : How Would You Move Mount Fuji?