I am trying to collect some of the dumbest interview questions posed to pharma reps by anyone they ever interviewed within the pharma industry. In particular, I am interested in hearing about that one specific question that made you question the sanity or IQ of the interviewee. If recall the department of the interviewee, please provide that info as well. As silly as it sounds, I really am looking for serious answers please. Here’s my real life example: If you could be a tree, what kind of a tree would you be? Asked by HR interviewer. Thanks in advance!!
I had an interviewer put down three coins on the table and asked me what I see? What the hell does that have to do with selling aptitude?
Forest interviews...sell me this camera, or here is a situation sell me this fake drug. If you could be an anikal which one?
What would you rather do,invent a new product or write a successful novel? He probably went to a symposium the day before and was told that you can find out a lot from this question. This asshole believed them.
The manhole cover question is legit. It was used on the street before every educated person knew the answer. Then again wall street and pharma have completely different aptitudes. Wall street requires a brain, critical thinking and talent. Pharma reqires tits and an overinflated sense of your own worth. Here's another question: how many pay phones are in manhattan?
Thanks to all who responded. I got curious over the manhole question and looked it up. Started by Microsoft. Many answers.
You might also want to ask managers the dumbest answers they've ever received.....you'll get some additional good laughter! For example, when I used to work in Pharmaceuticals, I would ask candidates why they were interested in a career in the pharmaceutical industry. A sampling of answers I received: 1. I like people 2. I like drugs 3. I watch the stock market and drug stocks look good. 4. I can't support myself with my paper route (I swear I got this answer). 5. I flunked out of medical school.
Manhole covers are round for one main reason and a few ancillary ones. The main a circle cannot collapse into itself and thus the cover can't fall into the ground either injuring a public works worker or creating a whole in the street. Other reasons include maintaining the integrity of the road (circles bear force better than other shapes) and ease of manufacturing.
The manhole cover question began with Microsoft as a psychological assessment as to how a person approaches a quaestion with more than one correct answer. As for it's use by phamra managers when interviewing...my opinion is that anyone in this capacity is too fucking stupid to understand why they are even asking it, much less what any answer to it would even mean in the context of an interview. The real question pharma managers should be asking...and you know I'm correct is...how much money would you need by way of an expense account in order to get the business. The person who could promise the most business...and deliver...at the lowest cost to the company should be the one chosen...so companies should start asking for this type of documentation - albeit a violation of inducement laws -you know and I know that's what the success of most top performers ..most...comes down to. They don't stick around one company long enough to have an roi done on them- but it is certainly a doable exercise. I've doem it at a former company and the results were consistent with what I satate above. They buy the business. Most profitable reps are usually at the middle of the rankings - statistics show.
LOL ! Classic answer... You're hired ! You get the job! seriously, that is a fantastic answer. And you will be promoted to manager quickly! Yes, we have good talent here.
