If an alien landed and asked you to leave with him in his spaceship, would you?
如果一个外星人来到地球并要求你同它一起去太空旅行，你会么？
Rachel Finglass
President of the Computer Psychologist,
an employee-screening firm
Why she asks it:
"To identify what kind of risk-taker a person is. If you need someone who can deal with change, that person should be willing to go, to see where the trip takes them. If you're looking for someone who can stay in a routine, that person should probably turn and run. The best answer I've heard is 'I'd have to call my wife to see what she said.' It broke the ice and showed a willingness to be light. No one should take this question too seriously. That would be really frightening."
What would your mom say is your worst quality?
你妈妈说你最大的缺点是什么？
David Adler
CEO and founder of BiZBash,
the Web site and newspaper for event planners
Why he asks it:
"It works like truth serum.No one lies about their parents. People will start rambling on about how they're procrastinators and never finished a paper in school or that their father is always telling them their work isn't good enough. It's also interesting to see if the person can think on their feet. The best response I got was, 'I don't call my mother enough.' That's completely honest, but neutral enough to show that this person knows how to handle a surprising question."
Can you describe yourself in three words?
请用三个词来描述自己？
Andrea Robinson
President and GM, Ralph Lauren Fragrances
Why she asks it:
"For me it's an indication of several things: Just how resourceful a person is on their feet-are they a risk taker? And it shows a person's creativity. It's such a yawn to hear 'eager, smart, team player.' That's like white noise. I'd rather have someone say they're a diva ? that would amuse me ? or come up with three totally unexpected words like 'fixated, outrageous, stylish.' We're in an industry where we always have to be at the top of our game, creatively. Frankly, Ralph won't accept anything less."
What do you want written on your tombstone?
你的墓志铭上会写什么内容？
Gerry Roche
Senior chairman, recruiter Heidrick & Struggles
Why he asks it:
"It really reveals what someone considers important in their life. One guy told me, 'He saved his company.' That's no good. There's more to life than that. There's no one ideal answer, but a great one would be kind of what Jack Nicholson said in As Good As It Gets, 'He made us want to be better people.' Someone who has values and leads a balanced life. Someone who doesn't just see the earnings per share, but the people behind the earnings per share. It's great dinner-party conversation, too. Once my wife answered, 'I know what should be on Gerry's tombstone: I've got to make a call!'"
Imagine this pencil is a magic wand. Now create your dream job.
如果这支笔是一根魔法棒，现在你来描绘一下你的理想工作。
Pat Croce
President of the Philadelphia 76ers
Why he asks it:
"I like to see large expectations and big goals. I asked my GM, Billy King, and he answered, 'Governor.' All of a sudden, we had a great topic of conversation. I found out that Billy had that political mojo in his bones, and he's used it effectively with our team to work the inroads of the NBA. Also, when you give someone carte blanche, they might add something to the job you haven't figured out yet. I put the question to Dave Coskey, our senior VP, and he described a communications department that involved fan relations, media relations, maximum exposure on the Internet. We really had none of it at the time. Now we do."
What if you don't get this job?
如果你没有得到这份工作，你会怎样？
Frank MacInnis
CEO of Emcor Group
Why he asks it:
"It challenges them to show me how they'd deal with adversity. I need my officers to be self-confident enough to deal with any problem. The best response I ever got: He pulled out a bound booklet with briefing documents on our operations, locations, profitability, stock performance, even biographical information on me. And he had the same stuff on five other companies. That told me all I needed to know, so I hired him. The worst one just burst into tears. He said he was counting on us and had no alternative in mind. I didn't hire him."
