When it comes to interviewing candidates for a job, major companies often use unconventional questions to test applicants' ingenuity and quick thinking. One TikToker, who claims to have worked as a Chief People Officer at Google and other prominent organizations, recently shared the question that always left people stumped during interviews at the search engine giant.
The question goes as follows: 'There’s a coffee shop in San Francisco. It has unlimited supply and demand, meaning it has all the coffee beans, coffee cups, teas in the world, and the customer line wraps around the block. The coffee shop is roughly 500-square feet. So, how many cups of coffee can this coffee shop produce in one day?'
Unlike typical interview questions, this particular question has no right or wrong answer. Its purpose is to examine the interviewee's ability to think outside the box and come up with creative solutions. In the comments section of the TikTok video, numerous people shared their interpretations of the answer.
Some respondents suggested that the coffee shop could have two cashiers and a counter to pick up coffee, while others proposed that the number of cups produced could be zero since the question did not mention any workers. One user calculated that if it takes 30 seconds to pour a cup of coffee, then the coffee shop could produce 120 cups every hour, resulting in 960 cups of coffee if the establishment is open for 8 hours.
Another user assumed the presence of two employees, one at the register and another operating a double espresso machine. With a two-minute preparation time for each drink, this yielded a total of 1500 brewed coffees. They further suggested the presence of six baristas, one dedicated to brewing, and the rest serving customers, with a capacity of 5 cups per 30 minutes. If the coffee shop is open for 10 hours, this would result in 1500 cups of coffee.
In response to a viewer who commented that there wasn't enough information to determine the outcome, the TikToker explained that deliberately providing minimal information is intended to gauge the candidate's thought process during the interview.
Questions like these are becoming increasingly popular among top companies as a means to assess a candidate's ability to think creatively and solve problems on the spot. By challenging applicants with unconventional scenarios, employers can gain insight into their problem-solving skills, adaptability, and ability to handle ambiguity.
So, the next time you find yourself in a job interview, be prepared for questions that may seem unrelated or puzzling at first glance. Remember, it's not always about finding the right answer, but rather demonstrating your ability to approach challenges with a fresh perspective and think critically.
