This will be the start of a weekly segment where I will cover 1 interview question. How to ask it, why it matters, and the kind of answers you should be looking for.

In 20+ years of consulting and development I have interviewed and been interviewed over 100 times. Development interviews are often more challenging than your standard interviews in that they often encompass quizzes, code exercises, logic problem or riddles. As an interviewee I have encountered all manner of riddles and other asinine questions stolen from the net without a grasp of their purpose.

As an interviewer I’ve encountered countless woefully underqualified candidates from head hunter. In some cases they were sent to report back the questions they were asked to build the correct answers for the next candidate. (This happens way more often than you might think). I’ve also had several candidates with great potential that just failed to properly prepare.

Over the years I have helped countless colleagues navigate the gauntlet that is the tech interview. As an interviewee, the quality of the conversation heavily determines both the likelihood and quality of an offer. As an interviewer, they types of questions you ask can make a serious impact on how or if the candidate will integrate well with your team and environment.

The purpose of this ongoing segment will be to give interviewers the questions that will tell them what they actually want to know and given interviewees the tools they need to not only succeed, but stand out. So stop asking:

• Why are manhole covers round?
• How many golfballs fit on a school bus?
• How many piano tuners are there in Chicago?

And start asking questions that actually give you the information you need.