Nice People Thread Part 9 - and so it continues

Generali

PasturesNew wrote: »

I will never be "just like them". Whoever they are I will never be just like them. There are too many of these questions to find the people "just like them" which is probably discriminatory if you actually broke it down and analysed who hires who.

I'm not after someone who comes from a corporate cookie cutter. I want someone with some technical skills, the ability to think fast and dig deeply into work rather than give a glib answer, the ability to communicate well and succinctly with very senior people and who isn't going to bore the !!!! off me by Monday lunchtime.

The questions I ask are designed to get me someone like that. The question I put on here was a bit more interesting to chat about than some of my others, e.g. "What Excel function do you find most useful?" or "What function would you use in Excel to summarize 1,000 lines of data?" probably wouldn't provoke the same amount of discussion.

vivatifosi

Generali wrote: »

The questions I ask are designed to get me someone like that. The question I put on here was a bit more interesting to chat about than some of my others, e.g. "What Excel function do you find most useful?" or "What function would you use in Excel to summarize 1,000 lines of data?" probably wouldn't provoke the same amount of discussion.

It's a shame you are now going to sack us all for giving the wrong answers;).

Incidentally, what Excel function do you find most useful? I don't think that's a discussion I've ever had with anyone. I like Excel, it's the program I use the most so hearing how people use it is actually quite handy.

lostinrates

PasturesNew wrote: »

I will never be "just like them". Whoever they are I will never be just like them. There are too many of these questions to find the people "just like them" which is probably discriminatory if you actually broke it down and analysed who hires who.

The thing is Pastures, that's ok. you are just like you. :T

I'm not just like them either most of the time and I'm happy about that. .

Its funny, because 'they' are often trying to be different in 'whacky' and 'cool' ways. Which means they are often doing the same things as each other anyway. I get a little surprised because the things they do to be different often end up being what I am doing anyway and then I feel a bit out of kilter. I missed the cupcake vibe thankfully.

The beat of your own drum is a good thing, Other people walk around and sometimes their rhythms compliment which is great, other times, playing solo is powerful too.

lostinrates

vivatifosi wrote: »

It's a shame you are now going to sack us all for giving the wrong answers;).

Incidentally, what Excel function do you find most useful? I don't think that's a discussion I've ever had with anyone. I like Excel, it's the program I use the most so hearing how people use it is actually quite handy.

I never use excel. I hated it when I had to use it, barely understood it. Don't understand it at all now. There are somethings I regret losing immensely, Fluidity of language, coordination, lithe body and grace......ability to use excel in my limited necessity? Not one bit. not even a smidgen.

michaels

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

Edit: Actually, as money (and therefore my ability to wage psychological warfare on competitors) is unlimited, we'd have Rod Stewart play live every night in the Bivouac, and hire the Proclaimers to wander round, minstrel style, singing "Well you will walk 500 hundred miles, and you will walk 500 more...."

Just as long as you refrain from havering in public...

lostinrates wrote: »

Btw is it just me or is Lydia looking YOUNGER? how does that work? Can I get some?

I thought LIr and FIR looked like a really sweet loved up young couple wheras when I met them before at theirs they seemed more mature - perhaps it was the context?

silvercar wrote: »

I know, not my choice. Looks like laser eye surgery for the present, which is a bit odd but the only thing that he really wants!

Luckily my eyes are too bad to be lasered as otherwise I think I would break my rule of never spending any money on myself rather than the DW and DKs...

michaels

Generali wrote: »

I'm not after someone who comes from a corporate cookie cutter. I want someone with some technical skills, the ability to think fast and dig deeply into work rather than give a glib answer, the ability to communicate well and succinctly with very senior people and who isn't going to bore the !!!! off me by Monday lunchtime.

The questions I ask are designed to get me someone like that. The question I put on here was a bit more interesting to chat about than some of my others, e.g. "What Excel function do you find most useful?" or "What function would you use in Excel to summarize 1,000 lines of data?" probably wouldn't provoke the same amount of discussion.

I think all things considered vlookup has to be up there although I have a colleague who swears by Alt D F F.

I suspect the fact I have answered the excel question and not the 3 weeks one may put me into the Monday lunchtime category though....

Generali

vivatifosi wrote: »

It's a shame you are now going to sack us all for giving the wrong answers;).

Incidentally, what Excel function do you find most useful? I don't think that's a discussion I've ever had with anyone. I like Excel, it's the program I use the most so hearing how people use it is actually quite handy.

You'd all have passed the final test!

VLOOKUP I reckon followed by the IF function, assuming you're not going to use nested IF functions which are an abomination in the eyes of The Great Programmer. Pivot Tables are incredibly useful for crunching very large amounts of data which I rarely do but which our new employee will have to do a lot.

VLOOKUP allows you to get data from a table. For example, you might have a list of customer numbers in one spreadsheet and customer numbers alined with names in another. VLOOKUP allows you to use the customer number in one table and use it to look up the customer name in another. It's pretty simple to use if someone shows you how.

IF is pretty obvious. You might have an exam score in Cell A2 and if it's greater than 49 the candidate passes, otherwise they fail. If you type:

=IF(A2>49,"PASS","FAIL")

into cell B2, B2 will show PASS or FAIL depending on the number in A2.

Generali

michaels wrote: »

Just as long as you refrain from havering in public...

Haver is one of the great Scottish words. There's a lot of havering goes on round these parts.

lostinrates

Generali wrote: »

I'm not after someone who comes from a corporate cookie cutter. I want someone with some technical skills, the ability to think fast and dig deeply into work rather than give a glib answer, the ability to communicate well and succinctly with very senior people and who isn't going to bore the !!!! off me by Monday lunchtime.

The questions I ask are designed to get me someone like that. The question I put on here was a bit more interesting to chat about than some of my others, e.g. "What Excel function do you find most useful?" or "What function would you use in Excel to summarize 1,000 lines of data?" probably wouldn't provoke the same amount of discussion.

I know I have said it before but the best interview DH had was one where they talked about his schooling in Italy v America v London (the American interviewer was asking about schooling options as he had a son) . It gave a realistic conversation and lead to a relaxed and frank discussion where guard was let down, genuine opinion given and ideas exchanged and questions posed which challenged just enough to see how DH reacted. Then they talked about jazz . it was a common interview technique of this guy, to talk about the interests of interviewees, to see how genuine they were and to relax them and get them talking about something they were passionate about and engage them and then see when they STOPPED talking too. Because the questions were real and relaxed and conversational they weren't demanding glib, insincere or 'flashy' answers. They also got an idea of the real sort of conversations they'd be having on Monday mornings .

lostinrates

michaels wrote: »

I thought LIr and FIR looked like a really sweet loved up young couple wheras when I met them before at theirs they seemed more mature - perhaps it was the context?



Luckily my eyes are too bad to be lasered as otherwise I think I would break my rule of never spending any money on myself rather than the DW and DKs...

The statement flow is just coincidence huh? :rotfl:

How 'bad' do your eyes have to be? I keep telling DH to go and see if his eyes are eligible or not. He's quite bad. . I find his glasses really sexy but I know he'd rather not wear them, or at least so much.

Also, we have friends who have had mixed success. Certainly more than one still wear glasses.