[whymauri]

I know it's not Microsoft, but D. E. Shaw asked Larry Summers math puzzles when he interviewed there. At the time, he was the president of Harvard University.

I think it's my favorite example of how crazy some interview processes can get, lol.

[_2d30]

I’m not sure what’s crazier to me: asking someone to demonstrate a live proficiency of an abstract skill that is only tangentially related to that actual day-to-day activities of a role or just assuming that because someone has some high credential that they would be good in a given role.

[user5994461]

DE Shaw is a financial company filled with maths guys, doing statistical analysis and modeling all day. A math puzzle is the most normal question you could be asked there.

The real question is why Larry Summers is going to a quant interview? Did he apply for a quant role?

[whymauri]

They hired him as a managing director.

[dddbbb]

For many roles at a hedge fund, being able to do mathematics quickly and intuitively is a valuable skill. Not sure why an economist applying for an MD job would need to be tested on that, though.

[TigeriusKirk]

He should have called their bluff and failed the quiz on purpose. What are they going to do?