[mariusor]

And does that seem reasonable to you? I hate to brandish trendy terms, but it sounds a little ableist.

[edit] Also, what will the developer struggle with if they're not able to come up with a convenient response to "why do you want to work for us?".

[s1artibartfast]

Yes, it seems completely reasonable to me.

I dont want to work with employees who dont understand simple questions any more than I want to work with people who cant program.

There might be some code factory situations where it might not matter, but everywhere I worked being able to understand and communicate is an important part of the job. Employees who don't understand a question, dont see it as personal issue, and then resent the counterparty are the worst kind of coworkers.

[edit] >Also, what will the developer struggle with if they're not able to come up with a convenient response to "why do you want to work for us?".

I with this kind of hostile literalism I would worry about having miscommunications along the time "you asked if I could finish the task by tomorrow, not if I will do the task by tomorrow".

[s1artibartfast]

PS it really isnt a hard question to answer without lying or BS, and I think the fact that some people struggle with it speaks volumes.

Q: "why do you want to work for us?

A: "First off, I am looking for to grow my career and compensation progression and think [Corp] is a place where I can do that. Beyond that, I think this role would be a good fit for both of us because specialize in XYZ relevant skills.

Upon reflection, I wonder if the problem is some people cant tell the difference between BS answering a question that isnt their own.

[greenyoda]

But in many cases, that answer would be BS. Lots of people have been laid off from their jobs, and would be happy with any job in their field that allows them to feed their family and pay their rent. Their primary objective might not be to grow their career or compensation, just to quickly find a job that pays enough and doesn't suck too much. And if their skills didn't match the ones you needed, they would have never progressed to the point of getting an interview with you, so there's really nothing new to be learned from that answer.

[s1artibartfast]

Sure, the answer might be different for different circumstances, but it isnt really a hard question. As I stated elsewhere, I think the assumption is that a decent candidate should be able to come up with at least one thing they like about a company or look forward to without lying when given a completely blank slate to work with. If you are seeking stability, that can be part of an answer too.

> And if their skills didn't match the ones you needed, they would have never progressed to the point of getting an interview with you, so there's really nothing new to be learned from that answer.

I think this sentiment is part of the challenge. It isn't just a question of skills, but a personal question of motivation and compatibility, and somehow that is being lost. All I'm seeing is that a potential employee that either doesn't understand my question or thinks their time is too valuable to answer it.