5 Cups of Water, 6 Leaders, and the "Brain Teasing" Question from the Recruiter

Responses to the "Brain Teasing" Question

In job interviews, situational questions are a common method used by recruiters to assess a candidate's reflexes and true character. Recruiters can determine a candidate's problem-solving skills, their thought process, and their ability to handle situations based on real-life business scenarios.

One part of interviews that often makes young candidates scratch their heads is not the technical questions, but rather open-ended questions that require creative thinking and quick responses. The following interesting question posed by a recruiter recently made netizens think hard about possible solutions.

The recruiter gave the following situation to five candidates: "In a meeting about to begin, you notice that there are six leaders present, but there are only five cups of water on the table. How would you handle this?"

The responses from the candidates were as follows:

• Candidate 1: "I would explain the situation to the leaders and go get another cup of water."
• Candidate 2: "I would place the five cups alternately in front of the six leaders, and whoever is thirsty can drink."
• Candidate 3: "I would arrange the cups according to their positions and ages, and the person without a cup would surely understand."
• Candidate 4: "If I distribute the cups based on positions, that would be clearly fawning. I would distribute the cups according to order, and if the last person has no cup, they can understand."
• Candidate 5: "Option one, I would call a colleague to bring the cups that were ‘left behind from the previous meeting,’ and then bring up six new cups of water. Option two, if I don’t want to show poor hospitality, I would explain to the leaders that due to the current pandemic, I would replace the water with bottled water and then bring the five cups down."

In the end, candidate number five was hired.

The approach of candidate one is likely the response of most people. However, in the interview process, this answer was too common, and the recruiters didn't achieve their goal, which was to find a more creative solution that would reflect the candidate's intelligence, personality, and quick wit.

Candidate number two would definitely be eliminated. Placing the cups between the leaders shifts the problem onto them. It might seem clever, but it violates a key workplace etiquette — shifting the issue to the leaders rather than solving it.

Candidate number three and four's answers still reflect an inability to resolve the issue effectively and are not subtle enough, so they would also be unsatisfactory for the recruiter.

Only candidate number five showed a flexible, proactive approach to solving the problem, with good direction and multiple solutions. This candidate truly demonstrated high emotional intelligence (EQ) and deserved to be hired.

Currently, open-ended questions like this are very common in both domestic and international companies and have become a hot topic for discussion among young people on social media.

There is no right or wrong answer, only an impressive one.

So, why are more and more companies adding open-ended questions to their interviews? What does this reflect?

Most interviews will feature at least a few open-ended questions. To make it simple, open-ended questions are those that cannot be answered with just a "Yes" or "No."

Recruiters might ask you open-ended questions for a variety of reasons. In general, they ask these questions to learn more about your personality and to see if you fit with the company culture and the position they are hiring for. They might also ask such questions to see if you possess the qualities and experience needed for the job.

Open-ended questions can make young candidates feel confused because there are often many different ways to answer. However, remember that there is no right or wrong answer to these types of questions. An impressive answer will highlight why you are the ideal candidate for the specific position the recruiter is looking for.

It can be seen that open-ended questions often test a person's adaptability, thinking skills, and communication abilities.

So, what kind of people do companies today actually want to hire? Certainly, not machines that only know how to work.

In today's world, "professional competence" has long become a composite ability.

In reality, there is no standard answer to open-ended questions. With a good mindset, high EQ, sensitivity, and alertness, you will surely pass the recruiter’s challenge and secure the position you desire.