A manager has revealed the "upping question" technique he uses in every job interview to identify candidates who are genuinely interested in the work rather than just the salary. The approach involves asking progressively more advanced questions until the applicant reaches one they cannot answer.
In response to a Reddit thread asking managers whether they have hidden tests for interviewees, the employer explained that he used this method while hiring for a role that involved "hacking the internet." He described asking increasingly difficult questions until the candidate encountered something unfamiliar, then explaining the concept to them.
Why the Technique Works
According to the manager, the key indicator was the candidate's reaction to learning something new. If they found the new information "really cool," he considered that a significant positive sign. He stated: "It showed they really were interested in the job itself, not just in the pay check."
One Reddit user shared a similar experience, revealing they nearly secured a position they were underqualified for by showing eagerness to learn. The user said they were upfront about their qualifications, admitted when they didn't know something, and then tried to reason through it or asked questions. They later learned they would have been hired had HR not rejected them based on their resume.
Broader Support for the Approach
Another user endorsed the method, saying: "That's the way I do all technical interviews. Ask general questions, find something they don't know, explain it, then have them apply it to another question." They added: "You can never expect someone to know everything, but the ability to learn quick is way better than knowing everything."
A further commenter expressed intent to adopt the style, while one final user praised their own company's hiring process, noting that a single HR person conducts the initial phone screen and all subsequent interviewers are active members of the department the candidate is applying to.
