An ex-Microsoft CEO has revealed the question he asked in every interview that told him everything about a person.
Steve Ballmer led the tech giant for 14 years and used a pretty interesting method to assess potential employees during job interviews.
The former CEO revealed a particular question that he would often ask during the hiring process.
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Speaking to Bloomberg, former Microsoft boss Ballmer gave some insight into how he would select candidates, saying: “I always gave this problem to kids. I'm thinking of a number between one and 100. You can guess. After each guess, I'll tell you whether high or low.
“You get it? The first guess, I'll give you five bucks. Four bucks, three, two, one, zero. You pay me a buck. You pay me two, you pay me three.”
Basically, after each guess, the reward will decrease until you eventually owe Ballmer money if you take too long to figure out the number.
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The clip was uploaded to TikTok where the user wrote: “At first glance, this seems like a simple game of chance, but it’s actually designed to assess the candidate’s risk analysis, decision-making, and understanding of probability.
“The real lesson here is not just about picking the right number, but about stepping back and realizing that, statistically, you are more likely to lose money than win. It’s a test of how well you think strategically and evaluate risk—qualities vital for success in any business.
“Ballmer’s question pushes candidates to think beyond the obvious and consider whether engaging in the game is worth the potential loss, a lesson applicable to entrepreneurship and investing as well. The key takeaway? Sometimes, the smartest move is knowing when not to play.”
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Surprised by the interview question, many viewers took to the TikTok comment section to share their reactions.
One user wrote: “EVERY Candidate? There’s a difference between logic and strategy. The first makes good programmers. The second just makes good businessmen.”
Another said: “That's actually clever, I would've completely fallen for it, because I assumed the possibility of him picking 50, 25 or 75, which of course he wouldn't.”
A third commented: “Play the game until you’re out of money making guesses. Then quit.”
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And a fourth person added: “Sometimes playing a game will allow you to show off your personable skills and even though you might lose a buck or two, if you get hired you will walk away with far more.”