If you go by the employee group photos, you also notice that everyone is under 30, all the men have dark hair (cut short on the sides and parted right to some peak), all the woman are blondes (straight, parted down the middle), and no one is more than 15 lbs overweight.

You want me to agree to go to game night every week. Fine, I agree and I don't show up for the first two weeks.

You realize that paints me as a lying sack of **** that's willing to step over people to get what I want, right?

Sure, I have the job, but I just created a political disaster right off the bat.

You never actually agree to go. You give the illusion that you agreed, but what you really said was that game night sounds fun. If it comes up, point out that you never said you'd come and they have no reason to be upset. That's on HR for thinking you're a culture fit.

You're wrong. Trust me on this.

edit to add: the "politics" comes into play when I need help. If I show that I'm the kind that step over people, I give free license to be stepped on and tossed under the bus. It is a really bad spot. Even if I'm not managing, I still have to interact with people. People may not like me, but they must trust me, and there is nothing I would ever do, in an interview or any place else, that would put my trustworthiness at risk. HR has nothing to do with my day to day working life.

Jesus

Perhaps I misunderstood who the question was coming from

its like a college sausage party without the fun

not sure who they're trying to appeal to either...

maybe mormans

is game night really a thing?

like do adult men in silicon valley hang out and play board games together? and its expected you come along?

What the **** is wrong with you? Yes, grown adults get together to play board games. Just like grown men get together to play card games.

^^ board games are awesome.

Game night is definitely a thing among some of the nerdier types. It seemed like everyone was doing it in Seattle. Less so here in the valley but still lots of people into that sort of thing.

Dave no one brands you a liar because you turn out to be less enthusiastic than you were in your interview. Plus it's not like you need to turn a 180 and say you're not interested, you can just say sorry I've got other plans a few times and they'll drop it.

Also it may be slightly nerdy but guys, we're having this conversation in a programming subforum on a poker community site run by a poker strategy book publisher full of multi-tabling online poker pros. Everything about 2p2 is way nerdier than board game nights.

Proper response should be, "Oh yeah, I love game night. Do you guys play hold-em or BigO? $200 or $500 buyin?"

this x1000

and obviously this

All of my game-night friends live in KC, where I am from. So when I go back a couple times a year I have to try to learn a new game every time. Although sometimes I can talk them into ticket to ride or settlers, then I just have to try to remember how to play.

yea, that post came across more mean spirited/critical than I intended. I was just imagining being expected to show up at my managers house every week to play scrabble and it creeped me out.

Scrabble is ****ing awesome.

When I think of game night, I'm thinking it involves, dragons and wizards.

Sorry, I just don't tell people I will do something when I don't intend to. I'm not a flake and a liar.

I would never have guessed that asking about game night actually is a good cultural fit question until I read this thread.

Sounds to me like the question encourages you to hire flakes and liars.

Like many cultural fit questions I'd argue there are no 'right' answers - just obviously 'wrong' answers.

"Would you come to my game night every week?" That's so invasive. I'd probably say I'd come maybe once a month, but that depends on what night it is. I'd be ready to answer with my other commitments if it conflicts with my life.

I would hope that the interviewer is as deep of a thinker as you are and wouldn't take much stock in any answer that isn't a total jackass answer, but who knows?

Would you ask this to a girl? Probably not. And heck, when she is surrounded by a bunch of long beards yapping away about Hearthstone, she isn't going to feel like she is a "cultural fit," is she?

Personally, I think it is a terrible question.

While I agree it's not a great question, it has clearly identified you as someone many people wouldn't want to work with. And thus it has served its purpose.

The bar isn't, as you suggest, that you don't want to strangle a coworker at the end of the week. At many companies it is, and considering how much time you spend with coworkers in my opinion should be, much higher than that

DaveT on game night:



[ ] Cultural fit

Acceptable: "Tell me about your hobbies."

This is fine because it is about the applicant. It is unselfish, gets them to relax, and I'm genuinely interested in what people do with their time. I've heard a ton of really awesome stuff and at the end of the day, I can learn about the applicant and about the world. When I ask this question, I'm trying to figure out certain things that are relevant.

Not acceptable: "Hey, I ref the Roller Derby every Saturday night. I can get you some discounted tickets. You think you can come every Saturday?" (I don't do this, guys, just an example)

This is invasive. It is no longer about the applicant and about the interviewer. If I ask this question, the only relevant information I gain is... are they willing to come to a ****ing roller derby, which is totally useless information.

There are going to be people who have amazing interests that clearly indicate "cultural fit" (which is discovered in the first question). They may not have interests in what I do, but they have interests in things that are unique and relevant, and shows the person has a sense of passion about something, which I put some weight on.

This is like the opening chapters of Dale Carnegie.

Dave, I think you are a cultural fit for self-employment.