I was asked a series of questions during an interview that I'll never forget.

The interview was at a successful company in the process of growing from a start-up. They offered a fantastic work environment, the developers had dual 22" LCD monitors, state of the art machines, fooze ball, and to top it all off, they had a cafeteria with two gourmet chefs  - I even had lunch there, it really was good food! It could have been a great place to work, but... the interview left me running for the door.

Some of the unnerving questions:

"Do you smoke? Does anyone in your family smoke?"

It turns out that they had a strict no smoking policy written into their contract. Yup... You had to sign, that you and your family will remain smoke free (including second-hand smoke) for the duration of your employment.  While I don't think smoking is smart, and can see some benefits of having an explicit no smoking policy - still... this question took me off guard.

Potential benefits of a strict non-smoking policy:

More productivity (no cigarette breaks for employees), an odour neutral working environment, fewer employee sick days, cheaper corporate health insurance, and it could filter out potential drug users.

Draw backs:

Rapport with the interview team was immediately shattered, it's probably illegal to ask this question in the first place. It was an invasion of privacy (If you're demanding this, what's next?). It felt very Orwellian (Would they have Big Brother monitoring us too?), confusing (How can I control second-hand smoke?), and just weird (Would I be fired if someone planted a pack of cigarettes in my desk?).

"Do you play video games?"

There was another sigh of relief when I answered "No". I don't play video game - well... aside from playing Tony Hawk on my classic Play Station every 6 months or Pong on my cell phone. I have better things to do than play video games, even if it's doing nothing - like watching the paint peel off my wall (clearing my mind). Besides, isn't having a computer monitor (or monitors) larger than your CRT TV a requirement for entering true Geekdom? Seriously though, I've watched family members and friends drain their lives into video games, as a result I'm not crazy about video games (but the Wii is fun). This question, like the previous was another negative hit for my employment prospect.

Potential benefits of having non-gamers as developers:

Better rested and more productive employees (they wouldn't be staying up all night playing World of Warcraft), fewer sick days, and more focused employees (web surfing for game tips would not be an issue).

Draw backs:

Being a gamer doesn't say anything about your skills as a developer. I started to get the impression that productivity really matters to this organization. I felt confused (Why is this so important? Is there something they're not telling me?), and it was another blow to privacy (Who really cares if your employees play games?), and a blow to trust (Will I have to answer questions like this everyday? I'd like to maintain some freedom, what if I decide take up gaming?).

"Do you have a problem with being at work at 8:30 sharp every morning?"

Now scenes from A Clockwork Orange are flashing through my mind - I'm being strapped in a chair, eyes pried open, hands chained to a keyboard, I'm being interrogated on the events of last evening, followed by a nicotine breathalyzer. OK... they didn't embrace flextime. This organization was not a good cultural fit, too many weird questions, interview was officially over in my mind.

Potential benefits of a regimented routine:

Uhmm... I guess, you know when your employees should be at work.

Draw backs:

Going to work could feel like tree planting / boot camp / the army, demanding rigid hours could imply a lack of trust in your employees, demands like this would certainly engender turnover, and companies with high turnover are bad places to work (there's a cost for turnover).

Some smaller companies might like to know their candidate at this level, and if that's the case then take them out for a couple drinks or dinner - try to learn these questions, don't outright ask them. Questions like these might hurt the reputation of your organization, after this interview I was resisting the urge to run for the door, and since then they've asked me to recommend potential candidates.

What kind of interesting interview questions have you been asked in the past?