An interview tactic that Harit Nagpal, MD and CEO of Tata Play Ltd, recently shared on LinkedIn has sparked conversations online. His go-to opening question during job interviews is simple: “Did you have any trouble getting here?”
According to Nagpal, the response he gets helps him gauge whether a candidate is a good fit for the role. “The ones who listed potholes, traffic jams, rain, etc. lost me at the beginning itself,” he explained. “But the ones who laughed off these issues and shared an interesting story, they became my colleagues.”
Nagpal explained that candidates who focus on things beyond their control—like competitors, the economy, or the weather—tend to be less appealing. He believes these factors can easily consume a person, but the key is to embrace challenges and keep moving forward. “Smiling often helps,” he concluded.
The approach has sparked a divide online, with some users praising the litmus test, while many others criticised it as misleading.
A LinkedIn user wrote, “Why am I getting triggered by this post? I normally don’t bother. Ah! Maybe because I am not part of the elite set that is impervious to these ‘small little things’.”
Another user commented, “This doesn’t make sense to me. You ask a question, and the person literally answers it. Why ask these “tricky hidden questions”? There are much better ways to judge perspective and attitude.”
A third user wrote, “I hold great respect & regard for you, but I must say, your views or beliefs on this matter are absolutely off the mark. It makes me wonder how many high impact talents you may have ignored with such an approach. This feels like a very immature way of analyzing things. P.S.: I truly hope (& pray) this is just another LinkedIn post meant to be taken with a pinch of humor!”