• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'

2

Current price of oil as of June 22, 2026

3

Current price of silver as of Monday, June 22, 2026

1

Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'

2

Current price of oil as of June 22, 2026

3

Current price of silver as of Monday, June 22, 2026
SuccessThe Interview Playbook

This IBM exec asks job candidates whether they think we are in an AI bubble as a make-or-break interview test—and there’s no right or wrong answer

Orianna Rosa Royle
By
Orianna Rosa Royle
Orianna Rosa Royle
Associate Editor, Success
Down Arrow Button Icon
Orianna Rosa Royle
By
Orianna Rosa Royle
Orianna Rosa Royle
Associate Editor, Success
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 1, 2025, 9:22 AM ET
Person at a desk being interviewed for a job
Do you think we’re in an AI bubble? Even the experts can’t agree. And weirdly, your opinion on all this could decide whether you get the job.Getty Images—ZenSaBi
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Do you think we’re in an AI bubble? Even the experts who’ve predicted past crashes can’t seem to agree.

Recommended Video

“Dr. Doom” Nouriel Roubini—who predicted the mid-2000s housing crash that Wall Street dismissed—isn’t convinced we’re heading for catastrophe. Yet the analyst who called the dotcom bubble has warned it will all “end in tears.” And then there’s the Big Short investor Michael Burry, who is going as far as betting $1 billion on the AI bubble bursting. 

And if you’re looking for a job right now, your opinion on all this could decide whether you get the job. Dave McCann, IBM’s managing partner for EMEA, says he now throws the curveball question in interviews as a make-or-break test.

“Right now I must tell you, I’m always asking candidates if they think we’re in an AI bubble or not,” McCann revealed at the Fortune CEO Forum in The Shard in London. “We’ll see how long that question lasts.”

There’s no right or wrong answer, but actually knowing where you stand could give you an edge and pique the exec’s interest. McCann doesn’t care which side you pick—he cares whether you’ve thought it through.

“I strongly believe we aren’t, so let’s see what everyone else has to say.”

3 make-or-break questions CEOs are asking right now

Unusual make-or-break questions aren’t uncommon in the interview—especially as you apply for more senior roles. Some employers are even turning to secret tests to gauge how candidates think under stress. Previously, we’ve heard from a CEO who rejects job candidates who say they can start right away and another who won’t hire anyone who fails his coffee cup etiquette test.

Fortune asked a handful of execs at the forum to share the curveball questions they use to separate strong candidates from everyone else:

How have your value systems shaped you?

Parminder Kohli, the country chair for Shell UK, asks candidates two questions: How have your value systems shaped you, and why does this job attract you? “I’m looking at how is that personal purpose going to be fulfilled by working in our organization in that role, and how does it match in some ways?”

What would you do if you had access to all of LinkedIn’s data?

“We are so fortunate at LinkedIn to have this incredible dataset of the economic graph, which is all the insights that are coming from the platform about how the world of work is changing,” Sue Duke, managing director for EMEA at LinkedIn, explains. “And so one question I always ask is, If you had all of that data and all of our economists and data scientists with you in the morning, what’s the one thing you would want us to do with the graph to have a real impact out there in workers’ lives, in companies’ lives, and in the economy more broadly?”

She continued: “There’s no wrong answer, but what I’m really looking for are people who dream big, who think about the enormous potential of all of that data and all of those insights and who are really focused on driving impact and delivering change out there.”

Explain the rules of tennis to a 10-year-old

“It’s not one that I came up with, but I heard somebody else ask this very interesting question,” Lilika Beck, VP at Sonova Group, said. “They ask whether they know the game of tennis, and if they do, how would you explain the game of tennis and its rules to a 10-year-old, very succinctly? I think what’s cool about that question is it’s a little bit surprising, but it also shows how an individual can simplify and communicate well.”

The Fortune 500 Innovation Forum will convene Fortune 500 executives, U.S. policy officials, top founders, and thought leaders to help define what’s next for the American economy, Nov. 16-17 in Detroit. Apply here.
About the Author
Orianna Rosa Royle
By Orianna Rosa RoyleAssociate Editor, Success
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Orianna Rosa Royle is the Success associate editor at Fortune, overseeing careers, leadership, and company culture coverage. She was previously the senior reporter at Management Today, Britain's longest-running publication for CEOs. 

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Success

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Success

z
PoliticsElections
Mamdani’s bid to become a Democratic socialist kingmaker—and other races to watch in the New York primary
By Anthony Izaguirre and The Associated PressJune 23, 2026
41 minutes ago
Aidan Gomez with a blue background.
AIdata sovereignty
Renting AI from foreign providers is a national security risk, warns Cohere CEO
By Beatrice NolanJune 23, 2026
1 hour ago
After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
Successreturn to office
After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 23, 2026
3 hours ago
gen z
CommentaryCareers
Gen Z: if you want to succeed at work, you need to start friction-maxxing
By Michelle SobelJune 23, 2026
4 hours ago
duck
North AmericaMexico
Mexico City’s unofficial duck soccer mascot stole the presidential press briefing
By The Associated PressJune 22, 2026
17 hours ago
jalen
CommentaryLeadership
What leaders can learn from the Knicks ending their 53-year championship drought
By Melissa Dawn SimkinsJune 22, 2026
20 hours ago

Most Popular

Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
Success
Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
By Sydney LakeJune 21, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 22, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 22, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 22, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 22, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 22, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 22, 2026
1 day ago
The Fed is fed up with inflation and will bring down the hammer with a series of rate hikes this year, reversing earlier cuts, BofA says
Economy
The Fed is fed up with inflation and will bring down the hammer with a series of rate hikes this year, reversing earlier cuts, BofA says
By Jason MaJune 22, 2026
23 hours ago
By 7 a.m., Bank of America’s CEO has already read 5 newspapers, his email inbox, and hit the gym—he says if you’re late to meetings, you’re ‘selfish’
Success
By 7 a.m., Bank of America’s CEO has already read 5 newspapers, his email inbox, and hit the gym—he says if you’re late to meetings, you’re ‘selfish’
By Preston ForeJune 22, 2026
24 hours ago
Current price of gold as of June 22, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of June 22, 2026
By Danny BakstJune 22, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.