Jobseeker baffled after being given 'unsolvable' brainteaser at interview

When preparing for a job interview, most hopeful candidates spend hours researching the company and preparing commonly-asked questions. But one jobseeker was caught off guard when asked to solve a brainteaser as part of their interview - admitting they're still unsure whether they answered it correctly. The brainteaser reads, "Solve the puzzle! What is the missing letter?" and goes onto show a 3 x 3 grid of various letters with four options to choose from when it comes to the missing space.

The puzzle

H	E	O
N	R	?
M	T	C

The player is then presented with four options - I, S, Y, and P - and is asked to select the correct one to replace the question mark.

The jobseeker added: "It's an entry level job on the business end of an MNC [multinational corporation]!! It was a pretty long test..."

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In response, one user said: "If you're asked this kind of abstract question in a job interview, they're probably not looking for a 'correct' answer but rather they way you approach the problem.

"An interview question I heard about a few years ago was, 'Estimate how many window-cleaners are there in New York City'.

"Similarly, they're not looking for an answer as much as they're looking at the way you approach the problem."

Another user added: "What kind of a job are you applying to that gives you a test like this?"

A third user said: "I don't know if I’d be hoping I got a job that uses brainteasers as interview questions.

"In my opinion, the places that do this have terrible hiring practices and terrible company cultures. That being said, money is money."

The answer

Turns out, a number of answers could have been correct, depending on your perspective. Sharing their thoughts on the answer, one user said: "S because looking down the line of three each of the groups has line patterns in common, in the first column it looks like two parallel vertical lines, in the second column it appears to be a single vertical line, and the third column seems like it could be the 'C' like curve which S would have."

Another user added: "I would have picked I because the first column has 3 consonants, the second column has 2, and with I, the third column would have 1.

"The first row has 1 consonant, the third row has 3. With I, the second row would have 2. This would leave a pattern of 3, 2, 1 and 1, 2, 3 with the columns and rows, respectively."

Whereas another said: "I would say Y. This gives each row 7 end points of pen lines, i.e. 4 for H, 3 for E, 0 for O. Furthermore the 4 possible answers, have 4,3,2, and one respectively."

Thanking them for their time, the jobseeker agreed S is likely the correct answer, with them adding: "This looks right! Thank you; it’s been causing me a lot of brain-pain."