Eight Tough but Telling Interview Questions
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Pet Master
"How would you wrangle a herd of cats?" (Assesses a candidate's ability to organize, lead and motivate others.) -
Open Mind
"Do you believe in life on other planets?" (Determines whether an interviewee believes that anything is possible.) -
Isolated Incident
"If you were stranded on an island, which two items would you like to have with you?" (Provides a sense of how well a potential hire can weather a tough situation with limited resources.) -
Shaken, Not Stirred
"If you were trapped in a blender, what would you do to get out?" (Helps evaluate an interviewee's ability to think on his or her feet and solve problems.) -
Sticky Situation
"Define 'Jell-O' without using any form of the word 'gelatin.'" (Shows whether a candidate can use creativity to overcome challenges.) -
Change Agent
"If you were the CEO at your last company, what would you have changed?" (Indicates how an interviewee actively observed organizational areas of improvement.) -
IPO
"If you were a share of stock, why should a company buy you?" (Gives a sense of a potential hire's awareness of his or her key skills and value points.) -
Animated Response
"If you could be a Disney character, which one would you be and why?" (Provides more information about a candidate's personality.)
Anyone who's ever been interviewed for a job has probably been asked at least one really tough, seemingly oddball interview question. You know what we're talking about: the kind of inquiry that seemingly comes out of nowhere for no apparent purpose. If you're interviewing for an applications development opening, for example, a hiring manager may ask, "What flavor of ice cream would you be?" Or "What's the fastest time you've ever solved a Rubik's Cube?" Or "How many grains of sand would it take to fill a 20-ounce bottle of Coke?" The job candidates on the receiving end of such questions may think they are intended to cause instant panic, but they'd be wrong. Responses to the ice cream question, for instance, will reveal something about a candidate's personality. And the other two questions speak to a potential hire's analytical skills. After conducting a recent survey, CareerBuilder has come up with the following tough but purposeful interview questions. On the surface, they cover everything from pets to outer space to snack foods to Disney characters. However, upon closer review, they also help employers evaluate an applicant's organizational capabilities, problem-solving skills, self-awareness and creativity, among other traits. Nearly 2,200 HR and hiring managers took part in the research.