Eight Tough but Telling Interview Questions

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.