When it comes to preparing questions for the interview process, recruiters have two goals: to identify the candidate whose skill sets match the position’s requirements and whose personality complements the organization’s corporate culture. Traditional questions such as “what are your strengths and weaknesses?” and “where do you see yourself in five years?” can still provide a valuable base for getting to know the candidate. But, as we’ve discussed before, behavioral interview questions give your interviewees the opportunity to show how they’ve approached certain situations in the past, helping you evaluate their potential fit with your organization.
Similarly, oddball interview questions can help you learn more about your candidates. Some of the top tech companies use strange interview questions in their hiring practice for this very reason. Here are a few of our favourites:
- How many Big Macs does McDonald’s sell each year in the U.S.? (Facebook)
- If you could be remembered for one sentence, what would it be? (Google)
- How many children are born every day? (Apple)
- If you had a choice between two superpowers — being invisible or flying — which would you choose? (Microsoft)
- Design a spice rack for the blind (Intel)
The purpose of these interview questions is simple. Not only do these questions keep you from receiving the same practiced responses to traditional interview questions, they also force applicants to get creative and think critically about their answers. You can gauge how an applicant truly responds under pressure while getting an off-the-cuff response that reveals their true values, beliefs and logic. Questions can be positioned to identify candidates’ behavioral patterns, logical and critical thinking, beliefs and values.
Getting creative with your interview questions not only helps get honest answers out of unsuspecting candidates, but it also proves to your prospective candidate that the position is with an organization that thinks outside of the box, making you look great while helping to identify the best applicant to join your team.
Need help selecting the best candidates for your open roles? Our experienced recruiters are ready with some interview tricks of our own! To get started, contact your local Adecco branch today.