Asking Unconventional Interview Questions Gets Applicants to “Think” * Incedo Group

Asking Unconventional Interview Questions Gets Applicants to “Think”

Wouldn’t it be nice to get a preview of how a person thinks before you actually hire him to work for your company? Let’s face it, during an employment hiring process you only get to know an applicant to a certain degree.

Most hiring managers usually ask questions about an individual’s personal life, educational background, and professional experiences—and that’s really about as far as you get. Applicants expect that, and they’ve already prepared I’m-perfect-hire-me-answers for those questions!

If you want to dig a bit deeper, then you could ask situational questions to see how an applicant would most likely react. However, some situational questions can’t be used to measure an applicant’s creativity.

The employment hiring process, especially for companies in the IT and creative industries should be more focused on gauging how an applicant will think and work, not just his past accomplishments.

Big companies like Microsoft make the most out of interviews to see how a person thinks. They use unconventional interview questions to gauge an applicant’s aptitude and problem-solving abilities, and this method has worked wonders in their employment hiring process.

Below are a few examples of unconventional interview questions:

How would you weigh an airplane without a scale? (This question is said to be asked at Microsoft’s applicant interview). Great for testing an applicant’s analytical skills!
A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he here? (asked at Clark Construction Group interview)
What song best describes your work ethics? (this question is usually asked at Dell hiring interviews)
How would you design Bill Gates’ bathroom? (asked at Microsoft recruitment interviews). This question is great for determining an applicant’s artistic talents and capability to think out of the box.
If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare for us? (this question is asked at Trader Joe’s employee hiring process)
Estimate how many windows are in New York. (asked at Bain & Company hiring interview). Asking this question will give you a clear idea of how the applicant will handle tasks that need a good amount of problem-solving and creative thinking.
Pick two celebrities to be your parents. (this question is asked at Urban Outfitters employment interviews)
If you had turned you cell phone to silent, and it rang loudly despite it being on silent, what would you tell me? (asked at Kimberly-Clark hiring interview). This question gauges how applicants will react when put in a difficult or awkward situation.

There is no doubt that asking conventional interview questions can make a company’s employment hiring process more effective. The answer applicants give will help employers measure a person’s wit and creativity.