Even if you’re already an experienced job seeker and have been to a lot of job interviews, your level of preparation can still be inadequate at times. This is because prospective employers may try to throw a number of weird interview questions for a myriad of reasons, the most common being to gauge how fast and well you think on your feet.
So, do you ever wonder why recruiters and hiring managers tend to ask weird interview questions? If so, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll take a quick look at some of the weirdest interview questions that are most commonly encountered by job seekers and the possible reasons why these are asked as part of the applicant screening process.
1. “Do you consider yourself more of a hunter or a gatherer?”
This question mainly focuses on gauging what kind of an employee you are and the approach you’re most likely to take toward your work. Often, people who are assertive and tend to be focused on one task at a time are considered hunters. Also, they’re more willing to discuss almost anything, and seldom back away from a challenge. On the other hand, gatherers are more likely to be keen on details and excel at multitasking.
2. “If you were given a chance to use a time machine to meet your grandparents in the 50s, how would you explain the Internet to them?“
The most obvious reason why this question is being asked during job interviews is to gauge one’s ability to put creativity and intelligence into practical application. In most situations, recruiters use this in interviews to see how candidates can easily explain something so complex in a way that even those who entirely have no idea about it would understand. This can be a significant factor in boosting their chances of landing the job they’re applying for.
3. “How do you like your eggs?“
While this question might seem not weird at all, the reason behind why it’s asked is pretty interesting. It’s actually to assess how self-aware and honest the interviewee is. Also, being asked like this on the spot lets the interviewee take his or her time to really think about his or her personality and connect it with the way he or she works. Also, people who don’t really know their definite answer to this question help make them seem more genuine. This is because they tend to focus on being honest more than being right.
4. “How would you describe the sky to a blind person?“
Most especially for jobs that require a high level of creativity, this might be one of the most commonly asked weird interview questions. In this question’s context, what’s being assessed is the interviewee’s ability to think outside the box. For example, those who are hiring for writers will benefit most from this interview question, as candidates are given a prompt to use various words. This then reveals how rich their vocabulary is.
5. “If you could kill anybody and get away with it, who would it be, and why?”
Most of us can agree that this is often, if not all the time, considered a trick question. Apart from being used as a “tool” to gauge the candidates’ honesty and integrity, this question is asked by interviewers to see if applicants will answer what’s expected of them: that they won’t choose to kill anybody even if they can get away with it. This is because recruiters look for employees that they can trust to do the right thing.
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Even if you can’t be fully prepared for job interviews, you can always take the extra step to consider the possibility of being asked some weird interview questions that you’re not expecting. Just keep in mind that every question is necessary for the interviewer to assess either your personality, work ethic, skills, or anything in between. So, as much as you can, be honest and just be yourself while enjoying the process.
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