Craziest Questions asked in the Interviews
If you are a job seeker who is about to attend his/her next interview, let me tell you that there can be two types of questions that can be asked to you — The conventional ones and the crazy ones. Well, the conventional ones mostly include:
1. Tell me something about yourself
2. Your Strengths/weakness
3. Why should we hire you?
4. Where do you see yourself 5 years down the line?
Such questions are like Snow in Siberia –you know the chances of such questions being asked are very high. So you get enough time and thoughts to prepare about them. And if it’s your lucky day, you can deliver such answers in front of the interviewer with the same ease as you’d talk to your friend — bold and confident.
But then, life isn’t easy, is it? There are days when the interviewer might throw curveballs at you and that’s where the situation becomes tricky. What makes such tricky (or crazy) questions even trickier is the fact that they come unexpected, and do not have any right or wrong answer.
So How to answer a crazy Interview Question?
Suppose the Interview is going all good and suddenly the interviewer throws a bizarre question at you which you did not expect, DO NOT PANIC!
That’s the last thing you can do.
Mentioned Below is a collection of tips on how to answer crazy interview questions:
1. Practice:
Preparation and practice are the best ways to tackle any challenge. Select a friend who is suitable for the interview practice and start practicing with him/her. This will help you a lot while answering during the interview. Now during the practice sessions, brainstorm and figure out some tough questions that can be asked to you and try to prepare an answer for that.
According to Sarah Hancock, Content Marketing Manager at BestCompany.com;
‘I was applying to work as an English teacher for a nonprofit in the education industry and was being interviewed by the Program Director.
In the interview, he asked me: “If you were a kitchen appliance, which kitchen appliance would you be and why?”
It really caught me off guard! I responded that I would be a refrigerator because I’m a chill person who’s usually stuffed with food. It was a goofy answer, but the interviewer laughed and mentioned that he liked my creativity. I ended up landing the position!’
2. Maintain your cool:
If you are asked a question that stumps you, first take a deep breath. Maintain good posture, and look the interviewer in the eye. You want to appear calm and confident, even if you don’t feel that way.
If an Interviewer asks you a question that completely surprises you, remain calm. I know it is easier said than done, but this is the only way out — and an effective one.
According to Patrick Adcock, Marketing Analyst at TSheets;
‘I was asked: “What’s your spirit animal?”
I was definitely surprised by the question as it followed some fairly standard interview questions. I even asked for the interviewer to repeat the question just in case I heard him wrong. My answer was that my spirit animal is a husky because I’m always up for an adventure and will have a smile on my face the whole time.
After I got hired on, I asked my manager about the question and he told me it was to make sure I was a good culture fit. We have a great culture here at TSheets and do our best to protect that with each employee we bring on’.
3. Make some time:
If such a question pops up, it is okay to take a little time before answering. There are various tactics to buy some time such as, “Ah that is a unique question; allow me to think about it for a moment.”
According to Casie Grammer, Customer Success Manager at airCFO;
“I asked this question to the candidates I interviewed: “Can you tell me 10 things you could do with a pencil other than writing?”
The answers included some basic responses such as erasing, but I was really surprised by some of the other responses. One of the candidates we ended up hiring said “A tool to pick the earwax out of your headphones after you’ve used them”, which I thought was so honest and funny (come on, most of us have done it!). It’s a nice break from traditional accounting questions and also shows how well candidates can think on their feet.
4. Keep the Job in mind:
Always remember that there is nothing like a “Crazy interview question”. There is a reason behind whatever an interviewer asks. The basic idea is to judge you whether or not you are suitable for the job. Before answering a question, structure it in such a way that it connects with the requirement of the job.
For example, if the interviewer asks what color best represents you, you might say, “Blue, because it is a calming color and I am good at staying calm under pressure.”
5. Follow-Up.
If you could not answer the question by the end of the interview, include a response to the question in your thank you letter. That will make you stand out from the crowd and will give the interviewer an idea that you are genuinely interested.
Now you must have got an idea that there isn’t anything like a “Crazy or stupid” interview question. There’s always a reason behind what is asked. But here’s the thing — the companies who ask such questions are into “Thinking-off-the-grid” kinds. And let me be honest with you, not all interviews are like this. So if you are asked such a question, chances are the work environment of that company will be exquisite!
So your next question can be: As a fresher who is looking for fresher job openings , where can I find companies like these?
Well, there are places where such companies are registered. HireMee is one such state-of-the-art online assessment platform that links students, colleges, and companies. It also has connections with over 2100 top companies and over 3800 plus colleges. It houses huge pre-assessed candidate database of over 4 lac students. Companies with an “Off-the-grid” approach always love such portals to post their job requirements.
So it does not matter if you are a recruiter looking for online recruitment solution or a fresher seeking for a job, HireMee has something for everyone, including an online assessment app for job.