Funny Interview Questions: Should You Ask Them?

Are you looking for a new job?

We’ve all been there. You’re scrolling through your Facebook feed and an ad pops up for a company you’ve never heard of.

They have an opening for your dream job! You start to apply, but then you realize – you don’t have any experience in that field. What do you do?

Don’t worry, we can help! With our tips for asking funny interview questions, you can show off your personality and make the interviewer laugh. It might just be the edge you need to land the job of your dreams.

When to ask funny interview questions

Before we get into the nitty of how to be funny in an interview, let’s cover when and where you should be cracking jokes.

First of all, if you’re looking for a new job that has nothing to do with your current career path or industry, do not try and be funny.

Don’t get us wrong – it might work! But even so, your potential employer doesn’t want you working for them if this is the only place you will ever fit in.

They need someone who knows what they are doing and can contribute right away. So don’t try and sell yourself as a comedian unless that is actually what you want to do: comedy.

If you are interviewing for a position in your current company or industry, then this post is for you!

Go ahead and be funny to lighten the mood during an interview. You never know when saying something is going to help you out right when it matters most.

For instance, if you’re trying to impress with knowledge about the company, but can’t think of anything witty to say… just play it safe and keep reading.

When not to ask funny interview questions

Despite all that we have discussed so far, there are still some moments where asking funny interview questions isn’t appropriate.

If you’re unsure whether or not it’s alright to crack jokes in your next meeting, look to see if any of these situations are present.

If the interviewer is not smiling or laughing, then they don’t appreciate your jokes. Unless you are 100% sure that they are always a funny person, tone it down for now because this might not be the best time to try and make them laugh.

Do I have to?

No! But if you still want to go for it, here are some tips on how to ask funny interview questions.

Tips for asking funny interview questions

Here are our top four tips for asking funny interview questions:

1. Don't try to be too zany

2. Make sure you’re joking

3. Put effort into your timing

4. Know when not to crack a joke

Don’t try to be too zany

It’s ok for you to be a little quirky in an interview, but don't try going overboard. You can have a few jokes ready, but if your interviewer is not laughing or smiling back it might be best if you just stop trying so hard and get into the real interview questions (the ones that really matter).

Make sure you’re joking

Do we even need to say this? Make sure that the funniness of your question comes across while still being professional and appropriate.

If people can tell that you are lying about what you said, then it won’t add anything positive to the interaction. When in doubt, follow our next tip for how to ask funny interview questions.

Put effort into your timing

If you want a chance at being funny, then you need to know when to crack a joke. Timing is very important in stand-up comedy and the same holds true for interviewing.

If you try saying something right before or after someone else speaks, it might sound weird and add more awkwardness than humor.

If your interviewer ends a sentence with "Do you have any questions?", raise your hand back so they don’t forget that you have something on your mind!

Knowing when to respond with a funny question will make them look forward to hearing what you have to say next!

Know when not to crack a joke

This tip goes with our last point about timing. You should know when not to crack a joke, even if you think it’s the best time to do so.

For example, if your interviewer is trying to be serious during the last few questions, then they might not appreciate your jokes because it will skew their opinion of you as an employee.

If something just happened that is too important to laugh about, don’t try and turn this into a fun interview!

Why you should ask funny interview questions?

We have already discussed some of the "whys" regarding asking funny interview questions, but here are a few more reasons to consider:

1. You get your interviewer to loosen up

2. It makes you stand out from the other applicants

3. If it goes well, it will make for an unforgettable moment

4. You can use humor in an honest way

You get your interviewer to loosen up

Do you want to be judged on how much fun you’re having in your job?

Probably not, so why would you want them judging you on that when interviewing?

Having someone laugh or smile when talking with you helps them see that you are friendly and easy to work with (a good trait for any employer).

The pressure is off when you get to laugh during an interview, so you’ll be more comfortable and can answer better!

You have a chance at standing out from the other applicants

If your interviewer is looking for someone to hire, then they are most likely comparing you to everyone else who has applied.

A joke can send your name shooting up to the top of the list because it makes you stand out. Try asking some funny interview questions since it will make them remember who you are while seeing how well you respond under pressure.

If there was another candidate that interviewed right before you, don’t hold back on trying to make yourself memorable!

You can use humor in an honest way

Many people think that making a joke means saying something dishonest, but that’s not the case. If you are thinking of making a joke, then it means that you think something is funny, worth noting, or interesting (yes, even if that thing is you ).

You can use your sense of humor to show off what made you stand out while finding out more about how they do things. Just make sure that the honesty in why you think something is funny comes through instead of lying!

Why you shouldn’t ask funny interview questions

Here are some reasons why asking funny interview questions might be bad:

1. It will make your interviewer feel judged

2. They might realize it’s not professional

3. The tone of voice and body language will matter 4. Your questions need to be work-related

It will make your interviewer feel judged

If you aren’t sure how much of a joke you can tell, then ask yourself this:

"Would I be cool with someone coming up to me and saying the same thing?"

If you wouldn’t appreciate being told this by one of your friends or family, then don’t say it in an interview. This applies even if a joke is meant as a compliment.

Jokes about someone’s clothes might mean that they think what they are wearing isn’t professional enough for them to work there. So unless your interviewer is decked out head-to-toe in comic book merchandise, keep those jokes to yourself!

They might realize it’s not professional

Even the best joke can be ruined by poor delivery. This means that you need to make sure your tone of voice and body language keep the joke going if you want to get your point across.

If you don’t have a good tone, then it might come across as mocking instead of funny! And this brings us to our next point…

Your questions need to be work-related

This is especially important for jobs where humor isn’t something that they deal with on a daily basis (i.e., finance).

In these cases, using funny interview questions might show them how seriously their work should be taken instead of giving them an idea about how well they will fit in there.

By the time you get to this interview, they should have a pretty good idea of whether or not you are qualified for the job. If they don’t think that your jokes are funny, then it might mean that they think you aren’t serious enough!

Funny interview questions examples

Now that we have covered all of our bases on how and when to ask funny interview questions, let’s move on to some more concrete examples of what these kinds of questions might look like in real-life situations

: How would you describe yourself in three?

What's your favorite pastime?

Which superhero do you most resemble and why?

How would you describe yourself in three adjectives?

This is a classic funny interview question since it lets you show off your personality. It also gives the interviewer an idea about how well you are able to describe yourself.

The best way to play this one is by having fun with it! If your passions come across as witty, then your interviewer will be more likely to remember that instead of being turned off by them.

What's your favorite pastime?

Finding out what people do for fun can tell us a lot about their personalities. Plus, they might have some fun hobbies that they aren’t doing now but would like to pursue once they start working.

It’s kind of like finding the secret that they don’t even know about themselves! You can then use humor to make your point by saying something like, “I think you should try it too because it will be an awesome addition to your normal workday."

Or if they say something more serious, you might want to ask them why this is their favorite thing to do (without making fun of them).

What superhero do you most resemble and why?

This question gives the interviewer a chance to talk about their views on heroism/superheroes without having to actually put any thought into it.

This could lead to a discussion where people share their thoughts on whether or not superheroes are real or just fictional concepts that we like to believe in.

It can also be a great way for them to show off their creative side and demonstrate that they wouldn’t be stuck doing the same kind of work day after day!

If there's one thing I've learned from my life, it's that you shouldn't judge people by how good or bad their jokes are.

Some people might make all kinds of assumptions about you based on whether or not they found your jokes funny (which isn't the best reason).

So take this advice with you as you interview at places and use whatever humor you think is appropriate! Just remember: If it comes across as mean, then don't do it!

You should always ask yourself if your interviewer will be mad/offended by what you say. If they are, then don’t do it! Instead, come up with a different way to tell the same joke or comment on whatever situation you were going for.

Even if you make a joke that doesn't land perfectly, having the right tone can turn an unfunny question into something people might actually laugh at.

But of course...it's best not to even go there because nobody likes being made fun of...ever! So no matter what you do, try not to focus too much on trying to be funny and just speak from your heart :)