FIND A NEW JOB WITH US

Would you know how to answer a bizarre interview question? Aimee Stanton finds out

“The weirdest question I’ve ever been asked was, when a hot dog expands, in which direction does it split and why? I was stumped,” says Jake from Swansea.

Whatever the right answer, Jake’s odd interview question isn’t unusual, as recent evidence suggests employers are seeing how candidates cope with the unexpected by asking sometimes unanswerable questions at interviews.

“To this day I don’t know what the right answer to this question is – what would you serve for a breakfast for an African king?” wondered Charlie from Leeds.

Alice from Reigate saw the funny side though, “I found it quite humorous despite being a little lost for words when I was asked, If you were a Microsoft Office program, which one would you be and why?”

This unique approach to interviewing isn’t falling favourably with many candidates though – according to research from CV Library, more than half (52.1 per cent) of professionals don’t think this style is the right approach to take. One third (35 per cent) also believe that these kind of questions do not reveal whether the candidate is right person for the job and a quarter (25.9 per cent) of workers also added that these kind of difficult interview questions don’t actually cover any of the important facts that the interviewer needs to know.

The research, which surveyed 1,200 UK workers about the weirdest questions they’ve been asked at a job interview proved that this kind of interview style could actually discouraging candidates apply for jobs at companies renowned for asking such questions as one in 10 (9.6 per cent) admitted this type of tricky interview would put them off applying in the first place.

“There are some big organisations that have become known for their crazy interview questions, and while these may feel like a good idea to get candidates thinking on their feet and being creative, it’s clear that job hunters are feeling the pressure,” explains founder and managing director of CV-Library, Lee Biggins. “Being prepared is the key to interview success, but it can be harder to prepare for the trickier questions.”

Two thirds (62 per cent) of those surveyed also admitted to having experienced this type of interview style before, so how do you prepare for the unexpected?

“If you’ve got an interview coming up, try to have something up your sleeve, and if you are faced with a tough question be sure to relate it back to why you’ll be an asset to the company,” Lee says. “It might seem hard, but confidence is important here, don’t let the question throw you – keep calm, and carry on!”

“There are some big organisations out there that have become known for crazy interview questions”

Lee Biggins Founder and managing director CV Library