3 Impossible Interview Questions and How to Respond - Walrath Recruiting, Inc.

3 Impossible Interview Questions and How to Respond - Walrath Recruiting, Inc. At times interviewing can be interesting, difficult, or even daunting, all depending on the questions being asked. At Walrath Recruiting, Inc., we are primarily performing prescreen  and in office interviews to get to know our candidates, what their skills are what their personality is like, and what they are interested in doing. These types of interviews help us to not only find jobs that they would like but jobs that they will fit. We do our best to get to know our candidates and ask a variety of questions to do so but, we keep our questioning pretty standard and in a somewhat conversational format. Adversely, hiring managers may take an entirely different approach to identifying new employees. Their questions may be more detailed (according to the given position they are interviewing for) or even more abstract by asking “impossible questions”. You may have been personally asked some of these or have heard of people being asked them, but what are they really for? Are they pointless, or is there some reasoning for them being asked? We wanted to open an eye into the world of the candidates asked those questions, hiring managers asking these questions, and what our recruiters think about the questions. Question #1: “How many basketballs fit in a school bus?” Job Seeker Answer: When I was asked this question I was confused as to why this question was relevant to the position I had applied for. All I could think was “just answer the question, any number, just say something!” Trying not to panic I said “500”. Although this was probably not the correct answer, I explained it by saying “if there are 25 seats on a bus, and about 20 balls fit around each seat, 25 multiplied by 20 comes out to be 500.” I hoped by explaining how I came up with that answer, the interviewer would see that I am not easily flustered, and am able to think on my feet to find a solution to the most bizarre dilemmas. Recruiter Reaction to Response: While the answer may not be correct, the thought process that went into finding an answer is important. Rather than guessing a random number the job seeker displayed rational and logical decision making skill with their answer. Not only were those skills displayed the job seeker showed the ability to clearly communicate why the decision was made, a soft skill that we often look for in candidates. What our recruiters think about this type of question: “This question is most likely to see how well you do with critical thinking and logical problem solving.” “This question looks at analytical problem solving and how well you can address issues and think outside the box.” Question #2: “If you were a kitchen appliance, what would you be?” Job Seeker Answer: My answer to this question was “a blender.” I said that I am a blender because I am able to handle a lot of different tasks at once, and blend a lot of information together to make it useful. After the interview, I started over thinking my response. I wondered if I should have said “A blender because it can grind through any difficult task and smooth out the bumps and conflicts of any situation.” I was left feeling uneasy and unsure of what the interviewer wanted to hear. Recruiter Reaction to Response: While there is no “real correct answer” to this question, I did like the job seeker’s initial response. When the choice of the blender was made, the same reasoning used is what I would have expected for a blender. However, a more developed answer that expanded into ‘how’ the candidate had used those skills would have given me a better understanding of how they would fit into a particular role. What our recruiters think about this type of question: “Explain your personality through your answer, and expand on useful skills. What do you think you are the best at and use the kitchen appliance as a metaphor.” “Some kitchen appliances are more useful than others, so they may use the appliance you chose to see where you see yourself in the command ladder, and how useful you could be to the company.” “This question shows how well you process information and could potentially tell a lot about your nature and demeanor.” Question #3: “Describe the color pink to a blind person” Job Seeker Answer: Although it was one of the most difficult questions I have ever been asked, I assumed it was deliberately asked to see how well I was able to verbally communicate. I struggled to compare pink to tangible things someone can feel. I explained that the color pink could be described as soft and delicate. Recruiter Reaction to Response: While I would agree pink is soft and delicate the overall answer being just those two descriptors seems a little weak. Not incorrect but there could be more of an answer given. I might try to dig a little deeper here to better understand if there was an inability to communicate an idea or if it just wasn’t a creative answer. What our recruiters think about this type of question: “Again, critical thinking and using communication to solve a problem. To answer this you have to be very creative, which depending on the job you are applying for this can be very important.” “This is to see how thorough you are with your communication. It also shows attention to detail which is important.” “This question is all about using creativity and your ability to express it.” If one of these (or any other) “impossible interview questions” are asked of you take a moment to think about how you are answering them, don’t just blurt something out. The answer being sought out isn’t necessarily about it being correct. These are the questions used to “dig” deeper, see how you react or process information. Take the time to show your best self, don’t be frazzled, show you are calm and able to think in the moment! For more information about interviewing take a look at: Interview Preparation Guide Phone Interviews Surprising Interview Tips Please note: No recruiters, hiring managers, job seekers, or jobs were harmed during this exercise.