Creative Interview Questions
Do you feel lucky? I'm not joking.
Back in the day, I had a colleague who shared the role of a Project Manager with me. He had a unique approach when it came to interviews – he kicked things off with a straightforward question:
Tell me your favorite joke.This tactic served as a friendly icebreaker, yet it held a clever intention beneath the surface. It subtly assessed whether the candidate resonated with our startup's culture – a dynamic blend of diligent work ethic and an indispensable sense of humor that allowed us to navigate the challenges with a smile.
Zappos founder Tony Hsieh used to ask a couple of different creative interview questions and my favorite is:
Do you consider yourself a lucky person?He said, “Lucky people approach the world with an open and optimistic mind that enables them to see unexpected opportunity more readily.”
Deborah Bial, president of the Posse Foundation likes to use this question to see what a candidate thinks:
What’s in the news today?“I want to assess how interesting someone is as a person,” she says, “ in addition to how effective they might be at work.” Small talk is a great place to evaluate how a candidate thinks and more importantly how well they can express themselves.
Peter Thiel, PayPal CoFounder and President of Clarium Capital, asks a question to find a specific value in candidates:
Tell me something that’s true, that almost nobody agrees with you on.In looking for people who aren’t afraid to speak their minds, this question is a “great test for originality of thinking”, he says, “and it also measures a candidate’s courage in speaking up in a difficult context”.
Gabe Kennedy, cofounder of Plant People uses this question to not just get feedback but also mindset:
What are we doing well, and where is there an opportunity to grow?“I want complete honesty, even if it is uncomfortable,” he says. The more diversity of perspectives, opinions, and inputs we get, the better we become.”
Harold Hughes, the founder and CEO of blockchain-based analytics company Bandwagon proposes a question with no “right” answer:
Would you rather be rich or would you rather be king?This particular question gives Hughes insight into how the candidate thinks about power. “There’s no wrong answer between rich and king,” he says. “What’s more important is the reasoning. If the response is to be rich but they use their new wealth in ways to help others, that speaks to their empathy and compassion. If they choose to be king, I’m interested in their views on impacting power structures.”
Dara Richardson-Heron, former CEO of YWCA has used this simple yet very complex question:
How would you describe yourself in one word?She feels “the best candidates are the ones who know exactly who they are.” However, there is no judgment on the word they choose but she uses it as a way in discovering how people define themselves.
While grappling with these imaginative questions might not be a breeze, it's evident that they're not thrown in for mere show. Your spontaneous response often reveals more insights than the standard inquiries ever could.
Amid this array of interview dynamics, there's one question you should absolutely have up your sleeve – a question poised for when it's your turn to inquire, as advised by Robert Reiss, the Host & CEO of “The CEO Show”:
What traits will help me succeed long-term at the company?With his extensive experience of interviewing over a thousand of the world's top CEOs, Robert Reiss has uncovered a potent query that effortlessly engages the hiring manager. This question not only underscores your willingness for a straightforward dialogue regarding the sought-after soft skills but also demonstrates your readiness to delve into research, absorb the company culture, and exhibit a perpetual sense of curiosity.
Wishing you the best of luck, and it's never too early to start pondering over that joke you can whip out the next time you meet a hiring manager.