Some People Are Trying To Stop Those Weird Interview Questions

You know those odd interview questions that seem totally irrelevant to the job – a group is trying to put a stop to those.

By DAVID on October 1, 2018
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Job interviews are annoying, they’re stressful, and they’re downright silly sometimes. Interviewers try to stun us with all sorts of questions. Company history, our experience, work history, and some really weird stuff. “If you were a tree, what sort of tree would you be?” That’s one example given in this article that’s calling for a ban on those oddball questions.

A lot of job interviews start our serious and stiff. Of course they do, it’s a new environment, new people, and we’re nervous about making a good impression. And I think peoples’ opinions about the oddball questions is probably split. Sometimes they’re a fun diversion that can open a more casual conversation. Other times they throw people off and kind of cause the interview to awkwardly fizzle out. Let’s say you’re trying to get a job managing some people at an accounting firm or something like that. Why do you need to know what sort of rock you’d be, if you could be a rock? Some people are taking issue with those weird questions though. Maybe they feel like the workplace should focus more on work than what state they’d pick if they could get rid of any US state.

Truth be told, hiring managers like to ask weird questions to get a little glimpse into your creativity, spontaneous thinking, or how you handle things coming out of left-field. Managers like to hire someone qualified for the job, yes, but they also want someone who can think quick on their feet. You’re working on a project that you’re totally focussed on, but something else pops up that needs attention. Can you clear your brain and handle that quickly, or will you be stuck in “project mode” and not be able to focus? Do you think that interviews should be all business and experience? Or do you think oddball questions and personal conversation goes a long way in finding a great candidate?

The answer is Nebraska, by the way.

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