Outrageous Job Interview Questions

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Hiring is one of the toughest things a manager has to do, so asking provocative questions in interviews is one way to try to determine what (and how) a candidate really thinks.

But these questions might go a little too far. Compiled by Glassdoor from job applicants, these actual interview questions go way beyond “Where do you see yourself in five years?”

  • “Pick two celebrities to be your parents.”
  • “What kitchen utensil would you be?”
  • “What’s your favorite song? Perform it for us now.”
  • “On a scale from one to 10, rate me as an interviewer.”
  • “Have you ever stolen a pen from work?”
  • “How would people communicate in a perfect world?”

Out of that list, that last one might be intriguing to ask a job candidate, but the others seem just as likely to turn off potential employees. Your questions should be provocative – but they should also be relevant to the job the candidate is applying for and tell you something about the candidate’s potential for that position. Hypothetical questions about challenges the employee might face are good to ask, and there are many common interview questions that can prompt revealing answers.

It’s essential to have more than one person interview a candidate, and if you can, put job candidates through a test or tryout to give you a more objective sense of their abilities.

Adapted from Ten Outrageous Job Interview Questions at CIO Insight. And send us your small business success tips.