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Why Interviewers Ask These 8 Random Questions

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elephant in the room

Summary: We explain why interviewers ask random questions that may seem meaningless to you but actually reveal more about your personality than you realize.

Everyone has been in an interview where you are asked a question that you are unprepared for and ultimately throws you off. Those random and odd questions serve a purpose for interviewers by showing your true character. The experts have spilled the beans on eight questions that they regularly ask applicants.

  1. “Tell me a joke.” While this question may seem unprofessional for an interview, it actually gives any authentic candidates the ability to relax and be themselves for the rest of the interview. Companies in any industry are always looking for employees with a sense of humor.
  2. “Have you ever played a competitive sport?” This question may be asked ahead of the formal interview. Interviewers want to know what kind of team player you are, the goalie or the point guard. Goalies shy away from the center of the action. The point guard or center attackers do everything they can to get in front of the ball. Another reason this question is asked is because being a member of a team generally means you have good work ethic.
  3. “(Insert your name), tell me your story.” Such an open-ended question can be intimidating, but you can answer with creativity and colorful details that don’t appear on your resume or cover letter. The question is a type of game where the interviewers are testing to see if you can play along and not worry about giving the right answer.
  4. “What’s your favorite restaurant?” Questions that deal with food are asked a lot because food is a large part of our culture. Someone that has a passion for something specific will stand out. Some companies have distinctive core values where this question will reveal if the candidate will be a good match.
  5. “If you could open any business of your own, what would it be and why?” A company is looking for genuine answers to this question and not one of opening a business similar to the company. The truth is that most people have unique passions that are unrelated to the type of work they do.
  6. “What would you do if you had an elephant in your backyard?” This type of question gets the best candidates to really use their imagination. There are so many different ways that the question can be answered allowing the interviewer to see how quickly the applicant can think on their feet.
  7. “What is your spirit animal?” This question can show the interviewer if the applicant’s character traits match the positions traits.
  8. “I’m just not sure you are right for this job.” An interviewer may use this line to weed out the best candidates from the rest even when they think an applicant is a great fit. The best candidate will take this line as a motivation to work harder and prove that they are the best choice for the job. Other applicants will just give up and assume they won’t be hired.

What is the weirdest question you have even been asked during an interview? Please tell us in the comments below the article.

Photo: npr.org

Why Interviewers Ask These 8 Random Questions by
Authored by: Amanda Griffin