We have all been there, feeling fully prepared for the interview when all of a sudden, you get asked a question which doesn’t make any sense.
From If you were a brick in a wall, which one would you be,to how many basketballs can you fit into this room, interviewees are often thrown an unexpected question to catch them off guard.
While this may seem completely unnecessary, these oddball questions have a purpose. With an unusual and normally unrelatable subject matter to the role you are interviewing for, these oddball questions serve the purpose of how you as a candidate solve a problem.
Most of the time, there isn’t an exact answer – how would the interviewer know how many basketballs fit in the room unless they’ve done it before (which is very unlikely) therefore it is important to understand that the process of working out the answer is more important than the answer itself.
How to answer an oddball question
Be confident and explain how you got to your answer. Remember, it is unlikely there is a correct answer.
Here is how our Talent Team would answer some oddball questions.
Q: If you were a brick in a wall, which one would you be?
A:Most likely I would be at the bottom as a solid foundation. I’m strong minded, reliable and less likely to get knocked down compared to the bricks at the top
What does it test for:Where you see yourself in a team.
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