25 Creative Interview Questions People Actually Want to Answer
So, an employee just quit and now you’ve got to start looking for a new job candidate to join your team — someone who embodies the skills and creativity that will make them a good fit for your company. Great. That means a whole mess of questions and answers and resumes and cover letters and job interview questions and, oh my goodness, is it over yet?
The application and interview process is grueling on both ends — don’t let anyone tell you differently. Learning what goes into an exceptional cover letter and interview is just as exhausting as being on the receiving end. Reading resumes, cover letters and social media profiles is downright frustrating! You have to analyze work experience, skills, and creativity. You have to search through the dozens of job seekers applying for the position and pick the select few you want to reach out to. And then you have to actually interview them! Now you have to worry about what questions will get you the best answers. But what’s to stop you from adding some fun to the mix, right?
How Creative Questions Can Aid the Interview Process
Creative questions can help you better understand a person by forcing them to think differently. And it’s very likely that the question itself will be one they’re not prepared for, so they’ll be forced to answer it honestly.
Throughout the interview process, it is vital that you understand and get at least a glimpse into many different aspects of a potential employee. You don’t want to just see the good stuff or the stuff they want you to see. You want to see what inspires them, what motivates them, and what things bring them joy. This will help you better decide if the candidate is right for your position and can fit in with your team.
25 Creative Interview Questions to Ask
If you’re looking for some new and creative interview questions to ask in your next interview, give these a shot — they’re bound to give you answers that shed some insights on your prospective employee.
Questions About Personal Preferences
1. What’s your favorite season?
2. If you were a pie, what flavor would you be?
3. What’s your favorite fairy tale?
4. What’s your go-to coffee order?
5. What’s your favorite ‘90s jam?
6. If you could eat anything in the world right now, what would it be?
Questions About Making Choices
7. How many times a day do you type something into Google?
8. If you had all the money in the world to spend, what kind of vacation would you plan?
9. If you were stranded on a desert island, which three items would you bring with you?
10. If there was a disaster and you could either save three strangers or one family member, which would you choose and why?
11. If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?
12. How much pizza have you consumed until this point in your life?
Questions About Self-Perception
13. If they made a movie about your life, who would play you and why?
14. Are you a hunter or a gatherer?
15. If you were a clothing brand, what would you be and why?
16. If you were a type of beverage, what would you be and why?
17. If you could be any television or movie character, who would you be and why?
Other Questions
18. What’s a funny story that’s happened to you recently?
19. How would you describe the color blue to someone who was blind?
20. How many quarters would fit in this room?
21. If you had a theme song, what would it be?
22. Who is the last person you called about an important matter, and why?
23. What's one thing you do that your friends say is "classic" you?
24. How do you spend your time when you're not working?
25. How do you recharge your batteries if and when you've ever felt burned out?
Why You Should Switch It Up in the Interview Process
Interviewees get tired of the same, boring job interview questions just like interviewers get bored of asking them. Of course, you have to ask candidates about their job histories and role-specific questions — but that doesn’t mean you can’t throw a curveball to have some fun. That’s not to say that tough interview questions don’t have their place. They can teach you how potential candidates will act in certain situations. They teach you how people solve problems and make decisions. But some good, creative, open-ended questions can give you insights as well — and these are better for understanding a person as a whole, not just as an employee.
Maybe you’re new to the role of interviewer, or maybe you’re a seasoned professional. Wherever you are, you could do with some creative interview questions to ask in your next sit down. It’s likely no one ever really told you that before — you’ve probably never been asked what cereal you’d be if you were a cereal in a job interview. But questions like this are so much more than silly icebreakers.
The Bottom Line: Asking Creative Interview Questions
These creative, oddball interview questions can shed some light on potential candidates and give you some ideas for questions of your own. There are many different ways you can learn about the skills, weaknesses, and experiences of the job candidates you bring in to interview. You don’t have to ask the same boring, common interview questions everyone asks. In fact, it’s better to ask candidates questions they wouldn’t expect to see how they act on their feet.
Lighten the mood. Have some fun. Get a good laugh in. The interview process doesn’t have to be boring, lifeless, and stressful. Engage with your interviewee on a more personal level with the help of these questions. Share a laugh, it’ll help you see who they really are.
Hopefully, these interview questions have sparked some creativity of your own so that the next time you sit down for an interview you’ll be ready to get some quality insights and have a little fun while you’re doing it.
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