Don’t get caught with your pants down; the top 10 oddball interview questions for 2015 plus the intention behind each according to Glassdoor and their associate director of corporate communications, Scott Dobroski.
“What would you do if you were the one survivor in a plane crash?” –This question was asked of an Airbnb trust and safety investigator job candidate.
As with all the oddball questions, interviewees should relate their answers back to the workplace. In this case, a potential response could include how to ensure the survivor’s safety, as well as checking the rest of the plane to make sure there were no other survivors. Asking about nearby resources, such as radio or cell phone towers, could also help show the interviewer that the applicant can think ahead and plan for emergencies.
“What’s your favorite ’90s jam?” — A Squarespace customer care job candidate.
While this might seem goofy, this open-ended question is a way for a candidate to show off their positive qualities. These can be very short responses, as long as you relate it back to the workplace.
“If you woke up and had 2,000 unread emails and could only answer 300 of them, how would you choose which ones to answer?” — Dropbox rotation program job candidate.
This is the type of situation that almost everyone deals with today, but it also allows the candidate to show how he or she would prioritize in a potentially stressful situation. Candidates could note that they’d search for names of people and subject line terms that would need attention first, for example.
“If you had a machine that produced $100 dollars for life, what would you be willing to pay for it today?” — Aksia research analyst job candidate.
Candidates could ask the interviewer for more information, such as whether there is only one of these machines available or if there’s a glut. Asking about whether there is risk involved — such as whether the owner could be targeted by criminals — could also help show analytic skills, Dobroski noted.
“What did you have for breakfast?” – Banana Republic sales associate job candidate.
This sounds like small talk, but it allows the interviewer to gauge whether the candidate is an upbeat person and can relate to other people. Sales associates are asked questions all day long by customers, and keeping upbeat energy is important.
“Describe the color yellow to somebody who’s blind.” — Spirit Airlines flight attendant job candidate.
This question tests a candidate’s sensitivity and how they gather information. Before giving a final answer, he or she could ask whether the person is partially blind and when they became blind, helping to formulate the best possible explanation given the situation.
“If you were asked to unload a 747 full of jellybeans, what would you do?” – Bose IT support manager job candidate.
Unloading a plane full of jellybeans is no small task, so this allows a candidate to show off their project management skills. An interviewee could ask what the budget is, when the deadline is for unloading the plane, and whether they have machinery or staff to work with. That will help demonstrate the candidate’s ability to think through all the possible dimensions of the challenge.
“How many people flew out of Chicago last year?” — Redbox software engineer II job candidate.
This question for an entry-level engineering job is, not surprisingly, geared toward assessing a candidate’s analytic skills. The interviewee could walk through their thinking, such as how many flights go in and out of Chicago each day, how traffic surges at the holidays, and come up with an answer. The interviewer isn’t interested in the correct answer, rather the thought process used to arrive at his or her conclusion.
“What’s your favorite Disney Princess?” — Coldstone Creamery crew member job candidate.
This question is all about getting a candidate to show their personality. Companies want to hire those that will be a good fit in terms of work style, company culture, and professional values.
Interviewers know when they’re asking unexpected questions, so it’s alright to take a few seconds to consider the question, ask a few of your own, and talk through your reasoning before arriving at a conclusion. Just remember to stay calm, definitely don’t laugh or scoff, and stay away from one word or expected answers.
This article originally appeared on CBS News: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/top-10-weird-job-interview-questions/