Many websites will list off the most common interview questions and answers. However, every once in a while, you will get thrown if you are the candidate or want to throw a curveball if you are the recruiter. 

If you are researching how to conduct an interview, here are some questions we have come across that we felt were interesting, clever, or lead to telling information about the candidate.

Give Them A Riddle

While frustrating in an interview scenario, riddles are often quite fun, helping you break down barriers and encourage open engagement. Riddles give the candidate a chance to show off their creative thinking, a skill many recruiters seek. 

Example question: It’s raining, and you are in a car with only one passenger seat. You drive past a bus stop and see three people waiting there; an old lady in need of medical assistance, your best friend who saved your life, and the girl of your dreams. What do you do?

Best answer: The perfect answer to this example riddle is to give your keys to your friend and tell him to drive the old lady to the hospital while you wait at the bus stop with the girl of your dreams.

Give Them A Problem To Solve

When given a scenario and asked for a solution, most people will try to think of the best solution to answer your questions. Even if they explain the procedure well, the actual answer is far more simple than the candidate will think.

Example question: You are working as a paramedic or a prison guard, and you have a patient or inmate acting aggressively. What do you do, and how do you diffuse the situation?

Best answer: The correct answer for this type of question is almost always – I will deal with it the way I am trained to. While in itself this is a great response, it shows their ability to follow instructions and saves them from having to solve the problem themselves, efficient and accurate!

Tell Me About A Time You Failed

This is a good one because it gets them to open up and show an honest side of themselves. You can find out more about how they will deal with bad situations, with insights into; do they blame others, what they learned, and how they improved.

Example response:

• What happened? They upset a client
• Why? because they were disorganised or afraid or in denial
• What did this lead to? Procrastination and lack of communication
• What would have prevented the situation? By either dealing with the situation ASAP or informing someone more experienced to manage the situation
• What did they learn? Communication is vital, known issues need to be addressed & responded to immediately.
• What they do now? Inform all parties that need to know and assure them that steps are being taken to rectify the issue

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