Interviewers are human too, they do get tired of asking the same old boring questions repetitively such as, ‘Tell me about yourself,’ and ‘what are your strengths and weaknesses?’ all the time and hearing the same stale, scripted, and well-rehearsed responses. From time to time, they like to ask unusual, and sometimes quirky, interview questions to spice up the mind-numbing interview process. Even so, there are also other reasons for these weird questions to crop up in the interview process. Knowing exactly why these questions are asked help you ace your interviews. 

Why employers pepper job interviews with quirky interview questions and example questions

1. Testing your critical and analytical thinking skills on your feet

Many of the questions asked based on this reason are not expecting an exact and correct answer but to help the interviewers understand how you think and what goes through your mind when facing a challenge. 

Examples:

• How many rubbish bins are there from Tsim Sha Tsui to Mong Kok along the Nathan Road? 
• How many tennis balls could be fitted into a BMW? 
• How would you use the manpower of 10 people to transport 500 kg of carton boxes to a town 1 km away.
• How can you move three chairs from this end of the office to another end? 

This type of questions can appear for all kinds of roles but is usually more relevant to roles that require exceptional problem-solving skills such as consultants, analysts, coders, etc.  

2. Testing your creative thinking skills 

Just as the questions listed above, this type of questions is not expecting an exact and correct answer. They are often useful in assessing the flexibility and adaptability of the mind, convergent and divergent thinking skills, empathetic thinking skills, and hence the ability to come up with fresh perspectives and offer creative solutions to the team. 

Examples: 

• How a fish can survive on land? 
• If you were on a deserted island and could choose to bring three things with you, what would you bring?
• Describe colour ‘Yellow’ to a blind person.
• Is dumpling a man or a woman? 

This type of questions is most relevant to roles such as sales, designers, leaders/ managers, product developers, etc. 

3. Testing your true character and personality

Seemingly unrelated questions can get people off guard and is considered the most effective way to reveal their true character, as well as their preferences and expectations. Your answers to these questions can expose your core professional values, e.g. whether you are a team player, how loyal you are to the organisation, how you value success, etc. 

Examples: 

• What animal/ fruit/cartoon character/colour/ number /make of car could best represent you? Why? 
• What would you expect to see on your own epitaph?
• How would you spend your money if you have won a lottery? 
• What superpower would you like to receive? 
• If you were allowed to do everything on earth for one day, what would you do? 

This type of questions can appear in all job interviews but most relevant to leadership roles or managerial roles. 

4. Testing your ability to withstand stress

Absurd questions that couldn’t be included in the three categories above could be viewed as stressor questions. They might make you feel embarrassed or even put you in a difficult situation to test your ability to remain composed when dealing with unreasonable requests. 

Examples: 

• Why on earth would you wear this today? 
• Sing a song that best describes you.
• Which football team do you support? 
• No questions asked, just mean interviewers.  

This type of interview questions is rarer but when it comes up, they are more likely to be relevant to sales or customer service roles. 

How to respond to quirky questions

1.     Embrace the challenge with an open mind

• Do not panic and shutdown. Knowing these questions come up for a reason will help calm your nerves. Instead, try to show your effort in engaging with the challenge.
• Do not get emotional. Most of these questions are not personal.

2.     Take your time and think aloud

• Your thinking process matters more than your answers. Practice thinking aloud even though when you don’t have the answers right away.
• You may also ask for a pen and a paper to illustrate your thinking when needed.

3.     Consider the role and the company’s core value

• When formulating your answers, try to take into account the job requirements and showcase your ability that are most pertinent to the roles.
• Understanding your company’s core value can help present yourself as a good cultural fit.

4.     Answer honestly

• While tips 1,2 and 3 above might land you on your dream job, answering them truthfully will land you on a job that you find most fulfilling.

Having a curved ball thrown at you might feel intimidating! Knowing what to expect and how you can deal with them is actually the best way for you to stand out from the crowd, so it is an opportunity in disguise after all.