Weird Interview Questions and What to Do about Them!

We’re all familiar with the rising sense of dread as you’re asked a weird or wacky interview question. Occasionally, at our London PA recruitment agency, we hear a real corker! There’s usually a good reason why the interviewer has asked the question, but sometimes we really have to wonder. Today we’ll share the strange interview questions our candidates have been asked at permanent or temporary job interviews in the capital, so if you get asked something similar, you’ll have an answer.

1. Shark vs. dinosaur: Who wins?

   We reckon this is about getting you to think laterally. There isn’t a wrong or a right answer, and it’s more to do with considering the possibilities. It also helps the interviewer get a genuine insight into the candidate’s personality.

2. You have two options: be stranded on a desert island for six months or live in the Antarctic for six months. Which would you choose?

   Likewise, this is probably about considering a difficult situation and weighing up the pros and cons while revealing something about your personality.

3. What are you currently watching on TV?

   This one is designed to catch you off-guard and delve a little into your personality. It’s there for the interviewer to discover how you manage boundaries and see your social skills in action.

4. When did you last do the hobby you’ve listed on your CV? Tell us about it.

   We’re sure this question is testing your honesty and integrity. Many people put adventurous or virtuous-sounding hobbies on their CV, which involve bending the truth. This question is about sussing that out.

5. Here are two candidates for your job (interviewer shows CVs). Who would you choose and why?

   This is to test whether you can identify the key attributes and skills needed to do the job. Chances are that both will have good qualities, so you need to justify why one would get your vote over the other. They may go on to ask how you compare to these candidates.

6. Say we all got locked in this room, what would you do?

   Interviewers like to see whether you can think on your feet and problem-solve. They’ll usually ask a work scenario question, or ask when you’ve done something in the past. However, by framing the question like this, it’s unlikely you’ll have a prepared answer.

7. You’re on a boat that’s sinking. There are seven of you but only space on the lifeboat for six. What’s your argument for why you should be saved?

   We think this is a clever way of getting you to identify your strengths and what you’re proud of. It might also demonstrate your people skills and how you feel you give back to people.

8. Describe me.

The candidate who got this one was somewhat floored! We’re not 100% sure what the interviewer was after — apart from an ego boost — but it may have been an attempt to gain an insight into what the working relationship would be like.

What weird interview questions have you been asked? We’d love to hear them! If you need help preparing for an interview for office support jobs in London, then please get in touch.

Love Success is a leading London PA & office support recruitment agency.
Our expert recruiters can help you find permanent and temporary jobs in London.

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