6 bizarre interview questions employers actually admit to asking
The survey masters at CareerBuilder have done it again — this time getting hiring and HR managers to admit to some off-the-wall questions they’ve thrown at candidates.
CareerBuilder’s survey team, which works with Harris Poll, has gotten employees and employers to admit to some pretty strange stuff over the years.
Now it’s starting spring off with a bang, releasing a list of the some of the most bizarre interview questions respondents to its latest survey admitted to asking.
Without further ado, they are (along with the reasons they were asked):
- How would you wrangle a herd of cats? A hiring manager asked this to gain insight into a candidate’s ability to organize, lead and motivate others.
- Do you believe in life on other planets? This was asked to see if a candidate was the type to believe anything is possible.
- What superpower would you like to have? This was asked to provide insight into how candidates view their own strengths and weaknesses.
- If you were stranded on an island, which two items would you like to have with you? This question could provide insight into candidates’ abilities to weather a tough situation with limited resources.
- If you did not have to work, what would you do?” This question was asked to peek into a candidate’s values and interests outside of work, which can help assess how well they’d fit into the company’s culture.
- If you were trapped in a blender, what would you do to get out? You may remember this question from The Internship, starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. It helps assess a candidate’s creativity, ability to think on his or her feet, and problem-solving skills.
This new survey didn’t stop there. It also dug into how many hiring and HR managers are asking questions during interviews that are actually illegal — and it revealed something shocking: 20% of them have asked a question during an interview only to later find out it was illegal. Yikes!
Didn’t know these were off limits
What kinds of questions might these be?
According to CareerBuilder, “… when asked if they knew if these questions were illegal [they are!], at least one third of employers indicated they didn’t know.”
They are:
- What is your religious affiliation?
- Are you pregnant?
- What is your political affiliation?
- What is your race, color or ethnicity?
- How old are you?
- Are you disabled?
- Are you married?
- Do you have children or plan to?
- Are you in debt?
- Do you drink or smoke socially?
In addition, many survey takers weren’t sure about the legality of asking these questions, which may seem OK, but can be discriminatory in nature as well:
- When do you plan to retire? Asking about candidates’ long-term goals is fine, but asking when they plan to retire isn’t.
- Where do you live? Asking where candidates live can be interpreted as a way to discriminate based on their location. But asking them if they are willing to relocate is fine.
- Why were you discharged from the military? You can’t ask why someone was discharged from the military. But you can ask about the education, training or work experience they received while in the military.
- Are you a U.S. citizen? While it’s fine to ask if someone is legally eligible for employment in the U.S.,asking about their citizenship or national origin is another matter entirely.
The survey generated 2,100 responses from hiring and HR managers nationwide.
Want more?
If you’re interested in even more bonkers interview questions that employers have asked, check out our breakdown of a 2014 survey conducted by the career site Glassdoor, entitled “The year’s 25 strangest interview questions.”
Some of the other gems we’ve covered from CareerBuilder include:
- “The worst employee excuses for being late“
- “The strangest interview behaviors“
- “10 awful office gifts“
- “The 10 strangest sick day excuses“
- “The 17 worst terms on resumes“
- “10 unforgettable lies on resumes, and“
- “11 amazing things employees did instead of their jobs.“
