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Guest post by: Andrew Bailey Become an Author

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It's nerve raking enough to sit at an interview and be grilled about your achievements in past roles without being asked a few non work related tough interview questions like how many donuts Krispy Kreme churn out in a day in the US or why are there more red m&m's in a pack than any other color? These types of tough interview questions are being used more and more by interviewers and on the outside seem like a bunch of useless time wasting questions, but for those in the know, they are really quite useful in gauging a persons suitability for a certain role. How so? Quite simply, they should be used as part of your interview techniques arsenal. They are used to gauge on how a person thinks in a day to day situation at work which requires them to solve a problem. As a manager you are no doubt responsible for hiring the right person for the job and depending what the role is, a lot of times it requires someone to think on their feet to get that sale for example. When someone comes in for an interview, if they are worth their weight in gold, they will be prepared for just about anything. They would have researched your company on the net and other resources available, they could probably tell you who the CEO is and tell you how much the company turned over last financial year. They will have probably read the latest interview techniques and what to avoid saying or doing.

While it's great to find someone who is prepared, you very often will get rehearsed answers and responses. It wont tell you how their mind works. If you throw them a curve ball and ask them a question like, how many plumbers there are in the world, or some brain teasers like "how many $5 notes bundled in lots of $50 would it take to reach the top of the empire state building if stacked on top of each other", you will get some very interesting answers.

When asking these types of interview questions, don't look at it from a point of right or wrong answers. Look for how they reason, how they calculate in their minds to find a solution to the problem at hand. A good interview question will enable you to see how they react to a situation they are just not prepared for. That's the person you are seeking to find during an interview, to get to know the real person.

I used this little technique often and if used properly, it works a treat. Not to mention I had it used on me as well during interviews.

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