When Google started asking curveball questions, they were naturally curvier and more ballsy than most… "You are shrunk to the height of a nickel and thrown into a blender. The blades will start whirring in 60 seconds…"
But these brain teasers are being replaced at Google by curveballs relevant to the role. "If you were going for a sales role, rather than ask you how many cows are in Canada we would say something like: ‘I am the CEO of a telecommunications company. How would you sell me the benefits of YouTube?’"
Why the change?
The Wall Street Journal points out that Google isn't looking for the smartest, or even the most technically capable, candidates. Google is looking for the candidates who will best fit Google. At Randstad, we know that's good advice for every company, so tailor your curveballs to the role.
The travel company Expedia, for instance, asked someone:
"If you could go camping anywhere, where would you put your tent?"
A candidate who loathes camping can still score well. They may decide to pitch their tent in the penthouse suite of the Soho Grand in New York – as long as they smile, admit it's cheating, and explain that they hate bugs and love exploring cities.
That candidate has shown love of travel, knowledge of New York, a sense of humour, honesty, a bit of charm – and the ability to manage stress when they are put under stress. Not bad for one carefully crafted curveball.
The right interview curveball questions
The questions below have all been asked in the past year, and they aren't good or bad in themselves – they are either right or wrong for the role you are filling.
- Have you ever stolen a pen from work?
- What’s your favourite song… Sing it for us.
- What do you think about when you’re alone in your car?
- Tell us a joke.
- What would make you quit within six weeks of taking this job?
- Pick two celebrities to be your parents.
If 'dignified' is one of your key attributes, asking candidates to sing will almost guarantee a bad hire. But if you need an accounts person who is the life and soul…
Piano tuners in Chicago
Companies can do more with their curveballs. After all, they date back to the physicist Enrico Fermi, who used this kind of question to entertain his colleagues over lunch while they were inventing the atomic bomb. The most famous 'Fermi question' is: "How many piano tuners are there in Chicago?"
"it's down to you to really hold someone's interest and hook them"
Questions like this test whether someone can break a problem down into logical steps. Chicago's population is (for instance) about 3 million… four people per family means 750,000 families… one piano in every fifth family means 150,000 pianos… tuned (say) once a year. So if one person can tune four pianos a day, that's 1,000 pianos a year… Voila. Chicago has roughly 150 piano tuners.
The right person, not the right answer
Remember, you're not asking a curveball questions because you want the right answer, you’re asking because you want the right person. So when you structure your interview, throw in a curveball – but test it first.
- Know what skills and character traits are needed for the role.
- Know what kind of personality will fit your company culture.
- Make sure the curveball matches the role and your brand values.
- Test it on colleagues to see what it can reveal – and what it says about you.
- Make it memorable for all the right reasons.
That last test is crucial if you want to hire the best candidates. They will get lots of interviews and offers – and you want them to remember you as a company it would be great to work for.
The interview process is long, and candidates can lose interest. It's down to you to really hold someone's interest and hook them. A great curveball question can really help.
