As job seekers become more sophisticated in the interview process, you have to wonder about the silly questions some hiring managers now ask.

Consider these testers:

* Why are manhole covers round?

* If I looked in your refrigerator, what would I find?

Job applicants can expect the unexpected when they meet with hiring managers and unique questions are part of the process.

* If you could be any animal, what would you be?

These “unique” questions surfaced in a recent survey of 150 executives who were asked to recall the strangest questions they had been asked by hiring managers. The survey was developed by OfficeTeam, a specialized staffing firm for administrative professionals, and conducted by an independent research firm. While the responses were amusing, there also seems to be a method to the approach. Questions like, “What’s your favourite colour?” may just be icebreakers. “I think hiring managers are trying to create a comfortable atmosphere so people are more willing to shed some light on their personality,” says Tamara Wowniar, division director with OfficeTeam in Calgary.

“I don’t think hiring managers are looking for specific answers, a right or wrong answer, they are just trying to find out more about the person before they get into (questions) about the hard skills,” says Wowniar, who helps place temporary office staff from juniors in filing clerk positions up to office managers.

Carol Lowen, acting VP and managing consultant for human-resources firm DBM in Vancouver, also believes the questions are designed to make job applicants think on their feet. “I haven’t heard a lot of these questions directed at my clients,” Lowen says. “If I do hear them, they are directed to people who may have been in an interview for an IT company.

“Sometimes I think what hiring managers are looking for is creative people, problem solvers, those who think outside the box.” Both consultants agree that today’s job seekers have been through more interviews, and are better prepared. In general, they can ace those standard behavioural-type questions, such as:

“Describe a time you were in conflict with your boss and how did you resolve the problem?” Or: “What’s your weakness?”

These questions show how a person handled a problem in the past, which would indicate how they’d behave in the future. It’s standard fare, but the answers can almost be scripted. Unique questions may hold applicants more accountable, says Wowniar, allowing interviewers to move into areas where the applicant isn’t as well prepared.

“It also allows a job applicant to show a bit of their personality,” says Wowniar. “They can make light humour of these questions, because they really don’t have a right or wrong answer.”

Wowniar admits it’s kind of fun to think about the more unique questions. “I have never asked the question, ‘What’s in your refrigerator,’ ” she laughs.

“But I was thinking about what it might mean. “Would it (the answer) show that you have a healthy outlook? Are you organized? Or do you buy groceries on the spur of the moment?” Unique questions are also being asked simply because more people are involved in the interview process, Wowniar believes. As companies scrutinize candidates, a job applicant may face a number of interviews with HR staff, individual line managers, team members and senior managers – people who come with different perspectives, and have some off-the-wall questions. Lowen suggests that because not all interviewers are equally skilled in asking questions, job applicants must be patient as they go through the process.

If they are unsure of a question, she says it’s up to the applicant to ask for clarification. “If you are stumped for a moment, say, ‘Do you mind if I take a minute to think this through?’ ” she says.

If the person is still unsure, they can ask if it’s OK to come back to the question later, perhaps when he or she is more relaxed. Lowen works with mostly professional clients in job transition, and teaches a number of workshops in the Vancouver area. While she helps prepare clients to handle questions, she also makes them address a common problem – job seekers themselves don’t ask enough good questions.

Applicants are often asked at the end of the interview if they have some questions, and they often don’t, says Lowen. “One of the things I tell them to do is be well prepared. Go on the (company’s) website. Have some good questions prepared for the interviewers. That’s a key piece of advice I’d give someone.

“If a job applicant says, ‘I’ve noticed you’ve opened some new branch offices, can you tell me more about that?’ it tells the employer you are interested in the company,” she says. Any questions that show a person has done research, that they are curious about the company, will be viewed positively by the interviewer. As for unique questions? Take a light-hearted approach to providing answers. And even though you might be curious, don’t ask what kind of tree they’d like to be.

INTERVIEW TIPS

* Do your homework ahead of time. Ask people in your network about the strangest questions they were asked in an interview, how they responded to them, and what – if anything – they would have done differently. The point is not to prepare for every question but to practise thinking on your feet.

* Ask for clarification. If you don’t understand a question, rephrase it by saying, “Do you mean . . .?” or ask for more detail. This will put you on the same page as the hiring manager and enable you to provide a targeted response.

* Don’t let nerves get the best of you. Feeling stress during an interview is to be expected. Excessive stress, however, could cause you to ramble, or give only “yes” or “no” answers. If you need a moment to think about a question, ask for it.

* Don’t assume the worst. You may meet with many interviewers at a company, some less prepared and experienced than others. Be patient with each successive meeting, even when the same questions are being asked multiple times. Your calm demeanour will count in your favour in the final selection.

– Source: Liz Hughes, vice-president, OfficeTeam