50 Weird Questions Candidates Have Asked Interviewers

[caption id="attachment_31574" align="alignright" width="278"] Did he really just say that?[/caption]

Right, recruiters get a lot of stick for asking weird, wonderful, harsh, horrible and sometimes totally inappropriate interview questions.

And I get it.

As a youngster, I myself, was asked: “how would you like to be buried..?” (Yes, I know, creepy.)

But candidates can get just as weird. See for yourself...

Pre-Interview

So, the recruiter gives you a call to schedule in an interview.

This is a great chance to impress and set yourself up for a great interview experience…

1. Can my mum come with me?

2. Can you pay for my petrol?

3. How long does it take for drugs to leave your system?

4. Can I eat my lunch while we chat?

5. Does it matter if I’m in my gym gear?

6. How old would you say the team are on average?

7. My friend gets paid X, will I get paid the same?

8. Can I bring my cat? I’ll put her in a cage!

9. Why are you asking me so many questions?

10. Are your employees racist, sexist or homophobic?

11. Can I wear a hat?

12. What happens if I get lost?

13. Do you like clowns? (Guess what she wore to the interview...)

14. Can I smoke?

15. You sound sexy - are you?

Some of these are priceless but my personal favourite is number 8! Funny thing is; I know the candidate who asked this and they did take their cat in and they did actually get the job!

During the Interview

The main event!

Check out these hilarious (genuine) responses to “do you have any questions for me?”

16. Would you pay me less? (The man was going through a divorce and wanted to “stiff” his ex).

17. Can I stay for lunch? (The firm provided free lunch to employees).

18. Is your boss (the CEO) single?

19. I like to date the young ones, is that bad?

20. May I bark at your dogs? (At a dog-friendly office, “to show dominance.”)

21. What’s your favourite colour?

22. Did you find out who your cousin’s baby’s father was?

23. Are you sleeping with Jack? (It was the Director’s ex-wife).

24. Do you monitor lunch breaks?

25. What happened to your legs?

26. Have you ever considered outsourcing your recruitment? Because if so, my company can help.

27. Do you believe that fate brought me here?

28. Do you like scary movies?

29. How many golf balls could you fit in Wimbledon? (Yes, a candidate asked an interviewer this.)

30. Is it acceptable to date co-workers? Or Managers?

31. Are you going to offer the job to me then?

32. Do you believe in ghosts?

33. What’s your star sign?

34. What’s the most inappropriate thing you’ve ever witnessed in this office?

35. So clearly you work hard, but do you play hard?

36. If I get the job, will I have to talk to people?

37. Why are you such a w*nker?

38. If you decide to hire me, could you give me an advance?

39. Who is your favourite employee?

40. What's your alcohol and drug policy?

41. Can I occasionally make international calls?

42. How much longer will this take?

Hmmm, I’m not sure those are the kinds of questions they meant, to be honest!

After the Interview

And why not end on a high?

43. I’m not bothered about the job, but do you fancy dinner?

44. How did I do? I did badly didn’t I?

45. Where is the nearest pub?

46. Um, what’s company name again? Could you spell it for me?

47. Can I have your home address, please?

48. Could you give me a lift home?

49. What do you think of my outfit?

50. Fancy a drink?

Or not. What were they thinking?

Let’s summarise…

We all make mistakes! Sh*t happens. Let’s just smile, learn and move on.

Nobody’s perfect. (If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you may have noticed a theme developing!)

Recruiter Pro Tip If you (goodness forbid) feel like you’ve made some of the errors above (or similar) and would like some tips on how to improve your interview technique, then check out these posts: