Why are manhole covers round? How many cows are in Canada? How many quarters would you need to reach the height of the Empire State building?
These are just a few examples of actual interview questions — you’ve probably heard of a few. Today we get a glimpse into even more crazy inquiries thanks to Glassdoor, which just published its annual list of the top 25 oddball interview questions for 2014.
Some of them are simply ridiculous: For example, Apple asks, “If you were a pizza delivery man, how would you benefit from scissors?” Or, how about this one from Xerox: “Why is a tennis ball fuzzy?”
Seriously?
Glassdoor, which compiles salary and workplace data on more than 300,000 companies, has hand-picked the most ludicrous questions from companies like Yahoo, Airbnb and Goldman Sachs. (Side note: If you’re wondering what the most common interview questions are, Glassdoor has put together of list of those, too.)
How would you answer these questions? And do you think they’re even a good way to gauge if someone will be the right fit at your company? Let us know in the comments below.
1.“If you could throw a parade of any caliber through the Zappos office, what type of parade would it be?” – The Zappos Family, Customer Loyalty Team Member interview. More The Zappos Family interview questions.
2. “How lucky are you and why?” – Airbnb, Content Manager interview. More Airbnb interview questions.
3. “If you were a pizza delivery man, how would you benefit from scissors?” – Apple, Specialist interview. More Apple interview questions.
4. “If you could sing one song on American Idol, what would it be?” – Red Frog Events, Event Coordinator interview. More Red Frog Events interview questions.
5. “Are you more of a hunter or a gatherer?” – Dell, Account Manager interview. More Dell interview questions.
6. “If you were on an island and could only bring three things, what would you bring?” – Yahoo, Search Quality Analyst interview. More Yahoo interview questions.
7. “If you were a box of cereal, what would you be and why?” – Bed Bath & Beyond, Sales Associate interview. More Bed Bath & Beyond interview questions.
8. “Do you believe in Bigfoot?” – Norwegian Cruise Line, Casino Marketing Coordinator interview. More Norwegian Cruise Line interview questions.
9. “Why is a tennis ball fuzzy?” – Xerox, Client Manager interview. More Xerox interview questions.
10. “What is your least favorite thing about humanity?” – ZocDoc, Operations Associate interview. More ZocDoc interview questions.
11. “How would you use Yelp to find the number of businesses in the U.S.?” – Factual, Software Engineer interview. More Factual interview questions.
12. “How honest are you?” – Allied Telesis, Executive Assistant interview. More Allied Telesis interview questions.
13. “How many square feet of pizza are eaten in the U.S. each year?” – Goldman Sachs, Programmer Analyst interview. More Goldman Sachs interview questions.
14. “Can you instruct someone how to make an origami ‘cootie catcher’ with just words?” – LivingSocial, Consumer Advocate interview. More LivingSocial interview questions.
15. “If you were 80 years old, what would you tell your children?” – McKinsey & Company, Associate interview. More McKinsey & Company interview questions.
16. “You’re a new addition to the crayon box, what color would you be and why?” – Urban Outfitters Sales Associate interview. More Urban Outfitters interview questions.
17. “How does the internet work?” – Akamai, Director interview. More Akamai interview questions.
18. “If there was a movie produced about your life, who would play you and why?” – SinglePlatform, Inside Sales Consultant interview. More SinglePlatform interview questions.
19. “What’s the color of money?” – American Heart Association, Project Manager interview. More American Heart Association interview questions.
20. “What was the last gift you gave someone?” – Gallup, Data Analyst interview. More Gallup interview questions.
21. “What is the funniest thing that has happened to you recently?” – Applebee’s, Bartender/Neighborhood Expert Server interview. More Applebee’s interview questions.
22. “How many snow shovels sold in the U.S. last year?” – TASER, Leadership Development Program interview. More TASER interview questions.
23. “It’s Thursday; we’re staffing you on a telecommunications project in Calgary, Canada on Monday. Your flight and hotel are booked; your visa is ready. What are the top five things you do before you leave?” –ThoughtWorks, Junior Consultant interview. More ThoughtWorks interview questions.
24. “Describe to me the process and benefits of wearing a seatbelt.” – Active Network, Client Applications Specialist interview. More Active Network interview questions.
25. “Have you ever been on a boat?” – Applied Systems, Graphic Designer interview. More Applied Systems interview questions.
