We know it’s not easy coming up with fresh interview questions for job candidates. But would you ever pose this one: “How many hair salons are there in Japan”?
That’s just one of the not-quite-mainstream interview questions compiled by Glassdoor.com, an online career community.
Here are a few more:
- How would you determine how many house painters there are in the U.S.? (A manufacturer of exterior latex? No, this question was asked by a business strategy consultant.)
- How many tennis balls are in this room and why? (Sporting goods manufacturer? Nope. Net giant Yahoo.)
- How would you move Mount Fuji? (Bulldozer designer? No, Microsoft.)
- Are your parents disappointed with your career aspirations? (This could be an ironic reaction to Wall Street’s recent tumble in public perception — it’s from an investment firm.)
- How would you measure 9 minutes using only a 4-minute and a 7-minute hourglass? (Asked by a major bank which is apparently in need of a timekeeping technology update.)
- If both a taxi and a limo were priced the same, which one would you choose? (Correct answer: Whichever one had the best HD TV and wireless service — asked by Best Buy.)
- If you saw someone steal a quarter, would you report it? (What’s a quarter? Asked by Amazon.)
Got any offbeat interview questions you’d like to share? Tell us in the Comments section.
