Podcast — Five Questions That Are Not on the List

So, Sam, what's your biggest weakness?

Hmm, coming up with interview questions.

It's a good thing we're talking about that today on The Journey.

We've all been there before.

At an interview, you're getting asked the most cliché, tried-and-true questions.

You know, what are your greatest strengths, or why'd you leave your current role?

We've heard it all before, and there are tons of different articles, YouTube videos,

everything to go over how to answer those questions better.

And if your candidates are getting better, why not you also take some time to get a little more creative

with the questions that you ask, so you'll stand out as a prospective employer.

So rather than going with the typical, where do you see yourself in five years,

to some more interesting questions that can really call someone to really think more

and tell you more about them as a person.

Yeah, when you use those standard questions, people already come up with rehearsed answers.

So you gotta, you know, catch them on their toes, and it'll help spice up that interview.

For our first question, can you pitch this company to me as if I'm a potential client?

Now this question opens up a lot of different areas.

It'll tell you, one, if that person did their research beforehand into your company.

Two, if they know how to properly articulate what you do as a business.

And then three, if they know the difference between your company and your competitors.

Yeah, I like to think of this one as, sell me this pen, but for your actual company.

I mean, obviously sales and marketing people are probably gonna be a little bit better at that job,

but it is a really great way, even for people who aren't interviewing for a sales or marketing job,

to see, you know, what they really value at your company.

For our next question, Sam, let's have a little fun with this.

I'm gonna be the interviewer, you be the interviewee.

You're gonna answer this question, and we'll see how you do.

We'll see if you get the job.

All right, so the next question is, tell me about a time where a project didn't work out,

and why?

Perfect. So for my current role, I am like a liaison, head of a team.

I do account management at GoDaddy Social.

And there are other very creative people that are on the team,

and sometimes when they have their particular part to do, we're human, we sometimes make mistakes.

However, when it comes to that business owner who's paying us, it's not them, the writer,

it's me on the line with them, describing what went wrong and what we're gonna do to correct it.

But I have to take ownership.

If I came on the line and I said, hey, this writer did that, it wasn't me, I'm gonna go get with him.

It's not gonna have that business owner have any faith in the team.

So as the leader, I have to put that on my shoulders and make sure that that business owner

believes that we can do what we say we're gonna do.

And the way that you answer that question shows a lot about that person.

If they put the blame on someone else, then obviously they may not be the right fit.

They may be the type to just always blame others.

You really want to hire someone that takes ownership and owns up to their mistakes

and knows how to overcome them.

Our third question is, if you had $100,000 to start your own business, what would you do with it?

Right away, hire a housekeeper so my wife and I won't have to worry about chores

and we can focus the time and energy on building that business.

I'm sure your wife would really appreciate that, too.

I would, too, because I do the dishes at home.

There you go. They can do the dishes, you get to focus on your business.

Either way, this question really shows what makes that person tick.

It's a great way to see what they value, what their passions are even outside of work.

And shows that they can be analytical and methodical when it comes to managing money.

Seems like I'm that one that keeps the budget, so I'm the money guy.

Yeah, I mean if you are budgeting something that actually costs like a million dollars

and they're saying, oh, I would spend $10,000 on this,

maybe they don't have the best judgment with that. I don't know.

So for our fourth question, who is your role model?

Now, this could seem like a very simple question,

but it can really tell you a lot more about that person and their value system.

Yeah, it's less about their interviewing skills and more about their values

and what do they look up to in that person.

And also, they could potentially look at this role model, their skills,

and possibly emulate those into your company.

For our next question, Sam, I'm going to put you to the test.

If you were an animal, what would you be and why?

I would be a dog because they're loyal. Have you heard about the loyalty test?

I have not. Please tell me.

So say you take your significant other and your dog, no explanations given,

you put them in the trunk of a car, wait an hour, pop that trunk, see who's happy to see you.

Do not try this at home, but you get the point.

This question is all about their interpretation of it.

So if someone says a bear, but their reasoning is because I wish I could hibernate for six months out of a year,

maybe not the best candidate.

But if their reasoning is because they're strong and powerful and mighty,

then hey, that's a really cool answer.

And I like Yogi because he's smarter than the average bear.

By using some more creative interview questions like that,

you're going to get more honest responses, not these canned, rehearsed answers

that they've already practiced. You're going to get a more open and real conversation.

And from an internal perspective, there's an added benefit.

You're seen as creative, forward thinking.

You know, you're different than the other companies that go on the bland, cliche questions.

And once you get those great new employees, don't forget to celebrate their wins

because you're not trying to ask these interview questions every few months over and over again.

So you just learned five creative questions that you can ask in an interview.

Be sure to like this video and comment down below.

Let us know what your favorite interview question is.

Subscribe to our channel and ring the bell so you're notified when we have fresh new content coming out.

This is The Journey. See you next time.