The job market is continuing to open up, spurring a significant rise in individuals interested in changing jobs. But, while more jobs may be available, it’s still essential that job seekers do everything they can to prepare for the job search and interview process. From adding new skills to seeking mentoring to reading up on interview tips, job candidates try to set themselves up so they’re ready for anything that comes their way. Sometimes, though, interviewers can throw you a pretty big curve ball.
Once again, Glassdoor has combed through tens of thousands of interview questions shared by job candidates over the past year to find some pretty spectacular oddballs. This slideshow features the top 10 oddball questions each for the U.S., UK and Canada.
2015’s Oddest Interview Questions
Click through for the 10 oddest interview questions each, from the U.S., UK and Canada, as identified by Glassdoor.
The U.S.
The top 10 oddball questions from the U.S.
Airbnb
“What would you do if you were the one survivor in a plane crash?” – Asked at Airbnb.
Squarespace
“What’s your favorite 90s jam?” – Asked at Squarespace.
Dropbox
“If you woke up and had 2,000 unread emails and could only answer 300 of them, how would you choose which ones to answer?” – Asked at Dropbox.
Stanford University
“Who would win in a fight between Spiderman and Batman?” – Asked at Stanford University.
Aksia
“If you had a machine that produced 100 dollars for life, what would you be willing to pay for it today?” – Asked at Aksia.
Banana Republic
“What did you have for breakfast?” – Asked at Banana Republic.
Spirit Airlines
“Describe the color yellow to somebody who’s blind.” – Asked at Spirit Airlines.
Bose
“If you were asked to unload a 747 full of jelly beans, what would you do?” – Asked at Bose.
Redbox
“How many people flew out of Chicago last year?” – Asked at Redbox.
Cold Stone Creamery
“What’s your favorite Disney princess?” – Asked at Cold Stone Creamery.
The UK
Top 10 oddball questions from the UK.
Accenture
“Can you calculate how many tennis balls are used during the course of Wimbledon?” – Asked at Accenture.
Barclays Capital
“Estimate the total number of cars in the UK.” – Asked at Barclays Capital.
“How many calories are in a grocery store?” – Asked at Google.
Harrods
“How would you sell a fridge to an Eskimo?” – Asked at Harrods.
Urban Outfitters
“What would you take to a lonely island with you and why?” – Asked at Urban Outfitters.
AlphaSights
“Is Batman a super hero?” – Asked at AlphaSights.
Geonomics
“You have 17 red and 17 blue balls, and you remove two at a time. If the two are the same colour, add in one extra blue ball. If they are different colours, add in an extra red ball. What colour is the final ball removed?” – Asked at Geonomics.
ASDA
“What cartoon character would you be and why?” – Asked at ASDA.
Metro Bank
“What is the wildest thing you have done?” – Asked at Metro Bank.
Jefferies & Company
“What was your opinion of the film Blair Witch Project?” – Asked at Jefferies & Company.
Canada
Top 10 oddball questions from Canada.
lululemon
“If you could high five one person, living or not, who would it be?” – Asked at lululemon.
Labatt
“If Labatt gave you a million dollars with the condition that you’d have to pay it back in three years, what would you do with it?” – Asked at Labatt.
BlackBerry
“If you only have one choice, do you prefer to work on time or correctly?” – Asked at BlackBerry.
TELUS
“How can we move Mount Fuji?” – Asked at TELUS.
Starbucks
“If you were an inanimate object, what would you be?” – Asked at Starbucks.
Prism Resources
“What would you name a book about your life at this point?” – Asked at Prism Resources.
TD Bank
“How do you get a plastic ball out of a cup without touching the cup.” – Asked at TD Bank.
Bombardier Aerospace
“If you own a grocery store and you have to sell apples, how would you determine how many different types of apples you sell?” – Asked at Bombardier Aerospace.
Hootsuite
“How will you keep Hootsuite weird?” – Asked at Hootsuite.
Bell Canada
“How many traffic lights are there in Canada?” – Asked at Bell Canada.
