Interviews can be a nerve-wracking experience for most of us, wouldn’t you agree?
In the next 2 minutes you are going to learn how one of Australia’s largest recruiting companies received hundreds of replies from job seekers who were asked weird and thought-provoking questions at their interview.
What’s really interesting is that more and more employers, including the mining companies and recruiters, are using� ‘out there’ questions at interviews. The further on you read, the more you’ll begin to understand what we’re talking about.
How to�handle an interview ‘curve ball’
The purpose of asking weird and left-of-field questions at an interview is to gauge how people react to the ‘curve ball’. This is a technique that puts people on the spot and is used to see how they respond.
The purpose of these types of unexpected questions is for the interviewer to understand and get a feel for the candidate’s analytical thinking skills, how they respond under pressure, and what their general view of the world is.
That’s an interesting new perspective wouldn’t you agree?
But wait.. there’s more… keep reading.
Recruiters often use these types of questions to discover if a candidates are quick on their feet. From what we’ve seen here at iMINCO, it’s obvious that greater numbers of labour hire companies and recruiters are testing people to see how they react to stressful situations.
I think you’ll agree that in most mining operations, tough decisions have to be made on a daily basis, especially when it comes to mining safety and risk assessment. So when you think of it, you can clearly see that the person doing the interviewing has a lot riding on selecting the right person for the job.
You probably know this already, but the Australian mining industry is�changing rapidly. Mining companies are restructuring their business processes to remain competitive in a global market.� The pressure is now on Human Resources to select the right people for the job by making certain they ‘fit’ into the culture of the organisation.
What are recruiters looking for when they interview job candidates?
- how people react to stressful situations
- is this person going to be a good fit for the business?
- the level of analytical thinking skills the candidate possesses
- honesty and being real
- trying to understand who the person really is and what they`re about
- will the candidate go above and beyond the call of duty for the business?
- can the candidate be flexible enough to adapt to the company’s way of doing things?
The top most bizarre interview questions
As compiled by recruiting company OneShift.
- Bring an item with you to the interview that best suits your personality.
- Imagine a pen that could do anything. How would you sell it to me?
- On a day to day basis, what number do you think of the most?
- If you could have a day on earth where you could do one thing as much as you wanted what would it be?
- If you started a relationship with another employee, would you tell your supervisor or manager about� it?
- What would you expect to see written on your gravestone?
- Name the seven dwarfs from Disney`s Snow White.
- How would you move three chairs from one end of the room to the other?
- Here`s a pen between us. How would you get the pen over to me?
- Would you wear a sombrero at the airport so company guests can identify you during pick-up?
- Are there wolves in Australia?
- If you could be a type of animal, what would you be? Why?
- You have several hundred kilos of cardboard boxes. With a group of ten people under your command, how would you delegate the tasks to move the boxes from point A To B which are 1Km apart?
- If you were a car, which one would you be?
- If you inherited a desert island:
- What would you do with the island?
- Who would live with you on the island?
- What would be the top 3 rules of the island?
- What would you prefer to get out of working with other people?
- A friendship
- A productive working relationship
- A new partner
- What fruit best describes you?
- What ice-cream flavour would you be?
- What TV personality best describes you?
- What`s your favourite colour and why?
As you can see, there are some interesting questions and they really get you thinking don’t they?
How would you rate your answers to these questions? Do you think you’d be able to answer them at an interview?
Interviews are meant to be a casual meeting between two parties to determine whether they can agree on a mutually beneficial employment arrangement. The more prepared you can be, the more confident you’ll be.
Ok – so now that you’re near the end of this article, you’re just a few seconds away from learning even more ways to make a good impression at an interview.
Ready?
Do your research on the mining industry
When attending an interview for a mining job, one of the best ways to prepare is to research the mining industry in Australia. If the mining company or contractor you are hoping to work for specialises in a particular market, make sure you have plenty of facts and figures you can quote.
For instance, let’s imagine the employer was Fortescue Metals Group, you would;
- discover their mining operations in the Pilbara
- get up to speed with the iron ore market
- read the latest company share market reports; and
- understand the company’s equipment, technology, logistics setup and machinery
Can you see how incredibly important research is? These tips can be found in the iMINCO Interview Guide eBook, which is available for download – and there’s nothing to pay – it’s free. Imagine what it would be like if you could get rid of your interview nerves and show up at an interview brimming with confidence – well, now you can.
There is also a free guide to help prepare a resume that sets the groundwork for an interview. If you are one of those people who has an out-of-date resume, this is a guide you must read.
While you strongly think about whether or not to download these free guides you can also think about how you’d be feeling knowing you were increasing your job chances just by spending a little bit of time reading. And as we told you before, you can only get these eBooks from us.
