Ever wonder why HR experts recommend you ask questions like, “If you were a piece of fruit, what type of fruit would you be?” The answer may surprise you. 

If you think the questions sound like complete nonsense, you may be at least partly right. But there is a point to them.

Interviewers who ask what type of animal the candidate is most like or what historical figure the candidate resembles most are used to:

• throw the person off balance
• see how the person thinks on his feet, or
• reestablish the interviewer as the person controlling the flow of conversation (if the interviewee has begun to take control, asking more questions than they’re answering).

It’s an effective tactic, specifically because it catches the interviewee off guard. What’s more? The answer may inadvertently reveal something about the candidate’s personality the interviewer may not have known. Either way, it’s an effective way to switch gears and move into another line of questioning.

It may also put the candidate at ease by breaking up a serious line of questioning with some levity (e.g., “If you were a cartoon character, who would you be?” or “If there was one bumper sticker that reflected your day-to-day life, what would it say?”).

That said, from an interviewer’s perspective, these questions should only be used sparingly, if at all. The last thing you want is for an interviewee to walk away thinking you seemed more interested in knowing about cartoon characters and bumper stickers than their ability to successfully handle the job at hand.

On the same token, if the question seems to make the interviewee uncomfortable, it might help to swoop in and provide a light response (e.g., “I’ve always thought of myself as a bit of an Elmer Fudd,” etc.).

What’s the craziest question you’ve ever been asked/or asked in an interview? What’s the best response you’ve ever heard?

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Based in part on “Crazy Interview Questions,” CareerChoiceGuide.com