Most idiotic question you have been asked at a job interview?

[ReadyForSeason]

Inspired by another thread.

I have been asked what car would I be and what would I be if I could be anything?
I fell for the first one and answered. With the second one, years later I was mature enough to answer “Housewife” - all the manager was interested about is telling how he would be a helicopter pilot…

I was asked what my husband did for a living. (Why is that relevant?)

This was for a fairly senior position at Walgreens, owner of Boots.

It was the weirdest interview ever and there was no talk about the job role - the conversation was mainly around the Olympics which were happening at the time. The interview was about 25mins in total- a complete waste of time for both of us. I think the very senior man who interviewed me at Walgreens decided the minute I set foot through the door that I wasn't suitable. It was the third and final interview for that role. Thank God I didn't get the job!!

Another one who was asked if I planned to have children in the near future (I was 21, this was in 2001)

I went to an interview where the interviewer said to sit down so she can look at me because she decides who to recruit based on their aura.

I thought she was joking. She wasn't. After a couple of uncomfortable moments she said I could go. It was for an admin job in HR! 😳

During the first round of interviews I was asked to tell them something that wasn't on my CV/application form.

I told them that I was overcoming my fear of driving by having refresher lessons. All very positive.

Next round of interviews I was grilled on this by a panel member who wasn't at the first interview.

They seemed very concerned about my lack of driving confidence.

This was for a part-time, fully remote, administrative role. Not a long-distance lorry driver.

I didn't get the job, but I'm not sure I'd have taken it anyway.

I once interviewed for a nanny job, the mum poorly engineered circumstances so I would have to take over making the cheese sauce for their mac&cheese while she interviewed me, she asked me to box it up and put it away, when I was putting it away there were 4 other identical sauces with other candidates' names on them.

I never heard back so I guess my bechamel wasn't quite right.

I got asked if I had plans for children in the future.

There was no job, she just wanted a freezer stash of macaroni cheese for her children

I bloody love rum and raisin ice cream!!!

What car I drove.

I mean, I could operate every computer system they'd ever thought of, programme in four languages, had extensive legal knowledge and it was in the City of London three minutes from the station, but they were so concerned a member of staff might have to walk 650 yards to the station from their house in the morning that they made it an unofficial tiebreaker question.

Conveniently enough, it happened to exclude anybody who doesn't drive for reasons of disability.

Supermarket interviews are insane! DD worked in one for a while and had to do something similarly ridiculous. I tend to think that they use that sort of thing to weed out the people who won't put up with nonsense from their bosses, as it's only people utterly desperate for a job who'll entertain it.

I get really annoyed about the hoops that people are expected to jump through just to get a job. Hard work and a pleasant manner seem to be overlooked.

💐 to people who have experienced racism, sexism and intrusive questions at interviews!

If architects designed buildings the way some software engineers write software - why might a woodpecker destroy the whole of civilisation?

It's actually a good question.

Edit: it's clear that the engineers working at Fujitsu on the Post Office's Horizon system weren't of the calibre to know how to answer this question well.

"are you done having children?"

I went on to take three maternity leaves during that job, as is my basic legal right as a woman, an employee and a human.🖕

not me, but a colleague was asked what kind of biscut they would be.

"If you were an animal what animal would you be?"

For a council admin job for the carer's team. They said they found it very off putting that I said a cat as cats are inherently "untrustworthy,
snide and bitchy", I explained my cat was affectionate and had a lovely cosy life which signalled that I was "lazy and after a cushy job and maybe not a team player".

In the follow up after I didn't get the job, they said I should have answered Elephant or Otter, because they are hard working team players and everyone bears the brunt of the work.

I'm not keen on water or hot climates and elephant shit reeks.

I also don't like being forced to lie...

To identify 6 native British trees and 6 wild birds.
Primary school teacher in the 80s. The HT was very………eccentric I think is the word.

What animal would I choose to be (this was the NHS)

Me too in the early 80s!

If a customer asked for X CD, what other music would you try and get them to buy.

Nothing because I hate shop assistants trying to upsell what I want, I walk out and shop elsewhere.

Didn't get that job.

My brother got asked in an interview what was his biggest weakness and he said biscuits

@Whatineed omg I just googled an x lookup. That will be very useful for me. Going to show off Monday now haha

How I’d find out how many bricks are made a year in the U.K.

For a financial services audit manager role.

However, in the chaps defence, he told me later it was because he was worried I’d do it all by myself rather than using the wider team. Luckily I’d said that I’d ring a colleague in our buildings valuation team.

The correct response to this kind of bollocks is to say .......

thank you for your time. Good luck with your recruitment drive 😁

I was asked this years ago in the U.S. I wish I'd had the wit (and the courage) for this reply. 😀

'What would you say about your mum if you were at her funeral?'

You mentioned that you’re about to get married? I know I’m not allowed to ask this but are you planing on starting a family?

i didn’t feel the need to answer the question truthfully…..