How to onboard a personal assistant
For a personal assistant, settling into a new job is not as simple as learning a company’s systems and processes, names and faces. A PA must also learn the working…
With several decades’ experience as a leading London recruitment agency, Tiger’s consultants have seen and heard it all when it comes to interview questions. Back in 2015, we noted that there’d been an increase in left-of-centre queries, with interviewers trying to elicit a completely honest response from candidates by catching them off guard.
Three years later and weird interview questions are going nowhere – in fact, they’ve become even more popular! They are now a mainstay of the process, used to see if interviewees can think on their feet, approach questions laterally and work well when faced with a difficult situation.
So with a near-sure guarantee that you may encounter something a little strange along the way, we’re taking a leaf out of Benjamin Franklin’s book, who once said “by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Here are just some questions our candidates – and consultants – have encountered along the way. Do you have an answer for them?
1. You’ve got two doors to choose from. One, you’d have to live in the desert for six months, the other you’d have to live in the Antarctic for 6 months. Which one would you choose and why?
2. Out of a polar bear and a snake, which one would win a fight?
3. If you had to be a fruit, what type of fruit would you be?
4. What would you write on your gravestone?
5. Tell me about your biggest mistake.
6. Can you rate the finalists of the current season of the Great British Bake Off and list each of their strengths and weaknesses?
7. If you were a biscuit, what biscuit would you be?
8. How much paint would it take to paint an aeroplane?
9. How many golf balls can you fit in this room?
10. What is your star sign?
11. What do your parents do?
12. If you were a cocktail, what cocktail would you be?
13. If we asked all your contacts in the phone about you, would their response be largely negative or positive?
14. Do you watch Love Island?
15. What’s the biggest mistake you have ever made?
16. What event in your life has made you the person you are today?
17. You are on a boat that is sinking with five other people. You can be anyone you want to be, alive or dead. One person has to be chucked over – who are you and what is your pitch to save yourself?
18. If you were on an island and could only bring three things, what would you bring?
19. What is your favourite and least favourite thing about humanity?
20. If you could take five people to dinner, dead or alive, who would it be?
How to respond
Should you be faced with a question you’re just not sure how to answer, don’t rush to respond – taking your time will show you’re not quick to jump to conclusions.
While you’re ruminating, think about the role you’re interviewing for – is there a link between your potential answer and the skills or responsibilities your interviewers would be looking for? Is there potential to demonstrate specific knowledge?
Whatever the question, make sure you have a logical explanation for your answer – even if the question doesn’t appear to be so! Rationalising the situation shows that you look for solutions, instead of focusing on the problem – a fantastic quality for any role!
It’s also worth remembering that these questions are designed to reveal your personality, so don’t be afraid to show it off. It could be the determining factor that gets you the job!
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Should you be looking for a new role, we have a range of permanent and temporary roles available. View our jobs listings and apply today.
