Why Do Interviewers Use Brainteasers?

Remember when you took the SAT and were asked which direction a tree would fall if it were tied to the ground and then cut at the base? You probably just picked a random answer and thought, “When will I ever need to know that?”

At your next job interview, maybe.

In recent years, Google and Microsoft have famously made off-the-wall brainteaser questions part of their interview processes. What started as an innovative way to test the creativity and problem-solving abilities of applicants for technology jobs has become popular in other industries. Any position that deals with customers, whether in customer service or sales, might include a brainteaser or two in the interview.

Consulting firm Blue Slate Solutions has been known to ask its applicants how many ATMs are in the United States or how many paint gallons are required to paint the exterior of a three-story brownstone. Unless you happen to know the actual answer, you’re probably wondering what to say.

Just talk it out, advises Greg Moran, managing partner of Better People, a recruitment outsourcing firm.

A precise answer is rarely the goal. “In many cases, hiring managers have told me that they don’t even know the answer.” The interviewers “are interested to see the logic and problem-solving ability of the candidate,” he says.

Other questions are used simply to evoke a reaction from a candidate. Moran often asks, “Beside this question, what is the worst interview question you have ever been asked?” He wants to see how a candidate will perform if hired. “It gives our recruiters a good idea of the candidate’s sense of humor while seeing if they can engage with a good story.” He considers it a good test for candidates applying for a sales position.

Naturally, many job seekers want to know if they can give a wrong answer to these questions.

Yes, you can, Moran warns. “The absolute wrong answer is ‘I don’t know.’ A candidate who answers in this manner has indicated either an inability or unwillingness to think about a complex problem and think through the required elements of an answer.”

Although you want to make a good impression and you know the key to interviewing is to prepare yourself for anything, Moran advises against it in this situation. “What candidates need to recognize is that preparation will actually hurt,” he cautions. If you know the answer and give it without talking through your thought process, you haven’t shown the interviewer your problem-solving skills—which was the whole point of the question.

Of course, not all companies include these questions in their interviews. Often because they don’t want to put interviewees in an awkward position. According to Susan Whitcomb, author of “Interview Magic,” these questions often make the candidate feel humiliated or demeaned. Companies want to attract candidates, not alienate them.

Some interview questions are more about logic than creativity. Moran likes to ask candidates what they will do in their first 90 days on the job to establish the foundation for long-term success in the position. The purpose is to see what ideas they have about networking, not to get a detailed agenda.

Eliot Burdett, co-managing partner of Peak Sales Recruiting, advises candidates not to stress over these questions. A responsible employer or recruiter will not place more emphasis on a test than on the rest of the interview process. It’s a supplement, not a deal-breaker, he stresses.

A good job test can tell you whether or not the position is a good match for you, Burdett adds. If the answers don’t come easily to you, don’t overthink them in an effort to lie your way into the position. Take them as a signal that you might not be suited for the job or that you might not even want it. Keep looking for one that better suits you.

Anthony Balderrama is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.