Jobseekers reveal some of the more bizarre things they have been asked at a job interview including ‘If you were a Disney character which would you be and why?’. Tony McDonough reports

We’ve read stories of how poorly people often perform at job interviews – but jobseekers also have a few stories of their own about “oddball” questions they had been asked.

It has become fashionable in recent years for companies to ask off-the-wall questions of job candidate to see how well they think on their feet.

But a new survey by independent job search website CV-Library claims a growing number of professionals – 52.1% – now have doubts about whether this is actually the best approach to hiring staff.

In fact, the survey revealed that 35% of professionals now firmly believe such questions do not reveal whether the candidate is right for the job or not.

It found that 62% had been asked a “tricky” question at interview with 57.2% admitting they struggled with the answer.

Here are the top 10 odd questions candidates have been asked:

1. When a hot dog expands, in which direction does it split and why?
2. How would you deal with an explosive being thrown through the window in the workplace?
3. Are you able to deal with banter?
4. How lucky are you and why?
5. If you were a Disney character which would you be and why?
6. If the bar was busy and a local came in from a farm smelly from muck spreading with his pet goose on a lead would you refuse to serve him?
7. If you were a Microsoft Office programme, which one would you be and why?
8. What would be your preferred shoe size?
9. What would you serve for a breakfast for an African king?
10. Would you be prepared to break the law?

Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library, said: “There are some big organisations out there that have become known for their crazy interview questions and while these may feel like a good idea to get candidates thinking on their feet and being creative, it’s clear that job hunters are feeling the pressure.

“Being prepared is the key to interview success, but it can be harder to prepare for the trickier questions.”