Mix In Some Knuckleballs During The Interview

Think outside the box! But probably just pick one or two crazy scenarios.

  • Require a presentation or group demonstration.
  • Have them give a simple demonstration on the fly. Ask them something random, like how to sort unique records in Excel, or how to exclude search terms from Google. If they don’t know, ask them to show you how they’d search for an answer on the spot and share that knowledge with someone seeking help.
  • Have someone intentionally walk in late to the presentation and be a bit rude or obnoxious. Observe the candidate’s reaction.
  • Ask a totally bogus question, disagree vehemently with one of their positions, and see how they react. If possible, persist with your faulty reasoning to see if they stay calm or instead get flustered.
  • Ask them to make a help video on the spot.
  • Ask them to write a help document on the spot. Give them a computer and a simple situation like the Excel example above. See what their approach is—text, images, video, etc. Ask them to do it again with a different approach.
  • Evaluate their writing skills on the spot, either through the help document above or through some other method. Give them a thorny email situation and ask them to craft a proposed reply message.
  • Ask them to explain something technically complicated and complex on the spot.