5 Unusual Questions Asked at a Start-Up Company

Startup companies do seemingly strange things when executives and owners try to get a jump on the competition. When you apply for a job at a startup, expect to have some unusual questions asked at your job interview. The somewhat weird questions have a purpose.

Amy Daniels of Red Nova Labs believes startups ask unusual questions to go beyond your job qualifications, references and work ethic. New companies want to know how you collaborate, solve problems and think independently. To get to the heart of what you, as a prospective employee, are all about, a small business owner is more willing to gauge your attitude and reactions with questions you may not hear from managers at large, established firms.

Employers know that experienced workers have common questions memorized. Instead, a future boss wants you to think on your feet, be creative and get noticed by asking unusual questions during your face time. These queries allow you to be yourself.

Your future boss may ask about your plans for the weekend. The reason is not because he wants you to come into work every Saturday, but because your manager wants to know if you have time off and how you spend it. This is a good time to mention your hobbies, your volunteer efforts, how you spend time with family and go for a stroll in the park.

Answering a riddle or hypothetical question may not seem like a big deal. However, these types of unusual questions let you think outside the box about a potentially difficult conundrum. You are unlikely to run across a situation where you have to spend $1 million, but your boss wants to know how you handle a large project with a host of challenges to determine how you may respond to real pressure at work.

Giving and taking constructive criticism is a good thing at a startup because owners and investors need to know what works and what doesn't. "Why did you forget to staple your two-page resume?" is a two-part criticism because one, your forgot to use a stapler, and two, you turned in a two-page resume. You can choose to get defensive or laugh off the criticism and move on. When your future boss asks you to improve on a product, be honest and be helpful to demonstrate your confidence about the types of products the company sells.

When the employer asks whether you want to run with your own ideas or execute someone else's ideas, the purpose is two-fold: he wants to know if you are a manager-type or employee-type person, and he needs to know how you are likely to fit with other potential employees.

Creative or unusual questions aren't necessarily hard to answer. Standard, tough questions include why are you unemployed, what are some important aspects of your personality and why a company should hire you. Just like these tough questions at a large firm, answer weird questions thoughtfully, openly and honestly, because employers want to find someone with outstanding personal ethics to fill their job openings.

Unusual questions at a job interview are like sneak attacks. When you are under so much scrutiny for an important opportunity, you should expect the unexpected in today's competitive job market.

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