Just When You Thought You Knew All of the Answers!

Hiring managers learn about candidates by reviewing their resumes. A candidate's educational background and technical skills are important, but there are other considerations that go into the hiring decision, such as soft skills and personality. A job interview provides an ideal time for hiring managers to learn what each candidate is really like. Check out some unique job interview questions managers ask to candidates, and learn the reasons why they ask them.

1. "If You Could Be Any Animal, Which Would You Be and Why?"

Hiring managers ask this question during job interviews to assess a candidate's creativity. If you can think quickly on your feet and come up with an imaginative response, the recruiter may feel more confident in your ability to handle challenging situations and formulate ideas in a pinch.

2. "Describe How You Handled a Stressful Situation at Work?"

Stressful situations in the workplace often result from human error, so the hiring manager wants to find out how you deal with mistakes. If you're at fault, it's important to take responsibility and own up to your mistake. If it was a co-worker's blunder, describe how you handled the situation with tact and diplomacy.

3. "What Do You Know About Our Organization?"

Your response to this question reveals how much time you put into preparing for the job interview. Show that you're enthusiastic about the position by discussing the information you discovered during your research. Talk about how you can bring value to the hiring organization.

4. "If You Could Meet Any Celebrity, Who Would It Be and Why?"

Your response to this question reveals a lot about your personality and values. Whether you admire a professional athlete or a political figure, the explanation you provide lets the hiring manager know what qualities you appreciate in others.

5. "What Hobbies Do You Enjoy in Your Spare Time?"

Hiring managers ask this question to learn more about your personal life and uncover certain skills that don't appear on your resume. If you mention your volunteer work, it reveals that you're a compassionate person. Those who love woodworking may offer greater attention to detail.

6. "If You Could Change One Thing About Yourself, What Would It Be?"

The way you answer this question lets the hiring manager gauge your self-awareness. If you claim that you're perfect and don't want to change a thing about yourself, you're likely to fail this job interview. Recruiters appreciate humility, so mention a trait that you could stand to improve, and tell how you plan to do so.

You're used to responding to questions about your strengths, weaknesses and career accomplishments during a job interview, but some queries may catch you off guard. By studying these questions, you can determine what soft skills are important to the hiring organization and really sell your response.

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