Competing for talent as a small and midsize employer in today’s tight labor market often means using the same playbook. From the candidate perspective, interviews become repetitive and predictable, job postings all begin to look the same, and applicants likely walk away from the experience with little understanding of what sets one organization apart from the other.
Hiring doesn’t have to be a cookie cutter process. Uncovering deeper insights about candidates, properly conveying your culture, and leaving a positive, lasting impression that resonates beyond the interview is achievable by adding a little flair to help mix up your hiring process. However, this means you must be willing to reimagine traditional approaches while still maintaining professionalism and compliance.
Ask Unusual Questions
One way to differentiate your hiring process from competitors’ is to ask unusual questions during job interviews. Many candidates conduct extensive online research on what to expect, and they’re well prepared for tired old tropes such as “Where do you see yourself in five years?” The idea is to gently throw them off guard in a productive way and observe how candidates think, communicate, and respond under light pressure.
Of course, asking inappropriate questions in a job interview can put employers in legal jeopardy, so vet your creative queries with a qualified employment attorney. Also, being too creative and asking preposterous questions can give interviewees a misleading or negative impression of your organization. Here are three examples to consider:
1. What would you do if you learned five minutes after this interview that you won $25 million in the lottery? The purpose of this question is to learn about applicants’ true interest in the position, as well as their values and passions outside of work.
2. If you could be a fictional character from your favorite book or movie, who would you be? This question aims to gain insight into what drives applicants intellectually and to learn about their outside interests and imagination.
3. Which well-known historical figure, alive or dead, would you choose to have dinner with? The intent of this question is to understand candidates’ priorities and how they view themselves in the broader historical context.
Asking creative questions like these can push job candidates out of their comfort zones and prompt them to speak extemporaneously. In turn, you’ll get a better impression of their potential and authentic personalities.
Give Them A Little Taste
Another way to differentiate your hiring process is to move beyond conversation and give candidates a little taste of what working for your organization is really like. Traditional interviews are good at assessing how well someone can talk about their skills — and themself. They’re often less effective at showing how someone operates in the workplace.
Depending on the position, consider incorporating brief, low-pressure exercises. For example, you might ask candidates to:
- Describe how they’d handle a common customer scenario,
- Prioritize a mock to-do list, or
- Collaborate with a potential teammate on a short problem-solving task.
These don’t need to be elaborate or time-consuming activities. Often, 15 to 30 minutes is enough to reveal communication style, critical thinking, and comfort level with ambiguity.
From the candidate’s perspective, this approach can be equally valuable. Experiential elements help applicants better understand expectations, workflows, and team dynamics — reducing the risk of mismatched assumptions after hire. Plus, they show candidates that your organization is transparent and confident in its culture.
As with interview questions, such exercises must be carefully designed, consistently applied, and evaluated using predefined criteria to avoid bias or legal issues. (Also vet them with your attorney). When done well, however, they elevate the hiring process from a one-sided evaluation to a more engaging, two-way discovery. And that can help both parties make better long-term decisions.
Beyond The Ordinary
Adding flair to your hiring process can pay dividends that show up in the bottom line, too. A memorable, engaging experience can tilt the odds in your favor against competitors by shortening hiring timelines, improving retention, and helping you build a more motivated, productive workforce. Contact us today for guidance on workforce planning, compensation structures, and the financial implications of building a stronger, more competitive team.
