Brainteaser Interviews

Although brainteasers are not technically a type of interview (only the most Machiavellian of interviewers would subject you to a series of brainteaser questions), they are cause for consternation for many jobseekers. While leading technology companies have a reputation for making off-the-wall brainteasers part of their interview process, other companies shun these questionable queries, reasoning that they want to attract candidates, not alienate them. One international consulting firm shared that it avoids brainteasers because it doesn’t want the candidate to feel humiliated or demeaned.

Brainteaser questions are actually quite easy to answer, if you remember these tips:

   Recognize that employers are not looking for an accurate answer to the brainteaser. In most cases, the interviewer doesn’t even know the answer!