Would you play a board game with a potential hire to determine if he or she was a good fit for the company? While not every business has such interesting hiring tactics, it can be helpful to keep the interview process as unique as possible in order to determine if an applicant will be able to contribute to the organization.
Minnesota-based company Halloweencostumes.com opted for the board game, as founder Tom Fallenstein explained to Entrepreneur Magazine. Specifically, prospective hires play Jenga with their future managers and co-workers. There are interview questions written on the pieces, and when candidates pull one of the blocks, they must read the discussion topic out loud. Fallenstein said that it is a good ice breaker and encourages people to think on their feet.
Alice Dubois, Buzzfeed’s product lead for editorial tools, said in an interview with Poynter that she asked job candidates to explain how to make the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It was an applicant’s discretion if he or she wanted to make a video or type out the response, but the different approach could really highlight strengths, according to Dubois.
“Cover letters are often boring and this seemed like a more fun, illuminating way to get a sense of how a job applicant communicates,” she said.
Whether a company feels it is ready for a hiring process along these lines is up to its leadership teams, but either way, having the right HR software solution in place can be beneficial. Partnering with workforce management consulting firms can help human resource teams fine-tune the job posting, interview questions and any other aspect of hiring. Bringing on the right talent is the first step toward achieving office goals.