What’s the weirdest interview question you have been asked? For me, it was, “If you were a slice of pizza, what kind would you be and why?” Unconventional and requiring a think-on-your-feet response, this cheesy question wasn’t all half-baked, however. Odd interview questions and situations can draw out those hidden qualities crucial to a position that a simple “Tell me about a time when…” could never do. In this same vein, Pizza Hut is now actively searching for a social media manager and asking its own out-of-the-box questions. And, in an apt twist on the ordinary interview, Pizza Hut is only giving candidates 140 seconds to pitch themselves.
The 140 second job interview
An obvious homage to the 140 character limit on Twitter, Pizza Hut’s hiring process will help fully bring out a set of crucial skills of successful social media managers, especially those of large, consumer-based companies in competitive markets like Pizza Hut. Twitter is designed for users to get their point across in a quick and consumable fashion. The strict limit of 140 characters is a challenge for marketers because it forces them to boil down the message without losing impact. Twitter rewards humor, brevity, and share-ability. As a result, Pizza Hut’s 140 second interview appears to be an excellent survey of just how these candidates can get their message across clearly and concisely.
So while social media gurus across the nation are preparing for one of the most important 140 seconds of their lives, other companies might also begin to take notice. It seems that now that not only are odd interview questions the norm, but odd interview situations might become so as well. Also, for those of you curious about how I answered my interview question about which slice of pizza I would be and why: I would be a slice of deep dish, plain cheese pizza. I try not to be flashy on the surface, but I have depth of character that speaks for itself.
