📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

Work Experience, Be Damned: Here's How to Hire the Best Problem Solvers (Infographic) Throwing curveballs during job interviews can help weed out candidates who possess valuable critical thinking skills.

By Geoff Weiss

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

How many times a day do a clock's hands overlap? Why are manhole covers round? How many golf balls can fit in a school bus?

While Google may have stopped proffering such questions in its own job interviewing process, such inquiries can actually help weed out critical thinkers, according to a new infographic compiled by the employment agency Adecco.

As opposed to traditional interview questions that tend to hone in on prior work experience and hard skills -- and which a majority of applicants have come to expect -- broaching out-of-the-box topics can reveal a candidate's unique problem-solving capacities and communication skills.

Related: Trusting Your Gut Is Never More Important Than When Picking Your Team

And once you've landed an employee that happens to excel in critical thinking, per Adecco, strive to retain them at any cost. That's because millennials -- who will soon comprise the largest percentage of the workforce -- are notorious job-hoppers.

Check out some more hiring tips in the infographic below.

Click to Enlarge+
Work Experience, Be Damned: Here's How to Hire the Best Problem Solvers (Infographic)

Related: Why You Should Hire People Smarter Than You

Geoff Weiss

Former Staff Writer

Geoff Weiss is a former staff writer at Entrepreneur.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Devices

Stay Focused and Accessible with These $40 Conduction Headphones

These headphones sit on top of your ears, so you can take calls while staying tuned into your surroundings.

Devices

Keep the Office Cool This Summer with $10 Off a Klima Thermostat

The Klima Smart Thermostat can turn your existing mini split, heat pump, or AC into a smart unit.

Money & Finance

12 Books That Self-Made Millionaires Swear By

The bookshelves of millionaires can inspire you to build your wealth. Here are 12 must-reads they recommend.

Starting a Business

Clinton Sparks Podcast: Founder of Chuck E. Cheese, Atari Discusses Innovation and His Advice to Young People

This podcast is a fun, entertaining and informative show that will teach you how to succeed and achieve your goals with practical advice and actionable steps given through compelling stories and conversations with Clinton and his guests.

Starting a Business

Clinton Sparks Podcast: How T.I. Achieved Massive Entrepreneurship Success in Music and Life

This podcast is a fun, entertaining and informative show that will teach you how to succeed and achieve your goals with practical advice and actionable steps given through compelling stories and conversations with Clinton and his guests.