This is a favorite of my good friend and talented entrepreneur, Ari, who’s done his fair share of hiring. Here’s the setup: Say you work at a factory that makes refrigerators. Due to an assembly error, it’s suspected that the little light inside the fridge is not turning off as it should when the door is closed. But nobody knows for sure. What are all the ways you can think of for finding out if the light turns off? Ari says that 1-2 ideas is average. 3 is above average. And 4-6 is excellent. If what you need from your new hire is someone who can solve problems creatively and find a way forward even when plans A, B, and C all fail, then you want someone who can think of 4+ methods of checking if the light turns off. (Set your smartphone camera to record video and put it in the fridge. Test the front hinge/switch that is supposed to turn off the inside light. Cut a hole in the fridge door. Put a person small enough inside the fridge. Wait a minute with the door closed and then see if the bulb inside is hot as soon as you open the door. Etc…)

Source: My friend Ari, founder of Rubberbanditz

Have you asked this question? How did it go? Do you have advice for how best to ask it? PLEASE RATE! AND WRITE A REVIEW (in the comment box below)!