Why Humour Should Be Your Secret Weapon In An Interview

Traditional interviews are about as exciting as watching paint dry in slow motion. The same tired questions, the same rehearsed answers, and the same personality-free candidates trying desperately not to say anything remotely interesting. It's time we accept that standard interview processes are fundamentally broken.

We've somehow convinced ourselves that professionalism means devoid of personality. But, we're not hiring robots (at least not yet!). We're hiring humans who will spend more waking hours with your team than with their own families. Do you really want to spend that time with someone who can't crack a smile?

Why Humour Actually Matters

Humour is actually a sophisticated cognitive skill that reveals volumes about a candidate:

• People who can use humour appropriately understand social dynamics and can read a room, demonstrating emotional intelligence.

• Quick wit requires you to think on your feet, and the ability to pivot when circumstances change.

• Nothing breaks through the interview facade faster than genuine laughter.

• Someone who can joke during the pressure-cooker environment of an interview can likely handle workplace stress too.

  
  

How to Actually Implement Humour Screening (Without Being a Clown)

I'm not suggesting you turn your interview process into stand up comedy audition. (Wouldn't that be fantastic employee branding though?) Instead, consider these tactical approaches:

• Use unexpected questions that require spontaneity rather than rehearsed responses.

• Share something slightly self-deprecating about yourself or your company and see how they respond.

• Observe their reactions when something unplanned happens during the interview.

• Create a deliberate awkward moment and see how they navigate it.

During an interview I conducted, I casually mentioned I'd worked at the company for two years and now had no hair left on my head. Without missing a beat, the candidate responded, "In that case, I'll buy some good quality hair oil right away." That quick, witty response told me more about their personality, adaptability, and cultural fit than an hour of standard questions ever could.

The Competitive Advantage You're Missing

While your competitors are hiring impressive (on paper) candidates who turn out to be organizational drag, you could be building a team that's not only competent but actually enjoys working together.

Research published in the Harvard Business Review found that teams who share humour had 25% better performance ratings and were significantly more effective at problem solving. Similarly, a University of Florida study showed that groups using humour experienced 15% higher productivity and reported 27% higher job satisfaction. In an era where innovation is currency, why would you deliberately screen out one of the cognitive skills most associated with creative thinking?

After all, nobody ever changed the world by being boring.