CEO shares deceptively simple interview question he’s asked for 15 years: 'Apple or Android?'

CEOs like Chris Hyams use unconventional questions in interviews to gauge candidates' decision-making and problem-solving skills.

For job seekers, interviews can feel like a maze of unpredictable questions, but some CEOs have revealed the one simple question that can reveal more than it seems about every candidate. Indeed CEO Chris Hyams has revealed that he has asked the same question for over 15 years to as many as 3,000 candidates: “Do you have an iPhone or an Android, and why?”

CEOs' approach of using unconventional interview questions to assess potential hires is fairly common. (Representational, Unsplash)

The question might seem like a casual icebreaker, but Hyams claims it reveals everything he needs to know about the candidate's decision-making process. He said it starts a small discussion that reveals how individuals make choices, their personal preferences and their adaptability.

Even after asking the same questions to almost every candidate, Hyams notes he always gets varied answers. He said most candidates who chose iPhone cited long-term brand loyalty, while others spoke of specific apps they use, revealing their interests. He also asked them what they wanted to change about their chosen platform to understand their critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.

Unconventional interview questions

However, CEOs' approach of using unconventional interview questions to assess potential hires is not unique to Hyams. Former TripAdvisor CEO Stephen Kaufer asks candidates to discuss a challenging project to see how they dealt with it using either teamwork or problem-solving skills.

If a currently employed candidate says they can begin immediately, he sees it as a red flag for loyalty. Meanwhile, StockX CEO Scott Cutler throws in a brain teaser: “How many degrees separate the minute and hour hands of a clock at 3:15?”, not to test math skills, but to observe how candidates think under pressure.