“How do you make a grilled cheese sandwich?” and other interview questions

Since I was sixteen, I have always held a part-time job in the food service industry. Over six years, I’ve worked in five different restaurants and been to many more interviews. At the interview for my current job, one question stood out to me. My now boss asked me – How do you make a grilled cheese sandwich? This question is not what an employer would typically ask in an interview, but it is relevant to the restaurant context and cleverly reveals important information about an applicant’s relationship with cooking and food.

According to Lecture 3, Choosing Selection Methods, this interview would be classified as structured because the same standardized question is asked of all applicants. The question is situational, which helps reveal an applicant’s future approach to the position.

According to Lecture 2, Introduction to Selection, the question has reliability because if asked the question multiple times, the applicant would answer similarly (I always make a grilled cheese the same way, and I think most people’s grilled cheese-making technique stays similar). I think the question also has validity because it can accurately provide an image of an applicant’s approach to cooking. For example, I said that I spread mayo on sourdough bread, toast the bread in a pan with some kimchi, sprinkle shredded mozzarella, kimchi, pepper and garlic powder on the toasted bread and finish by broiling the sandwich open face in the oven. This revealed that I like to use Asian flavors and unique flavor combinations, something that I use at work when developing new cocktails.

Finally, the question has strong selection utility because it is a tool that costs nothing to implement, but provides strong insight into an applicant’s experience and future performance in the workplace.

This unique interview question is an effective way to measure an applicant’s approach to job-related skills.