Selecting the right candidate for a job is not as simple as just reading resumes and conducting regular interviews. Employers often have to go through a number of applications with each applicant showing a different set of skills and varied experiences. Hence, the overall selection process can end up being pretty hectic and may require careful scrutiny. In order to make this process easier for them and pick the most suitable candidate quickly, interviewers have time and again come up with a variety of creative techniques. These methods also help employers assess applicants beyond their Resumes and interview answers.
One particularly interesting technique is the wobbly chair test. This test involves giving the candidate a chair that has one leg shorter than the others, which causes it to wobble. The purpose of this test is to see how the applicant reacts to this minor inconvenience and whether they are assertive enough to ask for a different chair or not, during the course of the interview.
The goal of the wobbly chair test is not just to create discomfort but to observe how the candidate handles an unexpected and slightly stressful situation. The interviewer tends to take note of whether the interviewee sits through the interview, tolerating the discomfort, or will they speak up and request a more stable chair. This test is specially used to judge the applicant’s boldness and ability to communicate their needs in a professional setting, according to a Ladbible report.
A man even recounted this method while in conversation with the US Mirror reading how his brother, who was part of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) in college, faced this test during an interview for the ROTC Nuclear Power School. According to The Mirror US, during the interview, the applicant had the option to choose between two chairs: one with a shorter leg positioned in front of the interviewer’s desk and another stable chair placed against the wall. The chair with the shorter leg was intended to make the candidate feel uneasy. The test was to see if the candidate would stop the interview to ask for a stable chair.
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