Two of my Jerusalem-based clients have recently been faced with the task of hiring employees for key positions. They were lumbered with a very difficult question; how do you know when a good candidate is the right candidate?

Imagine the thought process of the CEO. They have invested years in a previous employee. They can see a period of work flow being held up until somebody new comes on board. They have to invest their own time in training. What will happen to customers? etc etc. All this amounts to money flowing the wrong way for a period of time. So a bad decision regarding a human resource is the last thing required at this stage.

My main advice was to create a scenario where the candidate could tested be tested professionally and also in terms their character. In bland terms for example, a software engineer may be presented with a set up, where an irate customer has discovered a bug in the system and needs to be placated. Go solve.

However, some approaches can be more subtle. In one case, I created a response to a candidate, in which they realized that they were ‘almost’ being offered a job and not precisely on the terms requested. The primary and secondary reactions revealed to the CEO how he should choose.

I recall all this in light of an article posted on the BBC website:

Gone are the days where recruiters and hiring managers interview a promising job applicant, check their references and make a quick decision…..To cut through the canned responses, employers have increasingly embraced new and unusual hurdles. While larger firms may be more concerned with adhering to hiring protocols in a way smaller firms might not be, extra wacky steps are popping up at big companies, too.

The item highlights six seemingly bizarre methods developed by senior managers to test new potential recruits; how to handle zombies, meeting the wife (the real CEO) and speed quizzes to name but three.

My favourite story was Certpoint Systems, who take candidates through six hours of a hellish plane journey. This includes a labourious check-in to evaluate how people will react under stress and in unfavourable conditions. Let’s face it, we all know what they mean.

What’s the best test? A least judging from these unusual yet bold online stories, candidates tend to end up staying for a long periods of time, fitting in comfortably with the work ethic of their new employer.