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Creativity Interview Questions

Edited by Indeed Employer Content Team
Last updated October 31, 2024
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Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

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Whether you are preparing to interview a candidate or applying for a job, review our list of top Creativity interview questions and answers.

  1. Describe a time when you had to use out-of-the-box thinking. See answer
  2. How do you deal with colleagues not understanding or appreciating your creative ideas? See answer
  3. Where do you find inspiration for your creativity? See answer
  4. How do you respond when a colleague suggests an out-of-the-box answer? See answer
  5. Do you think only certain jobs require creativity? See answer
  6. Why does an organization need creativity and innovation? See answer
  7. What do you need from your employer to support your creative thinking? See answer
  8. What blocks your creativity at work? See answer
  9. How do you inspire your colleagues to be creative?
  10. How do you feel when a creative idea doesn’t work?
  11. What brands do you think capture creativity well and why?
  12. How would you describe this object creatively? (Present a basic item, such as a pen or paper clip.)
  13. How do you balance your creativity with practicality?
  14. Do you like to try new methods for familiar problems?
  15. Tell me a story about X and Y. (Choose two random, unrelated items to see how creative their stories are.)
  16. Do you like to experiment with different solutions at once, or do you follow through with one idea at a time?
  17. How do you define a creative person?
  18. How do you evaluate your out-of-the-box ideas?
  19. What makes you feel most creative?
  20. Can you tell me about the most creative work project you’ve ever done?
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Hire your next Creativity today.

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Hire your next Creativity today.

Post a job
Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines
Create a Culture of Innovation
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10 Creativity Interview Questions and Answers

Describe a time when you had to use out-of-the-box thinking.

Not every idea has to be innovative or outside the box. Some solutions you're already implementing are effective and efficient, but other situations have room for improvement. Having an employee who understands when to use creative solutions can improve your processes. What to look for in an answer:

  • Specific example of a truly creative solution

  • Ability to determine when creative solutions are necessary

  • Demonstration of original individual ideas, rather than going along with a creative group idea

Example:

"We launched a new seasonal product that really took off. The problem was we didn't have enough space for the new supplies and products. None of the warehouse configurations we tried helped. Off-site storage wasn't an option because we needed easy access to the materials. I suggested using outside storage pods temporarily since the product was seasonal."

How do you inspire your colleagues to be more creative?

Hiring a creative thinker can improve innovation in your company. But finding someone who inspires others to tap into their creativity can ignite a company-wide culture of innovation. This question helps you determine whether a creative hire can encourage creativity in their colleagues. What to look for in an answer:

  • Confidence in their creativity

  • Desire to support and encourage others to think outside the box

  • Specific examples of past experiences where they successfully encouraged creativity

Example:

"I lead by example, sharing my creative solutions even when others might reject them. I ask others to share their ideas and give them a safe space without picking apart their ideas. This gives them the confidence to share their creative thoughts in future situations."

How do you deal with colleagues not understanding or appreciating your creative ideas?

Creative thinking always comes with the risk of ideas not being understood or accepted by others. Creative people tend to take a lot of ownership and pride in their creations, which can make it more difficult when colleagues or clients resist. You want an employee who can recover from those situations or convince people that their ideas have merit. What to look for in an answer:

  • Ability to separate their emotions from their creations

  • Willingness to accept feedback from others

  • Being able to recover from negative feedback or rejection

Example:

"I'm passionate about my ideas, but I realize my way of thinking isn't common. I appreciate feedback, even if it isn't positive, because it helps me think critically about my ideas. Having multiple perspectives can often improve an idea or help fix something about it that wouldn't work as originally stated."

Can you give me an example of when a creative idea didn't work and how you handled it?

Not all creative ideas are successful or feasible, but you want someone who will keep trying creative solutions, instead of giving up after a failure. Creativity interview questions like this also ensure that the candidate is honest since everyone fails at some point. If the candidate doesn't have an example, they likely either don't take creative risks or aren't being honest. What to look for in an answer:

  • Awareness that creative thinking comes with the risk of failure

  • Ability to overcome failures and try again

  • Examples of failed ideas that turned into something better

Example:

"On a project for a marketing client, I decided to go completely outside the box with an edgy print campaign and social media ads. I convinced the client that my idea was right for their brand, but the campaign was met with lukewarm results. I got so caught up in my creativity that I didn't recognize it wasn't a good fit for their target audience. I convinced the client to give me a second chance, and I took my time getting into the perspective of their target audience. I tweaked the campaign and had hugely positive results."

Where do you find inspiration for your creativity?

Even when creativity flows freely, the inspiration comes from somewhere. Asking about inspiration helps you better understand a candidate's creative thinking process and how they get their ideas. It also helps you evaluate how much the person has thought about their creative inspiration. What to look for in an answer:

  • Awareness that inspiration can come from anywhere

  • Willingness to seek out creative inspiration

  • Specific examples of creative inspiration

Example:

"I find creative inspiration all around me. I spend as much time outdoors as I can, which clears my mind and helps me think about things from different perspectives. I intentionally surround myself with diverse people to hear different viewpoints. Being around people who are more creative than I am inspires me. I was always in awe of a former colleague who seemed to have a creative idea for every situation. I spent as much time as possible with her to feel the creative inspiration."

How do you respond when a colleague suggests an out-of-the-box answer?

You want someone who has creative thinking skills, but you also want employees who encourage others to share their creative ideas. Asking these types of creativity interview questions helps you gauge how supportive the candidate will be and how they'll help inspire a company culture of creativity. What to look for in an answer:

  • Acceptance of different viewpoints

  • Encouragement of peers to share unique ideas

  • Ability to create a safe team environment where creativity thrives

Example:

"I love hearing creative ideas from colleagues because it inspires me to consider different perspectives. Especially at the brainstorming stage, I think it's important to let ideas flow freely. I always try to listen with an open mind, even if an idea sounds unusual at first. The out-there ideas can often be polished and tweaked to become more practical if necessary. If an out-of-the-box idea seems too far-fetched, I think about how parts of it could be used. I also ask lots of questions if I don't fully understand an idea."

Do you think only certain jobs require creativity?

Some fields are naturally more creative than others, but even traditional, fact-based industries can benefit from creative thinking. If a candidate doesn't see the value in creative thinking in other industries, especially your own, they might be stuck in rigid thinking and lack the innovation you want. What to look for in an answer:

  • Understanding that all industries need creative thinking

  • Recognition of the benefits of creativity

  • Examples of ways creativity can be helpful in all industries

Example:

"I believe all industries benefit from and need creative thinking. Every employee faces some type of problem or process that can often be improved. Thinking creatively about the situation can increase productivity, improve safety and otherwise improve how the company operates."

Why does an organization need creativity and innovation?

This question evaluates a candidate's feelings on creativity. You can find out if they think it's important, which can determine whether they try to bring creativity to the workplace. What to look for in an answer:

  • Understanding that creativity can help a business succeed

  • Willingness to contribute creativity to your organization

  • Recognition that individual creativity can inspire others

Example:

"Innovation helps a business stay competitive and create more efficient and better solutions for problems in the industry. In my current position, I listened to a client complain that no software on the market, including ours, offered the functionality they wanted. I worked with our software engineers to solve the issue creatively within our existing software product. We set ourselves apart from the other companies offering similar software."

What do you need from your employer to support your creative thinking?

Supporting a creative work environment encourages innovation among your employees. This question helps you understand what each candidate expects and how they'll thrive. It can help you determine whether they're a good fit and if they've thought about the type of environment they need. What to look for in an answer:

  • Suggestions that support creativity

  • Compatibility of what you have to offer

  • Understanding of what they need to be creative

Example:

"Having the freedom and flexibility to test out new ideas without feeling ostracized or punished when they don't turn out how I expected is a huge help. I feed off of other creative people, so working on a team that appreciates creativity is important. I find it easier to work when my manager doesn't micromanage me and trusts my creativity and skills."

What blocks your creativity at work?

Even highly creative people can struggle to bring that creativity to work if they face creativity blocks. Asking this question lets you see if the candidate has thought about creativity barriers and has coping skills to deal with them. What to look for in an answer:

  • Awareness of their creativity limits and blocks

  • Ability to overcome those barriers

  • Recognition of a positive environment for creativity

Example:

"One of the biggest creativity blocks I have is an environment that discourages creative thinking. In my last job, my boss wanted to keep everything the way it's always been. She wasn't receptive to new solutions and often mocked people in meetings for suggesting creative solutions. I noticed my creativity dying and realized it was time to look for a new job."

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