How many times have you finished a candidate interview and thought, “That was a great, polished answer,” only to wonder what the real person is like under pressure?
In today’s competitive hiring market, a resume can tell you about a candidate’s hard skills, but it tells you almost nothing about their soft skills. How do they handle the unexpected? Are they a creative problem-solver or do they freeze? Do they listen and build on ideas, or do they shut them down?
Traditional interviews are designed to reward preparation, not adaptation. To find candidates who are truly resilient, collaborative, and present, you need a different tool.
Enter improv comedy.
It’s not just about being funny; it’s a high-level training ground for the exact soft skills that separate a good hire from a great one. Here’s how you can use improv techniques in both your recruitment and internship training processes.
1. Beyond the Resume: Using Improv for Candidate Assessment
Stop asking the same five questions every other company asks. Use these techniques to see your candidates “off-script.”
- The “Yes, And” Interview:This is the core principle of improv. Instead of just asking behavioral questions, present the candidate with an unexpected hypothetical problem. For example, “We’ve just been hired by a company that wants to sell ice on the moon. What’s our first step?”
- What you’re looking for: Do they block the idea (“That’s impossible,” “I don’t know”)? Or do they listen, adapt, and build on your “offer”? A great candidate might say, “Yes, and… we’d first need to identify our target market. Are we selling to astronauts or moon-based colonies?” Their answer reveals their ability to accept a new reality and contribute to it immediately.
- Shows as an Engagement Tool:Hiring is a two-way street. You’re also selling your company culture to the best candidates. Host a short, customized improv performance as an icebreaker for a group of prospective hires.
- What this does: It instantly Fosters a Lighthearted Atmosphere and breaks down the stiff formality of the hiring process. Candidates lower their guard, revealing more of their authentic personality. It also sends a powerful message that your company values creativity, collaboration, and resilience.
2. Building Your Next Generation: Improv for Internship Training
Once you’ve hired them, the real work begins. Interns and new hires need to be integrated quickly and developed into effective team members. Improv is a powerful tool for accelerating this process.
- “The Gift” (Fostering Connection):Have interns pair up. One “gives” the other an imaginary gift, and the receiver must explain why it is the perfect gift they’ve always wanted.
- What this builds: This simple exercise trains mutual support and positive framing. It forces the receiver to find the good in an “offer” they didn’t ask for—a critical skill in any team project. It’s a fast-track way to Boost Communication and Connection within a new cohort.
- “New Choice” (Developing Leadership):Mistakes will happen. What matters is the recovery. Run scenarios where an intern makes a choice that leads to a “failure.” The facilitator then yells, “New Choice!”
- What this builds: The intern must immediately pivot, commit to a different action, and move the scene forward without dwelling on the “failure.” This cultivates resilience and decisiveness under pressure. It forces them to Enhance their Focus and Presence rather than getting flustered.
Why It Works
By integrating improv into your recruitment pipeline, you stop just asking about soft skills and start observing them in action. You create a process that not only assesses candidates more accurately but also builds a stronger, more collaborative, and more resilient team from day one.
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