Ex-Bridgewater recruiter outlines five interview tests

Dave Kline, a former senior recruitment executive at Bridgewater Associates, described five unconventional interview tests he used at the hedge fund to identify candidates with conviction, resilience and independent judgment. Kline worked at Bridgewater in senior recruitment and executive roles for nearly a decade and left the firm in 2020.

One key question Kline calls the “(Un)popularity Contest.” He asked whether a candidate had ever walked away from a secure or comfortable position to pursue something uncertain. On X he wrote, “Have they walked away from something safe for something risky?” He added that such experiences show whether a candidate can trust their own judgment when others disagree: “You want someone who’s survived feeling alone before.”

Kline’s five tests also include the Conviction Test, which asks whether a candidate took a position that went against prevailing opinion and was later proved right, and the Relentless Test, which examines whether a candidate persisted through an experience that would have caused most people to give up. The Resourcefulness Test looks at how a candidate handled a problem without a roadmap, budget or formal authorization. The Obsession Test asks interviewees to teach the interviewer about a subject they pursue deeply without being required to, to show how they learn and think.

Kline wrote that he used these questions with hundreds of candidates at Bridgewater to identify employees who could create momentum rather than wait for instructions. He now runs an executive coaching business and offers hiring and management advice to leaders and recruiters.

Kline noted that many conventional interviews favor candidates who follow instructions. He added that employers are increasingly testing for initiative and independent judgment as technology, including artificial intelligence, has made it easier for candidates to submit large numbers of applications.