They want to make sure that you are making intelligent decisions that are based on the information you have available to you.Įxample: “When I have a list of pros and cons to help me make a decision, I start by considering whether the cons will hinder me from achieving my desired outcome or cause unnecessary burden somewhere else. Tip: This question helps the employer better understand your problem-solving process. How do you weigh the pros and cons before making a decision? A week later, I found out that the customer had called our corporate headquarters to mention how much she appreciated the gesture.” 3. I had it shipped to her home within 2 days for free. I called another of our store locations and asked them to hold the same dress in the customer's size. But when I went to collect her order, I found that the dress had accidentally been put back on the sales floor and purchased by another customer. Describe the situation, your role in the challenge, the action that you took to overcome this challenge and the final result.Įxample: “When I was working as a retail manager, I had a customer who came in to pick up a dress that she had ordered online. To stay focused, you can use the STAR method to answer this question. Tip: For this question, you'll want to choose a specific example from your work history to demonstrate your ability to be flexible while solving problems. Tell me about a time when you faced an unexpected challenge at work. Then, I decide what actions need to be taken to solve the problem, and I start putting the process into motion while communicating with my managers and co-workers.” 2. From that research, I'm able to decide which approach to solving the problem works best for me and the organization. They are looking for you to describe a logical problem-solving process that includes gathering information, analyzing the information and making decisions based on what you've found.Įxample: “When I'm faced with a problem, I typically start by doing research or looking at examples of how this problem has been solved by others. Tip: Employers typically ask this question to understand what your problem-solving process looks like. When you are faced with a problem, what do you do? How do you respond?ĭescribe a time when you had to solve a problem, but didn't have all the necessary information about it beforehand.
Your manager wants to buy new software to help increase the team's productivity, and she asks for your recommendation. Tell me about a time when you had to change your planned course of action at the last moment. What metrics do you track on a regular basis? How do you use the information to adjust your approach? How would you handle a disgruntled or dissatisfied customer? When you are faced with a problem, what do you do?ĭescribe a time when you faced an unexpected challenge at work.
When preparing for your interview, consider a few different examples of when you successfully solved a problem, including what the problem was, what steps you took to solve the problem and the outcome: Let's take a look at a few of the most common problem-solving interview questions that you may encounter during an interview and some sample answers. Related: 125 Common Interview Questions and Answers (With Tips) Problem-solving questions with sample answers Employers ask these questions to gauge how candidates will address complex situations that they are likely to encounter on the job. These types of questions help employers better understand how a candidate gathers information from various sources, uses critical thinking to evaluate information, makes decisions that help the business and communicates their findings or recommendations to team members. Also known as analytical skills interview questions, these questions will often focus on specific instances when the candidate analyzed a situation or had to solve a problem, including what steps they took to gather and understand the necessary information before solving the problem. Problem-solving interview questions are questions that employers ask related to the candidate's ability to gather data, analyze a problem, weigh the pros and cons and reach a logical decision. What are problem-solving interview questions?