6 Ways to Recruit Those Strategic Thinker For Your Team

Strategic thinkers are crucial for the success of any organization. A 2013 survey by Management Research Group found that 97% of executives see strategic thinking as a critical leadership skill for future success. This is because strategic thinkers add significant value by looking ahead, seeing the big picture, focusing on external trends, and having a global perspective. However, finding candidates with true strategic thinking abilities can be challenging. Here’s how to effectively screen for this important skill during interviews.

What Makes a Strategic Thinker?

Strategic thinkers contribute in several key ways:

• Forward-Looking: They prepare the organization for unpredictable future challenges.
• Big-Picture Perspective: They connect the dots between different business elements, helping to avoid major problems and conflicts.
• External Focus: They keep the organization aware of emerging trends in the economy and industry.
• Global Perspective: They understand and include a broad, global viewpoint in their strategic planning.

Given the importance of strategic thinking, it’s essential to use effective screening methods to identify candidates who have this skill.

Six Interview Approaches to Identify Strategic Thinkers

Give Them a Real Problem to Solve

The best way to assess strategic thinking is to present candidates with a real or hypothetical problem to solve during the interview. This lets you see their thought process and problem-solving skills in real-time.

How to Do It:

• Present the Problem: Describe a real unsolved problem or a previously solved one. Provide a written or verbal description and give the candidate a few minutes to think.
• Evaluate Their Approach: Ask the candidate to explain the steps they would take to investigate and solve the problem. Look for essential steps such as identifying potential problems, checking the strategic plan, reviewing forecasts, identifying key industry factors, and consulting with stakeholders.
• Assess Critical Thinking: Pay attention to their ability to identify interconnected functional areas, test solutions with customers, and measure success after implementation. A lack of strategic focus and too much emphasis on tactical steps can be a red flag.

Ask Them to Review a Flawed Strategic Plan

Provide an early draft of your organization’s strategic plan and ask candidates to identify significant flaws or omissions. This method tests their ability to critically evaluate and improve existing strategies.

How to Do It:

• Evaluate Their Insight: Assess their ability to find and explain the flaws and omissions you know to exist. A candidate who misses key issues is likely not a strong strategic thinker.

Use Specific Interview Questions

Strategic thinking can be revealed through targeted questions that probe their approach to strategy and decision-making.

Sample Questions:

• How would you go about connecting the dots and identifying interdependencies in a strategic plan?
• When working on a strategic project, how do you identify relevant stakeholders across the firm?
• What steps have you taken to become a more strategic thinker?
• What measures do you use to grow your strategic thinking skills?

These questions help you understand their strategic thought process and their commitment to continuous improvement.

Look for Strategic Phrases in Their Answers

Strategic thinkers often use specific phrases that indicate their mindset, such as "strategic goals," "cross-functional," "data-driven decisions," and "root cause analysis."

How to Do It:

• Evaluate Their Understanding: When a candidate uses these phrases, ask them to define and explain their importance. This helps distinguish between those who truly understand strategic concepts and those who use jargon to impress.
• Ask Questions That Reveal How Much They Value Strategic Thinking - Understanding how candidates prioritize strategic thinking can provide insights into their mindset. How to Do It:
• Value Assessment: Ask candidates to list their capabilities from most to least important or describe their dream projects. A higher emphasis on strategic projects indicates a strong strategic focus.
• Continuous Learning: Inquire about the learning sources they use to expand their strategic capabilities. Immediate and specific responses suggest a genuine commitment to strategic thinking.

Consider the Questions They Ask You

Candidates who value strategic thinking will ask insightful questions about your organization’s strategy.

• Evaluate Their Questions: Note the number and quality of strategic questions they ask, such as how the role fits into the corporate strategy or about future strategic changes. Candidates who don’t ask strategic questions may lack a strategic mindset.

Identifying candidates with strong strategic thinking skills is essential for building a successful leadership team. By using these interview approaches—presenting real problems, reviewing flawed strategic plans, asking targeted questions, listening for strategic phrases, assessing their value of strategic thinking, and evaluating the questions they ask—you can better distinguish true strategic thinkers from those with merely tactical capabilities. Start incorporating these techniques into your interview process to ensure you hire individuals who can drive your organization’s strategic success.

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