Highlight Your Problem-Solving Skills in Interview

When interviewing for a job, you must show you can handle unexpected challenges and stay calm and logical. Hiring managers will ask how you solve problems to see if you have these skills. Customizing your responses to align with the skills required for the position is very important.

What are Problem Solving Skills??

Problem-solving is identifying a problem, prioritizing a solution based on gravity and urgency, gathering relevant information, developing and evaluating viable solutions, deciding on the most effective and logical solution, and planning and executing implementation.?

Why is it important?

Problem-solving is essential at work because it directly impacts productivity and efficiency. Whenever you encounter a problem, tackling it head-on prevents minor issues from escalating into bigger ones that could disrupt the entire workflow.?Your ability to solve problems fosters innovation, and encourages you to think creatively, finding better ways to achieve goals. Effective problem-solving also reduces stress by providing clear strategies for overcoming obstacles and builds confidence within teams.?

Examples of Business-Based Problem-Solving

• Correcting a mistake at work, whether it was made by you or someone else
• Resolving an issue with a difficult or upset customer
• Overcoming a scheduling/staffing shortage to still deliver excellent work
• Troubleshooting and resolving technical issues
• Handling and resolving a conflict with a coworker
• Taking initiative when another team member overlooked or missed something important.
• Using problem solving abilities to reduce/eliminate a company expense
• Finding a way to make the company more profitable through a new service or product offerings
• Changing how a process, team, or task is organized to make it more efficient
• Finding a new piece of data that can guide a company’s decisions or strategy better in a certain area

How To Answer “Tell Us About a Problem You Solved”

Start by briefly describing the general situation and the task at hand. After this, describe the course of action you chose and why. Show that you evaluated all the information you could given the time you had, and made a decision based on logic and fact. Finally, describe the positive result you achieved. This is known as the STAR method, Situation, Task, Action, Result.

Customize Your Answer Based on the Skills Mentioned in the Job Description

Once you’ve pinpointed the skills and key competencies the employer is seeking, craft your response to highlight experiences where you successfully utilized or developed those particular abilities.?For example, if the job requires strong leadership skills, focus on a problem-solving scenario where you took charge and effectively guided a team toward resolution.?By aligning your answer with the desired skills outlined in the job description, you demonstrate your suitability for the role and show the employer that you understand their needs.

You can use the ideas above to describe your problem-solving skills when asked interview questions about the topic. If you say that you do the things above, employers will be impressed when when you back that up with specific examples.

I am an executive and career coach helping clients prepare for critical interviews. If you have an interview coming up and want a partner to help you develop your interviewing skills, reach out to me.