As an executive recruiter, I interview a lot of people. And while most candidates find a way to look good on paper, their resumes don't always reveal how good of a problem solver they are. Yet all of my clients want to hire problem solvers - people who can walk into their operation and make their problems go away.
This is understandable. Business, of course, is all about problems. In fact, whether your business is in growth mode or decline, you will always have problems. And it's management's job to either come up with the answers, or hire people who will. This article is about the latter.
How We Learned about Solving Problems
Through conventional classroom education, most of us have come to believe that there is usually a right or a wrong answer to a problem. As such, we tend to study our most pressing business problems to find a single "right" answer - as if we are solving for X in a math problem. Yet in the business world, many problems don't become clearer the more we study them. Instead, they may become larger and more confusing. Problems involving a mix of personalities and dynamic markets can be especially vexing.
Naturally, hiring managers who fail to understand the nature of their business problems will find it difficult to hire someone who can solve them.
Seven Steps to Successful Problem Solving
When solving problems - whether in real life or in a job interview - it's important to follow a logical process. Most business problems are not solved because people don't define the "real problem" clearly. Therefore, the strength of a job applicant's problem solving ability can be seen by walking them through the following seven step framework while getting them to describe how they solved a real life problem in their last job. When discussing a problem that they solved in a previous job, the applicant should demonstrate an ability to:
1. Define the problem: Have the candidate identify what went wrong by including both a cause and an effect in the definition in the problem they solved.
2. Define the objectives: Have the candidate explain the outcome he wanted to achieve as a result of solving the problem.
3. Generate alternatives: How many alternatives did the candidate generate? Did the quality of the alternatives vary greatly? Was there a significant difference in the hard (and soft) costs associated with each idea? And so on. This is the area in which the candidate can demonstrate their creativity and resourcefulness as a problem solver.
4. Develop an action plan: Have the candidate recap their detailed action plan. Most action plans for tough problems involve taking several steps over a period of time. In his recap, does the candidate specify who did what? And by what dates? The devil is in the details, and detailed problem solvers are usually more effective than generalists.
5. Troubleshoot: This is where the candidate can recap the worst cases scenarios. What could have gone wrong in his plan? What might have been the side effects? How did the candidate ensure this plan would work? Were there any unintended consequences?
6. Communicate: Getting information to the right people is key for getting the buy-in to make it a success. Have the candidate address which individuals or groups affected the success of his action plan. Does he explain who was impacted by it and who needed to be informed about it? How did he communicate with relevant parties? The most effective executives are those who can leverage their time and talents by getting things done through other people. This is your opportunity to build your company's management bench.
7. Implement: Have the candidate address who carried out the plan and monitor its implementation. Who was accountable for each part of the solution? What were the consequences for failure to meet the plan? Try to determine: As a manager, will the candidate be "hard on the issues and soft on the people?"
Drilling down on how a candidate has solved problems in the past will give you a good idea of how they will solve problems in the future. Think in terms of the quality, consistency, and costs of their solutions. During the interview, you must get the candidate to be specific about their problem solving experience. Minimize the chances of being duped by getting the candid to recap in vivid detail exactly what happened in a given situation.
Think like a little kid: Ask "Why?" or "How?" to everything they say. If you don't challenge them during the interview process, you may pay a steep price later for your lack of persistence.
About the Author: Harry Joiner
Harry's regular columns have appeared in ERP Tips; Institutional Distributor magazine; and Marketing & Technology magazine. His creative business development ideas have been featured in Competitive Edge magazine, TEC World News, the Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Best of Law Marketing, and the CPA Marketing Report. Visit Harry's website at: http://www.HarryJoiner.com
A week out of work is a vacation. You can... Read More
Non-verbal interview behavior can drown out your verbal self-presentation.Practice interviewing... Read More
Family is the driving force of our lives. You need... Read More
Some people reserve the word "vocation" for religious calling. Contemporary... Read More
(excerpted from The Weekend Seminar - Skills for the 21st... Read More
Once you have accomplished your task of getting in the... Read More
A "blog" is simply an internet (web) log. Blogs are... Read More
The champagne corks have been popping to celebrate your promotion.... Read More
Why Use Resume ObjectivesBefore we can discuss the pitfalls you... Read More
The following 'difficult' questions are common to most tricky or... Read More
INTRODUCTIONThis article will prepare you for the difficult task of... Read More
You can learn a lot about how to do something... Read More
Sometimes, when going on job interviews, you might end up... Read More
Your resume is your sales letter. It may not get... Read More
Many interview guides advise candidates to answer the common "What's... Read More
It hangs from the ceiling above your bed while you... Read More
Working abroad can be an exciting, rewarding and horizon broadening... Read More
I have something to say that's driving me batty. It's... Read More
Don't start off your job search with one (or more)... Read More
Growing up on a Delaware farm was a wonderful and... Read More
Looking for a new job?I'm about to reveal one of... Read More
How long has it been since you last had to... Read More
You've heard the... Read More
It's your first month in a new position and it's... Read More
Make EYE contact when you look at another person. Look... Read More
A relationship expert once said that during an argument, there's... Read More
You've had 3 interviews with a potential employer and they've... Read More
Have you ever wanted to become a computer consultant, but... Read More
Writing a cover letter can be like cleaning your garage... Read More
Imagine if a business invested years into the research, design,... Read More
Mauritius is a small island in the Indian Ocean with... Read More
If you've chosen a business career, you will inevitably experience... Read More
Resume Writing doesn't have to be a solo gigResume writing... Read More
It is a well-known fact that more and more people... Read More
Look upon yourself as a company with a product or... Read More
Have you given up on yourself? Have you decided to... Read More
If you are working for someone else, it is important... Read More
Are you searching for a job? Here are some tips... Read More
For many Americans, an important component of the American Dream... Read More
Downloading a free resume template can be so alluring. No... Read More
Marketing-with-Intent precisely drives you to your target and with greater... Read More
For many people, interviewing is not a natural act any... Read More
After completing their translation training programmes at higher professional education... Read More
* If you believe you deserve a salary increase, ask... Read More
The champagne corks have been popping to celebrate your promotion.... Read More
It's startling to discover how having kids changes the way... Read More
For some job opening, employers receive hundreds and even thousands... Read More
Too many job seekers set themselves up for failure before... Read More
Studies show that more than 50% of people are unhappy... Read More
Here's the bottom line: many people work in jobs that... Read More
Some interview questions are asked so frequently that they've become... Read More
Today, everyone is looking for the secret to business success.... Read More
If published statistics are accurate, employment agencies and search firms... Read More
It takes between seven and seventeen seconds for a person... Read More
What is the biggest mistake people make with resumes?People write... Read More
In today's unpredictable economy, the idea of job security with... Read More
If you are dissatisfied with your job, you are in... Read More
Ugh! Arg! How can a survivor type job be good... Read More
If you are concerned that your company might be planning... Read More
Interview Question, "Tell Me Something About Yourself?""Tell me about yourself"... Read More
I have had more than my amount of trouble in... Read More
Many people today have lost jobs after decades of service;... Read More
Deciding to leave a job isn't easy. In fact, quitting... Read More
Many interview guides advise candidates to answer the common "What's... Read More
I'll be the first to admit that I hated my... Read More
You've just received a call to interview with your dream... Read More
Careers, Jobs & Employment |