After you've lined up several well-respected candidates to interview, it's time to ask them how they solve problems. When someone solves a problem, it's important that they show they've followed a logical process.
Most business problems go unresolved because people don't clearly define the real problem.
You can gauge the strength of a job applicant's problem-solving ability by walking them through the following seven-step framework while having the candidate describe how they solved a real-life problem in a previous job.
Probing for problem solvers in interviews
When discussing a problem scenario, the applicant should demonstrate the ability to:
1. Define the problem: Have the candidate identify what went wrong by including both a cause and an effect in the definition of the problem he or she solved.
Examples:
-- because three new competitors have opened nearby, our lunch trade declined by 30% in twelve months.
-- after we started opening seven nights for dinner, instead of five, we found it much harder to keep kitchen staff.
-- we had a serious problem with theft of liquor stock and our wastage was approaching 10%.
2. Define the objectives: Have the candidate explain the outcome he or she wanted to achieve as a result of solving the problem.
Examples:
-- we wanted to not just bring back our lunch customers but increase the total number.
-- I wanted to make this a kitchen where staff knew they could have a satisfying, secure job and also plenty of family and personal time.
-- I wanted to bring our wastage levels down below 1% so the increased profitability could help pay for renovations and hiring better staff.
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? This is the area in which the candidate can demonstrate creativity and resourcefulness as a problem solver.
4. Develop an action plan: Have the candidate recap a detailed action plan. Most action plans for tough problems involve taking several steps over a period of time. In his or her 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-case scenarios. What could have gone wrong in this plan? What might have been the side effects? How did the candidate ensure that this plan would work? Were there unintended consequences?
-- with a little probing, it's not hard for candidates to think of dramatic examples of what could go wrong.
6. Communicate: Getting information to the right people is key in getting buy-in to make any change a success. Have the candidate address which individuals or groups affected the success of his or her action plan. Does the candidate explain who was impacted by it and who needed to be informed about it? How did he or she 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.
-- how did they involve kitchen or floor staff in coming up with solutions? How did they sell managers, owners or directors on the value of their approach?
7. Implement: Have the candidate explain who carried out the plan and monitored its implementation. Who was accountable for each part of the solution? What were the consequences of 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 solved problems in the past will give you a good idea of how he or she will solve problems in the future. Think in terms of the quality, consistency, and costs of these solutions.
During the interview, you must get the candidate to be specific about his or her problem-solving experience.
Minimize the chances of being duped by getting the candididate to tell in vivid detail exactly what happened in a given situation. Think like a little kid: Ask "why" or "how" to everything the candidate says. If you don't challenge the person during the interview process, you may pay a steep price later for your lack of persistence.
By Harry Joiner. Harry is an executive recruiter and you can access his website at Marketing Headhunter.
Logos, product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
Reader Comments:
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Problem solving
Mr. Joiner, 2007-04-11 daniel koeppel |
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