I interview a lot of individuals as an executive recruiter. And while most candidates manage to make themselves look good on paper, their credentials don't always reflect their ability to handle problems. Nonetheless, every one of my clients wants to recruit problem solvers who can walk into their business and fix their problems.
This is very understandable. Of course, business is all about resolving issues. You will always have challenges in your firm, whether growing or declining. And it's up to management to either figure out the answers or hire people who can. The latter is the subject of this essay.
How We Learned about Solving Problems
Most of us assume that there is always a correct or incorrect answer to a problem because of our traditional classroom education. As a result, we tend to investigate our most critical business problems as if we were solving for X in a math's problem, looking for a single "correct" answer. Despite this, many challenges in the business sector do not become more evident the more we study them. Instead, they may expand and grow more perplexing. Problems involving diverse personalities and volatile markets can be particularly challenging.
Hiring managers who don't grasp their business difficulties will find it challenging to discover someone who can help them address them. You can visit at www.exchangebuz.com for more information.
Seven Steps to Successful Problem Solving
It's critical to follow a logical procedure when solving difficulties, whether in real life or a job interview. Most business challenges go unsolved because the "true problem" is not defined. As a result, a job applicant's situation-solving abilities can be assessed by leading them through the seven-step framework below while asking them to describe how they addressed a real-life problem in their previous position. When talking about a problem they solved at the last employment, the applicant should show that they can:
1. Define the problem: Have the candidate identify what went wrong by defining the problem they solved with both a cause and an effect.
2. Define the goals: Have the candidate explain what he hopes to accomplish by solving the challenge.
3. Define the objectives: Ask the candidate to describe what he intends to achieve by completing the challenge.
4. Create an action plan: Ask the candidate to go over their thorough action plan with you. The majority of action plans for difficult situations entail taking multiple steps. Is the candidate-specific about who did what in his summary? What are the deadlines? The devil is in the details, and problem solvers who pay attention to the details are usually more effective than generalists.
5. Troubleshoot: The applicant can go over the worst-case situations. What could have possibly gone wrong with his strategy? What were the possible side effects? How did the candidate assure that this strategy would be successful? Did there happen to be any unforeseen consequences?
6. Communicate: It's critical to get the correct information to the right people to achieve buy-in and make it a success. Inquire about which individuals or groups impacted the success of the candidate's action plan. Can he explain who was affected and who needs to be informed? How did he communicate with the people who mattered? The most effective executives may make the most of their time and talents by enlisting the help of others. This is your chance to strengthen your company's management team.
7. Put it into action: Have the applicant speak to the person in charge of implementing and managing the strategy. Who was in the order of each solution component? What were the consequences of failing to achieve the goal? Determine whether the candidate will be a manager who is "tough on problems but soft on people." You may get a good indication of how a candidate will solve difficulties by looking at how they have addressed them in the past. Consider the solutions' quality, consistency, and pricing. It would be best to get the candidate to be explicit about their problem-solving experience during the interview. Reduce your chances of being deceived by being open and honest about exactly what happened in a situation. Given the situation.
Think like a 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.