How Good Are Their Problem Solving Skills?

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/hiringtips/Problem-Solving-Skills.mp3|titles=How Good Are Their Problem Solving Skills]There are various tests available that measure a person’s ability to solve problems. Often these tests involve computational and language-oriented skills. These types of tests can be very helpful. (As a fast plug, our IQ test is a good choice.)

But there are other types of problem-solving that we’re interested in. Here are a few examples you could discuss with your applicant:

• Customer comes in and only wants to see Ted. Ted is not here today. Customer says, “Fine, I’ll come back when Ted is here.” How would you handle this?
• Patient comes out from having some dental work done and looks a bit confused. You’re the only one who notices. What would you do?
• As you’re coming into the building, you notice several items of trash swirling around near the front door. It’s normally the job of the leasing company to handle the trash, so what would you do in this instance?
• A co-worker tells you that she is actively looking for another job. She says she doesn’t like working here. What would you do with this information?

I recommend you sit down and list out 8-10 different, real situations that could come up during a normal work day. Then ask your applicants how they’d handle each one.

Sometimes you’ll get an answer they think you want to hear, but if you pay close attention to how they answer each question, you’ll most likely gain some good insights into their problem-solving skills.