Problem Solving Assessment – Everything You Need to Know

In any company, challenges occur that require recruiters to hire people prepared to cope with them. Problem-solving is essential for various jobs, particularly those demanding employees to deal with constantly changing situations and tight deadlines.

So, as an employer, you should ask job-related questions and aid in identifying the candidate’s true capabilities. With problem solving interview questions, you can separate results-oriented candidates from those that crumble under pressure.

Problem Solving Assessments: A Boon For Recruiters 

The process of finding a solution to a problem is known as problem-solving. Employers use problem solving tests to assess potential applicants’ ability to overcome challenges. People who are good at solving problems have specific skills like:

• Maintaining objectivity
• Undertaking good collaborations
• Being Action-oriented
• Staying observant
• Owning leadership skills

Practical problem-solving necessitates a diverse skill set that allows people, teams, and enterprises to achieve their goals. It entails the capacity to describe an issue, break it down into manageable components, develop creative and analytical solutions to the problem, and execute successfully.

You can use problem- solving tests to find applicants who have the above mentioned skills. In these tests, candidates are given common problem-solving scenarios such as scheduling based on various conditions, determining the best sequence of actions based on several business principles, and drawing conclusions based on textual and numerical data.

Candidates need to identify the correct answers to the questions in a restricted period on the test. Successful applicants can instantly identify the problem’s core aspects and go through it fast and accurately without making mistakes. This is an excellent test to evaluate candidates’ general analytical abilities.

Problem Solving Tests: The Need of the Hour

Problem-solving is a skill that is applied to any career. Every workplace necessitates the ability to tackle challenges ranging from simple to complex. Employees face daily problems, ranging from where to get the next business lunch to imposing discipline to handle a medical emergency. Because a person’s problem-solving talents impact their job performance, you want employees’ problem-solving abilities to match the job’s needs. 

Different positions necessitate varying degrees of problem-solving. For example, laborers, models, waiters, mail carriers, and painters have few problem-solving chances. On the other hand, jobs like CEO, air traffic control, and midwives necessitate more excellent problem-solving. Therefore, before hiring someone, it’s critical to learn how they tackle difficulties.

Problem Solving Interview Questions

Problem solving interview questions assess and evaluate candidates’ responses to complex and uncommon situations. These questions examine how well candidates respond to challenges such as comprehending the problem and considering the pros and cons before making a sound decision. The five most commonly asked interview questions used in problem solving assessments are: 

• Describe a challenge you helped to solve at your previous company. What was the outcome?

You want to hire people that get things done and actively solve problems. As a result, an excellent response should demonstrate that the candidate exhibited initiative, didn’t behave rashly, was willing to ask questions, and worked well with others.

• Give an example of a time when you perceived a possible problem as an opportunity. What exactly did you do?

This question assesses candidates’ ability to spot opportunities in challenges. Every company has minor and major issues, and you should be able to trust your staff to recognize and resolve them.

• Give an example of a moment when you discovered a mistake made by a colleague. How did you handle the situation? What was the result?

This question assesses their ability to communicate with others. A good response should demonstrate that the candidate was polite and helpful, i.e., someone who assists their colleagues in solving difficulties rather than only highlighting them.

• Describe a personal flaw you had to overcome to improve your professional effectiveness. How did you pull it off?

This question puts their self-awareness and commitment to test. An excellent response demonstrates a candidate’s desire to develop, whether by learning new skills or perfecting their abilities. In addition, because this is a complicated problem-solving interview question, a positive response demonstrates their competence.

• Explain a time when you were taken off guard by an unexpected event.

This question evaluates their ability to work under duress. Even the most cautious minds can come across an unforeseen situation; what matters is how they deal with it. You want a response that demonstrates composure, solution, and optimism.

The Way Forward

To conduct interesting interviews and hire the most outstanding personnel for your company, you should evaluate candidates based on more than just their test scores; that is, you should focus on evaluating their organizational congruence, emotional qualities, and so on. If you want to succeed, employ our problem solving tests and soar to new heights!

Discover Assessments provides world-class DISC-based evaluations that are easy to use, administer, and conduct. You can revolutionize your employment process with our gamified assessments. We offer psychometric profiling solutions to remodel and reinvent your workforce, transforming your company into one of the leading brands.

Problem Solving Assessment -FAQs