Problem-Solving Skills When employers talk about problem-solving skills, they are often referring to the ability to handle difficult or unexpected situations in the workplace as well as complex business challenges. Organizations rely on people who can assess both kinds of situations and calmly identify solutions. Problem-solving skills are traits that enable you to do that. While problem-solving skills are valued by employers, they are also highly useful in other areas of life like relationship building and day-to-day decision making. What are problem-solving skills? Problem-solving skills help you determine the source of a problem and find an effective solution. Although problem solving is often identified as its own separate skill, there are other related skills that contribute to this ability. Some key problem-solving skills include: Active listening Analysis Research Creativity Communication Dependability Decision making Team-building Problem-solving skills are important in every career at every level. As a result, effective problem solving may also require industry or job-specific technical skills. For example, a registered nurse will need active listening and communication skills when interacting with patients but will also need effective technical knowledge related to diseases and medications. In many cases, a nurse will need to know when to consult a doctor regarding a patient’s medical needs as part of the solution. Related: 3 Problem-Solving Activities for Team Building Create your resume Problem-solving skills examples To solve a problem effectively, you will likely use a few different skills. Here are a few examples of skills you may use when solving a problem: Research Researching is an essential skill related to problem solving. As a problem solver, you need to be able to identify the cause of the issue and understand it fully. You can begin to gather more information about a problem by brainstorming with other team members, consulting more experienced colleagues or acquiring knowledge through online research or courses. Analysis The first step to solving any problem to analyze the situation. Your analytical skills will help you understand problems and effectively develop solutions. You will also need analytical skills during research to help distinguish between effective and ineffective solutions. Decision-making Ultimately, you will need to make a decision about how to solve problems that arise. At times—and with industry experience)—you may be able to make a decision quickly. Solid research and analytical skills can help those who have less experience in their field. There may also be times when it is appropriate to take some time to craft a solution or escalate the issue to someone more capable of solving it. Communication When identifying possible solutions, you will need to know how to communicate the problem to others. You will also need to know what communication channels are the most appropriate when seeking assistance. Once you find a solution, communicating it clearly will help reduce any confusion and make implementing a solution easier. Dependability Dependability is one of the most important skills for problem-solvers. Solving problems in a timely manner is essential. Employers highly value individuals they can trust to both identify and then implement solutions as fast and effectively as possible. Related: 10 Ways to Improve Your Creative Problem-Solving Skills How to improve your problem-solving skills There are several methods you can use to improve your problem-solving skills. Whether you are searching for a job or currently working, improving your problem-solving skills and associated abilities will help make you a strong candidate and employee. Acquire more technical knowledge in your field Depending on your industry, it may be easier to solve problems if you have strong working technical knowledge. You can more technical knowledge through additional coursework, training or practice. Seek out opportunities to problem solve By putting yourself into new situations, you are more likely to be exposed to opportunities to problem solve. You may find there are opportunities to volunteer for new projects in your current role, on another team or outside the workplace for another organization. Do practice problems Practice and role-play can be useful tools when learning to develop your problem-solving skills. You can find professional practice books for your industry and problem-solving scenarios online. Practice how you might solve those problems and determine if your potential solutions are viable. For example, in customer service you might find a scenario like, “How would you handle an angry customer?” or “How do you respond when a customer asks for a refund?” Practicing how you might handle these or other scenarios common in your industry can help you call upon solutions quickly when they arise on the job. Observe how others problem solve You may have colleagues who are skilled problem solvers. Observing how those colleagues solve problems can help you improve your own skills. If possible, ask one of your more experienced colleagues if you can observe their techniques. Asking relevant questions can be helpful in applying them in your own career. Related: Problem-Solving Games for Problem-Based Learning at Work How to highlight problem-solving skills Showcasing your problem-solving skills on your resume and cover letter can help employers quickly understand how you might be of value to their team. You might consider only showcasing problemsolving skills on your resume if it is particularly relevant in the position you’re applying for. Customer service, engineering and management positions, for example, would be good candidates for including problem-solving abilities. Problem-solving skills for resume On your resume, you can highlight your problem-solving skills in several locations: in the “skills” section, the “achievements” section, and by giving specific examples of problem solving in your “experience” section. In the skills section, you may want to list key problem-solving skills that you possess, instead of simply writing down the more generic term “problem-solving.” For example, you could list specific technical skills you possess that would help you solve problems or soft skills associated with problem solving, such as your research abilities or decision-making talents. Remember, stories are powerful. Keep specific examples in mind of times you solved a problem. This is useful on your resume but will also help you answer interview questions like, “Tell me about a time you overcame an obstacle.” Related: Effective Problem Solving Steps in the Workplace Problem-solving skills for cover letter Your cover letter is also an excellent opportunity to elaborate on your problem-solving skills. Here, you can give a brief example of a time you solved a problem successfully. Alternatively, you might identify a challenge that this potential employer is seeking to solve and explain how you would address it. Problem-solving abilities are essential in virtually any graduate role you can think of. Discover how to develop your problem-solving skills and demonstrate them to eagle-eyed recruiters. Interviewers will be interested to discover how you'd approach problems that could arise in the workplace. Problem solving is all about using logic, as well as imagination, to make sense of a situation and come up with an intelligent solution. In fact, the best problem solvers actively anticipate potential future problems and act to prevent them or to mitigate their effects. Problem-solving abilities are connected to a number of other skills, including: analytical skills innovative and creative thinking a lateral mindset adaptability and flexibility level-headedness initiative resilience (in order to reassess when your first idea doesn’t work) teamworking (if problem solving is a team effort) influencing skills (to get colleagues, clients and bosses to adopt your solutions). Identifying a problem is often the kernel for a new business or product idea – and, as such, problem solving is an essential ingredient of entrepreneurialism. It is also a key component of good leadership. Demonstrating your problem-solving abilities Why all graduates require problem-solving skills in the workplace Some graduate careers revolve around finding solutions – for example, engineering, management consulting, scientific research and technology. Graduates in other careers, meanwhile, will be expected to solve problems that crop up in the course of their jobs: for example, trainee managers should deal with operational problems (such as delays in the supply chain) or resolve conflict between team members. In fact, the ability to solve problems is an essential part of any employee’s skill set, even if it isn’t specified on the job description. How will employers assess your problem-solving skills? Your problem-solving abilities can be assessed in three ways: by asking for examples of times when you previously solved a problem; by presenting you with certain hypothetical situations and asking how you would respond to them; and by seeing how you apply your problem-solving skills to different tests and exercises. Competency-based application and interview questions about problem solving You may be asked for an example of when you solved a problem on an application form – for instance, an engineering firm’s application form has previously included the question ‘Please tell us about a time when you have used your technical skills and knowledge to solve a problem’. But these questions are more likely at interview. Typical problem-solving competency-based questions include: Give me an example of a time when you ran into a problem on a project. What did you do? Give me an example of a difficult problem you had to solve outside of your course. How did you approach it? Tell me about a time you worked through a problem as a team. Have you ever had a disagreement with a team member? How was it resolved? Give me an example of a time when you spotted a potential problem and took steps to stop it becoming one. Give me an example of a time when you handled a major crisis. Give me an example of your lateral thinking. Hypothetical interview questions about problem solving Interviewers will also be interested to know how you would approach problems that could arise when you are in the workplace. The precise interview questions will vary according to the job, but common ones include: How would you deal with conflict in the workplace? (This is especially likely to be asked of trainee managers and graduate HR professionals.) What would you do if there is an unexpected delay to one of your projects because of supply chain issues? (This is particularly likely to be asked in construction, logistics or retail interviews). What would you do if a client or customer raised a complaint? What would you do if you noticed that a colleague was struggling with their work? How would you react if given negative feedback by a manager on an aspect of your performance? How would you judge whether you should use your own initiative on a task or ask for help? Problem-solving exercises and tests for graduate jobs Different tests that employers could set to gauge your problem-solving skills include: Online aptitude, psychometric and ability tests. These are normally taken as part of the application stage, although they may be repeated at an assessment centre. The tests that are most likely to assess your problem-solving skills are situational judgement tests and any that assess your reasoning, such as inductive reasoning or diagrammatic reasoning tests. Video ‘immersive experiences’, game-based recruitment exercises or virtual reality assessments. Not all of these methods are widely used yet but they are becoming more common. They are usually the recruitment stage before a face-to-face interview or assessment centre. Case study exercises. These are common assessment centre tasks. You’d be set a business problem, typically related to the sector in which you’d be working, and asked to make recommendations for solving it, either individually or in groups. You’ll also usually be asked to outline your recommendations in either a presentation or in written form, a task that assesses your ability to explain your problem-solving approach. In-tray (or e-tray) exercises. These always used to be set at an assessment centre but nowadays can also be part of the online testing stage. In-tray exercises primarily test your time management skills, but also assess your ability to identify a potential problem and take actions to solve it. Job-specific or task-specific exercises, given at an assessment centre or at an interview. If set, these will be related to the role you are applying for and will either require you to devise a solution to a problem or to spot errors. Civil and structural engineering candidates, for example, will often be required to sketch a design in answer to a client’s brief and answer questions on it, while candidates for editorial roles may be asked to proofread copy or spot errors in page proofs (fully designed pages about to be published). How to develop and demonstrate your problem-solving skills Here are some tips on how to develop the problem-solving techniques employers look for. Seek out opportunities to gain problem-solving examples Dealing with any of the following situations will help you gain problem-solving skills, perhaps without even realising it: Sorting out a technical problem with your phone, device or computer. Resolving a dispute with a tricky landlord in order to get your deposit back. Carrying out DIY. Serving a demanding customer or resolving a complaint. Finding a way round a funding shortfall in order to pay for travel or a gap year. Turning around the finances or increasing the membership of a struggling student society. Organising a student society’s trip overseas, overcoming unforeseen difficulties on the way. Acting as a course rep or as a mentor for other students. There should also be opportunities for you to develop problem-solving skills through your studies. Many assignments in subjects such as engineering and computer science are explicitly based around solving a problem in a way that, for example, essay topics in English literature aren’t. But, then, English literature students may also encounter academic problems, such as difficulties in tracking down the best source material. Some professional bodies (for example, those in construction) run competitions for students, which often ask students to suggest solutions for problems facing the industry; entering these can provide good evidence of your problem-solving skills. Games such as Sudoku and chess can also strengthen your ability to think strategically and creatively. Practise recruitment exercises beforehand Any candidate, no matter how high-flying, may be thrown by undertaking an online test or attending an assessment centre for the first time, so do everything you can to practise beforehand. Access our links to free and paid-for practice tests. Contact your careers service and book in for a mock-interview or mock-assessment centre. Keep in mind this problem-solving technique If you’re provided with a scenario or a case study during the graduate recruitment process, you could try using the IDEAL model, described by Bransford and Stein in their book Ideal Problem Solver. It breaks down what you need to do to solve a problem into stages: Identify the issue Define the obstacles Examine your options Act on an agreed course of action Look at how it turns out, and whether any changes need to be made. Give detail in your answers You will need to explain how you identified the problem, came up with a solution and implemented it. Quantifiable results are good, and obviously the more complex the situation, the more impressive a successful result is. Follow the STAR technique outlined in our article on competency-based interview questions. If you tackled a problem as part of a team, explain how your role was important in ensuring the positive solution, but also explain how your group worked together. This could be an opportunity to promote your teamworking skills as well.
