Problem Solving Skills & Examples

Updated 8 July 2021

Written by the WikiJob Team

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There are many definitions of problem-solving – but at a basic level, it focuses on the ability to accurately assess a situation and arrive at a positive solution.

Solving problems is an analytical skill that many employers look for when reviewing candidate application forms. This particular skill isn’t restricted to a single sector, industry or role, though employers in the engineering and legal industries, in particular, tend to look for proficiency. Consequently, questions about your problem-solving ability are commonplace in interviews.

Strong problem-solving skills can be hugely beneficial for your career. In every sector, problems are inevitable and will arise in one form or another as you go about your day-to-day duties. When problems do occur, employees are expected to use their initiative and develop suitable solutions to avoid the situation escalating into something more serious.

What Kind of Problems Typically Arise in a Professional Context?

There are many situations where problems could present themselves in the workplace, from a client's concern through to assisting a technical team resolve a website or database error. The issues that you come across will often vary in complexity, with some situations requiring a simple solution and others demanding more thought and skill to overcome.

Business managers will spend a lot of their time solving problems and consequently require their employees to be creative and intuitive when it comes to addressing them. Being confident in your approach is really important, and as you learn which processes are most effective to overcome obstacles, so your confidence will grow. Without suitable processes in place, your solutions may fail or they could even create additional problems.

A good problem-solving process involves four fundamental stages: problem definition, devising alternatives, evaluating alternatives and then implementing the most viable solutions.

Managers are looking for recruits who can be creative and intuitive when it comes to addressing business problems.

Problem Solving

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How to Improve Problem-Solving Skills

There are several ways you can improve problem-solving skills. It helps to approach each problem through a series of logical steps.

First, identify what the problem is. This requires examining a particular situation to determine what specifically is causing the problem.

Rather than looking at a problematic situation as a whole (for example, a customer is upset), try to break it down and determine the cause of the problem (why is the customer upset?). The Five Whys (or 5 Whys) technique can be helpful here, which essentially involves asking 'why' five times to determine the root of a problem.

There may be several elements causing the problem or one specific element. Either way, breaking a problem down into smaller parts makes it much easier to solve each of the elements or issues contributing to the problem.

Next, come up with a range of potential solutions. Techniques such as problem tree analysis and mind mapping can help to lay out problem elements and potential solutions.

Some of the potential solutions won't be as effective as others, and that's okay. The goal at this stage is to evaluate each potential solution and determine which one is likely to be the most effective at solving the problem. You may require several different solutions to solve different elements of the problem as a whole.

Once you have decided on a solution, follow a step-by-step plan to implement that solution. Just as breaking down a problem into key elements makes it easier to identify solutions, an action plan with various steps makes it easier to implement those solutions.

What Are Problem-Solving Questions?

Questions about problem-solving will typically arise within a competency-based interview and will require you to demonstrate your particular approach.

Questions about problem-solving can be asked in a range of different ways, but some common examples of problem-solving are:

How do you solve problems?
Give me an example of a problem you have faced in the past, either as part of a team or as an individual. How did you solve the problem?
What do you do when you can't solve a problem?

Why Are Employers Interested in Testing Your Problem-Solving Skills?

Effective problem-solving requires a combination of creative thinking and sound analytical skills. Employers look for hires who can demonstrate each of these skills in the workplace to deliver positive outcomes.

Managers would far rather employ a member of staff who can take action to resolve a problem than someone who doesn't act and relies on someone else to think of a solution. Even if it isn't outlined as a requirement in a job description, many employers will still be evaluating your problem-solving ability throughout the application process.

Effective problem solvers are those who can apply logic and imagination to make sense of the situation and develop a solution that works. Even if it doesn't prove as successful as you had hoped, resilience is important, so you can reassess the situation and try an alternative.

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