Analytical and problem solving skills are important to most every company and so it’s no surprise that job interviewers are beginning to ask about analytical and problem solving skill during the interview process.
This article will help you be better prepared for this section of your interview.
Problem Solving Skills & Analytical Skills Interview Questions with Answers Guide
Below are ten commonly asked interview questions to assess your analytical skills.
Interview Question: Give me details of a time when you were unable to complete a task because you didn’t have adequate information to reach a good decision.
Answer Guide: Answer should show that you will guess or settle for a solution that isn’t optimum.
Interview Question: Describe how you handle yourself when you are stressed or under pressure. Please describe one tough situation you found yourself in with a co-worker or manager and how you handled that particular situation.
Answer Guide: Answer should show how you are able to work under stress and how you don’t crack under pressure.
Interview Question: Describe a position you have held where you problem solving skills were regularly tested.
Answer Guide: Answer should show you problem solving skills in a positive light and promote your analytical skill level.
Interview Question: Give me details of a situation where you had to put your fact finding skills to work to gather the necessary information to solve a problem. How did you go about doing this?
Answer Guide: Answer should be very specific so that the interviewer can get a real feel for your skills.
Interview Question: Give me one example of a time when you had to quickly analyze a situation and make a quick decision.
Answer Guide: Answer should show you are capable of making sound decisions on the fly without becoming frazzled.
Interview Question: Describe the most stressful work situation you’ve experienced and how you handled it.
Answer Guide: Answer should be one of your toughest situations so you can show your skill level and how you are the best person for the position.
Interview Question: What are a few significant types of decisions you’ve had to make in your past job.
Answer Guide: Provide a quick list of your top decision making practices.
Interview Question: Give me an example of a decision you made that if you had to do it again you would do differently.
Answer Guide: Your answer should be honest and it should show you are not above making mistakes and learning from those mistakes.
Interview Question: Discuss a tough problem at your current job that you would like to solve but to date have not.
Answer Guide: Answer should highlight the toughest problem you are working on. This will show patience and determination and that you understand not all problems can be resolved quickly.
Interview Question: What is the process you follow when you are solving problems.
Answer Guide: Answer should specifically outline your steps.
Tips to Improve Analytical/Problem Solving Skills
Improve the analytical problem solving skills using these four steps.
Use step 1 to:
- Identify the reason of the process.
- Analyze what customers, managers, etc. anticipate the process will deliver.
Use step 2 to:
- Identify the workings of the process, and the requirements of the resources.
- Explore various methods of measuring the effectiveness and efficiency.
Use step 3 to:
- Examine ways you can improve the process.
- Review the implications of these improvements and the consequences
Use step 4 to:
- Determine the best option based on resources available.