How To Communicate That You're A Problem Solver

Being a 'problem solver' is one of the most important traits that interviewers are looking for. Talent acquisition leaders at companies like AMEX, Meta, Twitter, and other big tech companies have explicitly stated that this as a key characteristic that they look for when hiring.

There are two factors that are critical to understand within this:

1. Why do these companies care about you being a 'problem solver'? 

In school, we are often given crystal clear data sets or scenarios. We are asked to answer a question that has a clear "right" or "wrong" outcome.

In business, this is rarely the case. Instead, we are required to gather data points amidst ambiguous settings.

We have to perform analyses and determine if there are actionable insights that can be gleaned. 

And we have to determine what the right questions to ask are, let alone what the "right" answer is.

Spoiler: there's no such thing as a "right" answer in business.

There is only data, critical thinking, and the artful science of deciding when you have enough information to make a decision and move forward.

As a result, when companies say they want someone who is a problem solver, what they really mean is:

"We want an employee who can break down ambiguous situations, critically think about them, gather data, and determine a path forward to 'solve' for said ambiguity."

With this foundation, it's easier to move forward towards step 2:

2. How to communicate that you're a problem solver.

Here's the most important takeaway from this entire blog post:

When hiring teams say they want a 'problem solver', what that really means is that they want someone who can communicate their process for solving problems.

The reason for this is because you could have come up with the best idea ever when solving a previous problem for your previous company.

However, if they don't understand how you came up with that idea...why would they hire you? The whole point is that they want someone who can come in and solve their problems. 

To showcase that you are a problem solver, you simply need to illustrate that you have a repeatable process for tackling tough business challenges.

Here's how to showcase this process like a boss:

-Define the core problem that you're trying to solve

-Determine what data you need to better understand the situation and assess what's needed

-Form a hypothesis (or multiple hypotheses) for the best way to move forward. Ensure to call out pros and cons of this potential solution

-Deliver your recommendation along with a plan for testing, rolling out, and scaling your idea if it works out

And that's how to communicate that you're a problem solver to the biggest companies in the world. 

And that's what ultimately got me featured in Business Insider alongside a few other amazing industry experts.

Need more hands-on support communicating this framework? 

I know a guy 😉

----

See the original article on Business Insider here: https://www.businessinsider.com/interview-tips-show-problem-solving-examples-2022-4