Question: Describe a time when you resolved a problem by doing research to find the best solution.

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Describe how you needed to research a problem and came up with different alternatives to resolve it. How did you determine the most appropriate solution?

Follow-up questions:

How did you find and evaluate the solutions?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Basic – Critical Thinking,Basic – Reading Comprehension,Basic – Science and Logic,Complex Problem Solving,Systems Analysis

Abilities:

Cognitive – Deductive Reasoning,Cognitive – Inductive Reasoning,Cognitive – Selective Attention

Other Factors:

Candidate Preparedness,Personality-Job Fit,Personality-Organization Fit

Work Activity (Task):

Information Input – Gathering Information,Information Input – Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events,Mental Processes – Analyzing Data or Information,Mental Processes – Making Decisions and Solving Problems,Mental Processes – Processing Information

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Achievement/Effort (Action/Result Orientation),Attention to Detail

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

If the candidate shares an example which is relevant to the job and industry.
If the candidate shares the anecdote in detail about the tools they have used while gathering information.
If the candidate has successfully implemented the information they have gathered.
If the candidate is proactive and results-oriented.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the candidate sounds like a hero.
It sounds like the candidate’s action did not have a positive impact on the situation.
If the candidate gives vague answers and does not get into details on what tools they have inferred while performing the research.

Sample Answer:

N/A

Question Source: https://www.totaljobs.com/advice/most-common-competency-based-interview-questions