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• Problem Analysis In HR: 5...

Problem Analysis In HR: 5 Problem-Solving Techniques

What is a problem analysis?

Why would hr need to conduct a problem analysis.

Examples of when HR could perform a problem analysis

1. change management, workforce planning, predicting future problems, talent management.

5 Problem analysis techniques 

1. problem tree analysis.

• Identifying negative aspects of the current situation and their causes and effects.
• Converting the problems into solution objectives – which you can group into an objective tree.
• Defining the solution project scope in a strategy analysis.  

2. Root cause analysis

3. catwoe analysis.

• C – Customers: Who are the stakeholders that the problem or solution will impact? 
• A – Actors: Who are the people involved in the problem or solution being analyzed? 
• T – Transformation process: What processes must be transformed to solve the problem?
• W – World view: What worldview or values underlie the problem or solution? 
• O – Owner: Who is responsible for analyzing the problem or solution? 
• E – Environmental constraints: What physical, political, or economic factors may impact the problem or solution?
• Customers: Employees
• Actors: Managers and HR professionals
• Transformation process: How to improve employee morale
• World view: the company’s values and mission
• Owner: HR and management
• Environmental constraints: budget, company culture, workload, etc.

4. Kepner Tregoe analysis

• Situation appraisal: Identify the problem and gather relevant information.
• Problem analysis: Determine its root cause.
• Decision analysis: Determine the best solution.
• Potential problem analysis: Identify potential problems with the chosen solution and develop contingency plans to address them.

5. SCAMPER analysis

• Substitute: What if your team substituted one aspect of the recruitment process for another? For example, what if you used virtual interviews or video conferencing instead of face-to-face interviews?
• Combine: Can your team combine two or more elements of the recruitment process? What if you mixed a written assignment with a behavioral interview?
• Adapt: What if you adapted an existing process or technique to the recruitment process, such as you adopting a sales pitch during the recruitment process and asking candidates to sell themselves to the company?
• Modify: Is your team able to modify, magnify, or minimize a particular aspect of the recruitment process, such as using a smaller or larger interview panel or changing the duration of an interview?
• Put to another use: Can you use a different approach in the recruitment process? For instance, what if you used an assessment center to assess a candidate’s skills instead of a traditional interview?
• Eliminate: What if you eliminated a certain step or aspect of the recruitment process? For example, what if you eliminated one of the interview rounds that you currently hold?
• Rearrange: Can your team rearrange the order of the steps in the recruitment process or change the recruitment process format? Can you rearrange the order of the steps in the assessment process so a technical assignment is completed first and the hiring manager interview is completed after?

How to conduct a problem analysis

Key takeaways.

• What is problem analysis in HR: Problem analysis in HR involves using systematic techniques to evaluate HR-related issues and proposing solutions to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the business.
• Why is problem analysis used in HR: HR teams use problem analysis to understand current and future issues, research situations thoroughly, and make data-informed decisions.
• Examples of when problem analysis is used: HR can conduct problem analysis to solve issues around change management, workforce planning, predicting future problems, talent management, and recruiting.
• Examples of 5 problem analysis techniques: Problem tree analysis, Root cause analysis, CATWOE analysis, Kepner Tregoe analysis, and SCAMPER analysis are some of the systematic analysis tools your team can use to help you solve problems. 

Jayla Cosentino

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26 Expert-Backed Problem Solving Examples – Interview Answers

Published: February 13, 2023

Interview Questions and Answers

Actionable advice from real experts:

Biron Clark

Former Recruiter

Contributor

Dr. Kyle Elliott

Career Coach

Hayley Jukes

Editor-in-Chief

Biron Clark , Former Recruiter

Kyle Elliott , Career Coach

Hayley Jukes , Editor

As a recruiter , I know employers like to hire people who can solve problems and work well under pressure.

 A job rarely goes 100% according to plan, so hiring managers are more likely to hire you if you seem like you can handle unexpected challenges while staying calm and logical.

But how do they measure this?

Hiring managers will ask you interview questions about your problem-solving skills, and they might also look for examples of problem-solving on your resume and cover letter. 

In this article, I’m going to share a list of problem-solving examples and sample interview answers to questions like, “Give an example of a time you used logic to solve a problem?” and “Describe a time when you had to solve a problem without managerial input. How did you handle it, and what was the result?”

• Problem-solving involves identifying, prioritizing, analyzing, and solving problems using a variety of skills like critical thinking, creativity, decision making, and communication.
• Describe the Situation, Task, Action, and Result ( STAR method ) when discussing your problem-solving experiences.
• Tailor your interview answer with the specific skills and qualifications outlined in the job description.
• Provide numerical data or metrics to demonstrate the tangible impact of your problem-solving efforts.

What are Problem Solving Skills? 

Problem-solving is the ability to identify a problem, prioritize based on gravity and urgency, analyze the root cause, gather relevant information, develop and evaluate viable solutions, decide on the most effective and logical solution, and plan and execute implementation. 

Problem-solving encompasses other skills that can be showcased in an interview response and your resume. Problem-solving skills examples include:

• Critical thinking
• Analytical skills
• Decision making
• Research skills
• Technical skills
• Communication skills
• Adaptability and flexibility

Why is Problem Solving Important in the Workplace?

Problem-solving is essential in the workplace because it directly impacts productivity and efficiency. Whenever you encounter a problem, tackling it head-on prevents minor issues from escalating into bigger ones that could disrupt the entire workflow. 

Beyond maintaining smooth operations, your ability to solve problems fosters innovation. It encourages you to think creatively, finding better ways to achieve goals, which keeps the business competitive and pushes the boundaries of what you can achieve. 

Effective problem-solving also contributes to a healthier work environment; it reduces stress by providing clear strategies for overcoming obstacles and builds confidence within teams. 

Examples of Problem-Solving in the Workplace

• Correcting a mistake at work, whether it was made by you or someone else
• Overcoming a delay at work through problem solving and communication
• Resolving an issue with a difficult or upset customer
• Overcoming issues related to a limited budget, and still delivering good work through the use of creative problem solving
• Overcoming a scheduling/staffing shortage in the department to still deliver excellent work
• Troubleshooting and resolving technical issues
• Handling and resolving a conflict with a coworker
• Solving any problems related to money, customer billing, accounting and bookkeeping, etc.
• Taking initiative when another team member overlooked or missed something important
• Taking initiative to meet with your superior to discuss a problem before it became potentially worse
• Solving a safety issue at work or reporting the issue to those who could solve it
• Using problem solving abilities to reduce/eliminate a company expense
• Finding a way to make the company more profitable through new service or product offerings, new pricing ideas, promotion and sale ideas, etc.
• Changing how a process, team, or task is organized to make it more efficient
• Using creative thinking to come up with a solution that the company hasn’t used before
• Performing research to collect data and information to find a new solution to a problem
• Boosting a company or team’s performance by improving some aspect of communication among employees
• Finding a new piece of data that can guide a company’s decisions or strategy better in a certain area

Problem-Solving Examples for Recent Grads/Entry-Level Job Seekers

• Coordinating work between team members in a class project
• Reassigning a missing team member’s work to other group members in a class project
• Adjusting your workflow on a project to accommodate a tight deadline
• Speaking to your professor to get help when you were struggling or unsure about a project
• Asking classmates, peers, or professors for help in an area of struggle
• Talking to your academic advisor to brainstorm solutions to a problem you were facing
• Researching solutions to an academic problem online, via Google or other methods
• Using problem solving and creative thinking to obtain an internship or other work opportunity during school after struggling at first

How To Answer “Tell Us About a Problem You Solved”

When you answer interview questions about problem-solving scenarios, or if you decide to demonstrate your problem-solving skills in a cover letter (which is a good idea any time the job description mentions problem-solving as a necessary skill), I recommend using the STAR method.

STAR stands for:

It’s a simple way of walking the listener or reader through the story in a way that will make sense to them. 

Start by briefly describing the general situation and the task at hand. After this, describe the course of action you chose and why. Ideally, show that you evaluated all the information you could given the time you had, and made a decision based on logic and fact. Finally, describe the positive result you achieved.

Note: Our sample answers below are structured following the STAR formula. Be sure to check them out!

EXPERT ADVICE

Dr. Kyle Elliott , MPA, CHES Tech & Interview Career Coach caffeinatedkyle.com

How can I communicate complex problem-solving experiences clearly and succinctly?

Before answering any interview question, it’s important to understand why the interviewer is asking the question in the first place.

When it comes to questions about your complex problem-solving experiences, for example, the interviewer likely wants to know about your leadership acumen, collaboration abilities, and communication skills, not the problem itself.

Therefore, your answer should be focused on highlighting how you excelled in each of these areas, not diving into the weeds of the problem itself, which is a common mistake less-experienced interviewees often make.

Tailoring Your Answer Based on the Skills Mentioned in the Job Description

As a recruiter, one of the top tips I can give you when responding to the prompt “Tell us about a problem you solved,” is to tailor your answer to the specific skills and qualifications outlined in the job description. 

Once you’ve pinpointed the skills and key competencies the employer is seeking, craft your response to highlight experiences where you successfully utilized or developed those particular abilities. 

For instance, if the job requires strong leadership skills, focus on a problem-solving scenario where you took charge and effectively guided a team toward resolution. 

By aligning your answer with the desired skills outlined in the job description, you demonstrate your suitability for the role and show the employer that you understand their needs.

Amanda Augustine expands on this by saying:

“Showcase the specific skills you used to solve the problem. Did it require critical thinking, analytical abilities, or strong collaboration? Highlight the relevant skills the employer is seeking.”  

Interview Answers to “Tell Me About a Time You Solved a Problem”

Now, let’s look at some sample interview answers to, “Give me an example of a time you used logic to solve a problem,” or “Tell me about a time you solved a problem,” since you’re likely to hear different versions of this interview question in all sorts of industries.

The example interview responses are structured using the STAR method and are categorized into the top 5 key problem-solving skills recruiters look for in a candidate.

1. Analytical Thinking

Situation: In my previous role as a data analyst , our team encountered a significant drop in website traffic.

Task: I was tasked with identifying the root cause of the decrease.

Action: I conducted a thorough analysis of website metrics, including traffic sources, user demographics, and page performance. Through my analysis, I discovered a technical issue with our website’s loading speed, causing users to bounce. 

Result: By optimizing server response time, compressing images, and minimizing redirects, we saw a 20% increase in traffic within two weeks.

2. Critical Thinking

Situation: During a project deadline crunch, our team encountered a major technical issue that threatened to derail our progress.

Task: My task was to assess the situation and devise a solution quickly.

Action: I immediately convened a meeting with the team to brainstorm potential solutions. Instead of panicking, I encouraged everyone to think outside the box and consider unconventional approaches. We analyzed the problem from different angles and weighed the pros and cons of each solution.

Result: By devising a workaround solution, we were able to meet the project deadline, avoiding potential delays that could have cost the company $100,000 in penalties for missing contractual obligations.

3. Decision Making

Situation: As a project manager , I was faced with a dilemma when two key team members had conflicting opinions on the project direction.

Task: My task was to make a decisive choice that would align with the project goals and maintain team cohesion.

Action: I scheduled a meeting with both team members to understand their perspectives in detail. I listened actively, asked probing questions, and encouraged open dialogue. After carefully weighing the pros and cons of each approach, I made a decision that incorporated elements from both viewpoints.

Result: The decision I made not only resolved the immediate conflict but also led to a stronger sense of collaboration within the team. By valuing input from all team members and making a well-informed decision, we were able to achieve our project objectives efficiently.

4. Communication (Teamwork)

Situation: During a cross-functional project, miscommunication between departments was causing delays and misunderstandings.

Task: My task was to improve communication channels and foster better teamwork among team members.

Action: I initiated regular cross-departmental meetings to ensure that everyone was on the same page regarding project goals and timelines. I also implemented a centralized communication platform where team members could share updates, ask questions, and collaborate more effectively.

Result: Streamlining workflows and improving communication channels led to a 30% reduction in project completion time, saving the company $25,000 in operational costs.

5. Persistence 

Situation: During a challenging sales quarter, I encountered numerous rejections and setbacks while trying to close a major client deal.

Task: My task was to persistently pursue the client and overcome obstacles to secure the deal.

Action: I maintained regular communication with the client, addressing their concerns and demonstrating the value proposition of our product. Despite facing multiple rejections, I remained persistent and resilient, adjusting my approach based on feedback and market dynamics.

Result: After months of perseverance, I successfully closed the deal with the client. By closing the major client deal, I exceeded quarterly sales targets by 25%, resulting in a revenue increase of $250,000 for the company.

Tips to Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills

Throughout your career, being able to showcase and effectively communicate your problem-solving skills gives you more leverage in achieving better jobs and earning more money .

So to improve your problem-solving skills, I recommend always analyzing a problem and situation before acting.

 When discussing problem-solving with employers, you never want to sound like you rush or make impulsive decisions. They want to see fact-based or data-based decisions when you solve problems.

Don’t just say you’re good at solving problems. Show it with specifics. How much did you boost efficiency? Did you save the company money? Adding numbers can really make your achievements stand out.

To get better at solving problems, analyze the outcomes of past solutions you came up with. You can recognize what works and what doesn’t.

Think about how you can improve researching and analyzing a situation, how you can get better at communicating, and deciding on the right people in the organization to talk to and “pull in” to help you if needed, etc.

Finally, practice staying calm even in stressful situations. Take a few minutes to walk outside if needed. Step away from your phone and computer to clear your head. A work problem is rarely so urgent that you cannot take five minutes to think (with the possible exception of safety problems), and you’ll get better outcomes if you solve problems by acting logically instead of rushing to react in a panic.

You can use all of the ideas above to describe your problem-solving skills when asked interview questions about the topic. If you say that you do the things above, employers will be impressed when they assess your problem-solving ability.

More Interview Resources

• 3 Answers to “How Do You Handle Stress?”
• How to Answer “How Do You Handle Conflict?” (Interview Question)
• Sample Answers to “Tell Me About a Time You Failed”

About the Author

Biron Clark is a former executive recruiter who has worked individually with hundreds of job seekers, reviewed thousands of resumes and LinkedIn profiles, and recruited for top venture-backed startups and Fortune 500 companies. He has been advising job seekers since 2012 to think differently in their job search and land high-paying, competitive positions. Follow on Twitter and LinkedIn .

Read more articles by Biron Clark

About the Contributor

Kyle Elliott , career coach and mental health advocate, transforms his side hustle into a notable practice, aiding Silicon Valley professionals in maximizing potential. Follow Kyle on LinkedIn .

About the Editor

Hayley Jukes is the Editor-in-Chief at CareerSidekick with five years of experience creating engaging articles, books, and transcripts for diverse platforms and audiences.

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• Problem-solving Scenario #2: Handling a Product Launch

Problem-solving Scenario #3: Internal Conflicts in the Team

Problem-solving scenario #4: team not meeting targets, problem-solving scenario #5: team facing high turnover, problem-solving scenario #6: team member facing discrimination, problem-solving scenario #7: new manager unable to motivate a team, building an effective problem-solving framework, wrapping up, frequently asked questions for managers.

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Problem-Solving Scenarios for Managers

• Talk to the team members: John begins by asking what’s holding them back. Based on their responses, he realizes that he needs to delegate better. Immediately, John schedules meetings to  clarify each member’s expectations , priorities, and roles and ensure everyone is on the same page. He also makes a note to work on his delegation skills.
• Plan things: John creates a project timeline or task list that outlines the deadlines and deliverables for each team member and shares this with the team to ensure that everyone is aware of what is expected of them.
• Support the team: The team sits together to establish regular check-ins or progress updates to ensure members can ask questions or raise concerns.

Problem-solving Scenario # 2 : Handling a Product Launch

• Review and redraw plans:  Emily revisited the project plan and identified areas where the team could reduce the scope or prioritize features to meet the budget constraints.
• Go for alternatives:  The team then explored alternative resources or suppliers to find cost-effective options. Are there any underutilized resources, equipment, or personnel from other projects or departments that can be temporarily assigned to this project? Moreover, they revisited their suppliers and negotiated further.
• Outsourcing parts of the project:  Emily considered outsourcing some project functions to external contractors or freelancers. Eventually, they outsourced the marketing to another team and continued working on the core features.
• Upgrade the available capacity:  Emily and her team invested in upskilling the present workforce with additional skills. It allowed some team members to explore exciting areas and supplemented the team.
• Get both sides onboard: Taylor begins the conflict resolution process by talking to both team members. She recognizes the issue and first goes into individual discussions with both. Later, she sets up a meeting for both to share their perspectives.
• Mediation:  In the next step, the manager encourages the two team members to talk to each other and resolve the conflict independently. Taylor describes how the optimal contribution can look different for different team members. Additionally, she encourages them to be more open and collaborative so that they understand what the other one does.
• Preventing mistakes again:  The team holds a meeting to discuss the issue and allow other team members to express their thoughts and feelings. By not hiding the problem that happened in front of everyone, Taylor acknowledges the issues and shows that she cares about the things happening inside the team. Further, by discussing and sharing, they can build a healthy relationship to prevent similar issues in the future. 
• Use formal tools: Lastly, they establish clear guidelines and expectations for behavior and communication within the team to prevent future conflicts. Training and coaching are also added to help team members improve their communication and conflict-resolution skills.
• Discussions with the Sales Representatives: Donna starts by having one-on-one conversations with each team member to understand their perspectives on why the targets are not being met. After gathering insights from personal discussions, Donna calls for a team meeting. During the session, she allows team members to share their experiences, challenges, and suggestions openly. 
• Analysis of Sales Process: Donna conducts a detailed sales process analysis, from lead generation to closing deals. She identifies bottlenecks and areas where the team might be facing difficulties. This analysis helps her pinpoint specific stages that need improvement. 
• Setting Realistic Targets: Donna understands that overly ambitious targets might be demotivating. She collaborates with her team to develop more achievable yet challenging sales targets based on their current performance and market conditions. She organizes training sessions and workshops to help team members develop the necessary skills and knowledge to excel. 
• Recognition and Incentives: Donna introduces a recognition program and incentives for meeting and exceeding targets to motivate the team. This helps boost morale and encourages healthy competition within the team. She closely monitors the team’s progress toward the revised targets. 
• Conduct Exit Interviews:  As the stream of resignation continues, Neil adopts a realistic approach and starts by attempting to understand the issues his former team members face. He conducts exit interviews with the people leaving and tries to determine what’s wrong. 
• Understand the current team:  In the next step, Neil tries to learn the perspectives of staying people. Through surveys and conversations, he lists the good parts of working in his team and emphasizes them. He also finds the challenges and works on reducing them. 
• Change and adapt to employee needs:  These conversations help Neil enable a better work environment to help him contain turnover and attract top talent. Moving forward, he ensures that pay is competitive and work is aligned with the employee’s goals. He also involves stakeholders to create development and growth opportunities for his team.
• Be approachable and open: Erica first ensures she can gather all the details from the team members. She provides them with a safe space and comfort to express their concern and ensures that action will be taken. She supports the targeted team members, such as access to counselling or other resources.
• Adopt and follow an official policy: Developing and enforcing anti-discrimination policies that clearly state the organization’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is the first step to creating a safe workplace. Erica refers to the policy and takes immediate action accordingly, including a thorough investigation.
• Reiterating commitment and goals: Providing diversity and inclusion training to all team members to help them understand the impact of discrimination and how to prevent it is essential to create a safe workplace. Erica ensures that the team members are aware of the provisions, the DEI goals set by the organization, and 
• Connect with the team: Andrew starts by conducting one-on-one meetings with team members to understand their personal and professional goals, challenges, and strengths. Observing team dynamics and identifying any issues or obstacles hindering motivation and productivity also helps.
• Involving team members in the process: Seeking feedback from team members on what motivates them and what they want to see from their manager to feel more inspired.
• Enabling and empowering: Offering opportunities for growth and development, such as training, mentoring, or leadership roles, helped Andrew contribute to his team’s development. 
• Take help from Merlin: Andrew reached out to Merlin, the AI chatbot of Risely, to get tips whenever he got stuck. Merlin sought details about his issues and shared some tips to help out Andrew. Here is what it looked like: 

• Develop a problem-solving process: To get problem-solving right for multiple scenarios repeatedly, the key is to remember and set a problem-solving approach that works across the board. A wide-ranged problem-solving process that begins with identification and concludes at the resolution helps managers navigate various challenges the profession throws us. 
• Learn to identify problems: The key to solving problems is placing them at the right moment. If you let some problems pester for long, they can become more significant issues for the teams. Hence, building the understanding to identify issues is essential for managers.
• Think from multiple perspectives: As a problem-solver, you must care for various parties and stakeholders. Thus, thinking from numerous perspectives and considering ideas from a broad spectrum of people is a core skill. 
• Consistently work on skills: Like other managerial skills, problem-solving skills need constant practice and review. Over time, your skills can become more robust with the help of assessments and toolkits. Tools like Risely can help you with resources and constant guidance to overcome managerial challenges. Check out Risely today to start reaching your true potential.

Suprabha Sharma

Suprabha, a versatile professional who blends expertise in human resources and psychology, bridges the divide between people management and personal growth with her novel perspectives at Risely. Her experience as a human resource professional has empowered her to visualize practical solutions for frequent managerial challenges that form the pivot of her writings.

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Problem Analysis In HR: 5 Problem-Solving Techniques

Problem analysis is an essential Human Resource discipline that contributes to organizational agility and helps drive business results. In order for your business to stay ahead of the curve, your team must conduct regular problem analysis in HR, which involves evaluating HR-related issues and proposing resolutions.By proactively identifying areas for improvement and implementing practical solutions, HR professionals can understand situations that are preventing the business from advancing and then develop potential improvement opportunities.

What is a problem analysis? Analysis In HR

Problem analysis in HR is the process of identifying, evaluating, and proposing possible solutions to HR-related issues within an organization. This involves analyzing HR and workplace-related processes and policies, identifying areas of improvement, and eventually implementing solutions that increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the business. With more companies using big-data insights, HR is more equipped than ever to engage in data-informed problem analysis.

By using problem analysis in HR, you can stay ahead of the curve and ensure that your organizations are equipped to meet changing business needs. In addition, this enables your team to become more strategic and proactive in their approach, contributing to the organization’s overall success.

Why would HR need to conduct a problem analysis?

Problem analysis helps HR teams understand current and future issues while generating a range of possible improvement opportunities through the use of a logical method in pinpointing problems, analyzing the causes, and effectively evaluating the solutions. It also enables your team to research the situation thoroughly instead of jumping to conclusions that might yield different results and ultimately could be costly for the company.

Examples of when HR could perform a problem analysis

Change management.

Change management is the process of guiding individuals, teams, and organizations through the process of transitioning from the current organizational setup to a desired future organizational structure. This can involve systems, processes, technologies, team structures, and/or cultural changes.The purpose of change management is to minimize disruption and negative impacts while maximizing the benefits of the change. As you can imagine, this is a significant shift in your company’s way of working, and many possible problems can arise during this change.One common problem that comes up during this time is communication issues. Your employees may not see the need for change when it’s not appropriately communicated. By using problem analysis, HR can find solutions to this issue before it even happens.

Workforce planning

Workforce planning is anticipating and aligning an organization’s staffing needs with its business goals and objectives. It involves analyzing current workforce data, predicting future trends and skill requirements, and developing strategies to address gaps or surpluses in the workforce.Problem analysis can help your team ensure that the organization has the right people, with the correct skills, in the right place, at the right time to meet its business needs.

Predicting future problems

Also known as predictive analytics, it is a data analytics component that uses statistical algorithms and machine learning to determine the likelihood of future developments based on historical data.Predictive analysis aims to make predictions about future events by analyzing patterns and trends in past data. In HR, it can be used in problem analysis to predict issues that can come up in the future, such as when an employee will decide to leave the company.

Talent management

Talent management encompasses all HR activities aimed at attracting, developing, motivating, and retaining top-performing employees; therefore, it is one of the essential tasks of Human Resources. Your HR teams can use problem analysis to help identify recruitment, employee engagement, or skills gap concerns.

Recruiting refers to identifying, attracting, and hiring qualified job candidates for your organization. This process typically involves advertising job openings, screening resumes, conducting interviews, and making job offers.One common recruiting challenge is figuring out how to hire talent fast. According to OfficeVibe, top talent is off the job market in 10 days, so your organization needs to be quick if you want to hire high performers. Problem analysis can help you understand the bottleneck and possible solutions to fast-track your recruitment process.

Problem analysis techniques

Problem-solving techniques are systematic methods to aid teams through a step-by-step procedure, starting from recognizing issues or difficulties, generating potential solutions, and then determining the most appropriate solution to use. Finding the right solution to complex problems can be challenging; however, utilizing the correct approach and method can streamline the process for your team.There are a variety of problem analysis techniques you can use to identify your HR-related challenges. Let’s unpack 5 types to consider:

1. Problem tree analysis

Problem tree analysis, also called Situational Analysis, is a flow chart that helps find solutions by mapping out main issues and their causes and effects. This analysis has 3 stages:

• Identifying negative aspects of the current situation and their causes and effects.
• Converting the problems into solution objectives – which you can group into an objective tree.
• Defining the solution project scope in a strategy analysis.

This problem analysis can be very beneficial to HR teams and is most valuable when conducted as a workshop with stakeholders where everyone can share their views on the situation at hand.An example where you can use this problem analysis model is employee well-being and happiness. You can bring together a small group of employees to identify any negative aspects of their well-being at work, find ways to turn those problems into objectives, such as new benefits or perks, and then build a project scope to take back to the HR team to implement the goals.

2. Root cause analysis

It is possible that your team knows there is an issue but does not know where this problem stems from. In that case, a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) may be necessary to determine the exact cause and find a solution. RCA aims to get to the heart of the problem and find a permanent solution rather than simply treating the symptoms.In HR, root cause analysis can be used to identify and address various issues, such as high employee turnover, low morale, or inadequate training programs. The process would involve gathering data on the problem through exit interviews, employee surveys, and performance metrics, and analyzing this data to identify the root cause of the problem.For example, if the root cause of high employee turnover is found to be poor management practices, HR can work with managers to develop and implement new training programs to address the issue. By using root cause analysis, HR can implement effective and sustainable solutions to improve employee satisfaction and reduce turnover.

3. CATWOE analysis

CATWOE is a tool used in systems thinking and soft systems methodology to analyze and evaluate complex problems and situations. The acronym stands for the following elements:

• C – Customers: Who are the stakeholders that the problem or solution will impact?
• A – Actors: Who are the people involved in the problem or solution being analyzed?
• T – Transformation process: What processes must be transformed to solve the problem?
• W – World view: What worldview or values underlie the problem or solution?
• O – Owner: Who is responsible for analyzing the problem or solution?
• E – Environmental constraints: What physical, political, or economic factors may impact the problem or solution?

By considering each of these elements, CATWOE analysis provides a comprehensive view of a problem or solution, enabling individuals and organizations to make informed decisions and develop effective strategies.

For example, in the case of low employee morale, CATWOE analysis could be used to identify the:

• Customers: Employees
• Actors: Managers and HR professionals
• Transformation process: How to improve employee morale
• World view: the company’s values and mission
• Owner: HR and management
• Environmental constraints: budget, company culture, workload, etc.

By considering each of these elements, HR can develop a comprehensive strategy to address the cause of low employee morale and improve the overall employee experience.

4. Kepner Tregoe analysis

Kepner Tregoe (KT) Analysis is a specific method of rational problem-solving and decision-making developed by Charles Kepner and Benjamin Tregoe. It is a structured, data-driven approach that provides a systematic way to identify and solve problems, make decisions, and evaluate potential outcomes.

KT Analysis consists of 4 main steps:

• Situation appraisal: Identify the problem and gather relevant information.
• Problem analysis: Determine its root cause.
• Decision analysis: Determine the best solution.
• Potential problem analysis: Identify potential problems with the chosen solution and develop contingency plans to address them.

KT Analysis can help your team make informed decisions on many HR-related topics. For example, it can help identify areas for improvement in the training and development process and develop solutions to address these areas or when you are going through change management.In addition, KT Analysis differs from other problem analysis techniques because it allows for a contingency plan in case your first solution does not make the impact you expected.

5. SCAMPER analysis

SCAMPER is a creative problem-solving technique that helps generate new ideas for products, services, and processes. For example, in the recruitment process, SCAMPER can be used to create new and innovative approaches to selecting and assessing candidates.

SCAMPER is an acronym that stands for S ubstitute, C ombine, A dapt, M odify, P ut to another use, E liminate, and R everse.

Here’s how it can be used in recruitment:

• Substitute: What if your team substituted one aspect of the recruitment process for another? For example, what if you used virtual interviews or video conferencing instead of face-to-face interviews?
• Combine: Can your team combine two or more elements of the recruitment process? What if you mixed a written assignment with a behavioral interview?
• Adapt: What if you adapted an existing process or technique to the recruitment process, such as you adopting a sales pitch during the recruitment process and asking candidates to sell themselves to the company?
• Modify: Is your team able to modify, magnify, or minimize a particular aspect of the recruitment process, such as using a smaller or larger interview panel or changing the duration of an interview?
• Put to another use: Can you use a different approach in the recruitment process? For instance, what if you used an assessment center to assess a candidate’s skills instead of a traditional interview?
• Eliminate: What if you eliminated a certain step or aspect of the recruitment process? For example, what if you eliminated one of the interview rounds that you currently hold?
• Rearrange: Can your team rearrange the order of the steps in the recruitment process or change the recruitment process format? Can you rearrange the order of the steps in the assessment process so a technical assignment is completed first and the hiring manager interview is completed after?

By using SCAMPER analysis in the recruitment process, HR professionals can think outside the box to improve the process.These are just a few of the many problem-solving techniques available. The choice of method will depend on the nature of the problem, the resources available, and the preferences and skills of the problem solvers. The key is to choose a technique well-suited to the problem at hand and apply it in a structured and systematic manner to achieve the desired outcome.

How to conduct a problem analysis

Step 1: Determine the problem analysis approach – Start by deciding which problem-analysis approach to use. Of course, choosing the correct technique depends on the specific problem, so your team should consider the problem type, its complexity, and available resources. But don’t worry too much; go for the approach you feel would be the most accurate in determining the problem.

Step 2: Identify and define the problem – Clearly state the problem you’re trying to solve and make sure that the problem is well-defined and understood by all stakeholders involved in the analysis.

Step 3: Analyze the problem – Conduct a thorough analysis of the problem to determine its root cause(s) and use data to support the research. This will ensure that you have a comprehensive understanding of the problem.

Step 4: Generate the solutions – Brainstorm possible solutions to the problem. Consider a range of solutions, from simple to complex, to ensure that you have a variety of options to choose from.

Step 5: Make decisions on your next steps – Review the solutions generated in the previous step and select the most appropriate solution. Make sure to bring in the right stakeholders to get buy-in and allocate roles and responsibilities for implementing the solution.

Step 6: Implement the solution – Once the solution has been agreed upon, implement it. Ensure the implementation plan is well thought out, and that all necessary resources are in place.

Step 7: Evaluate and iterate – Evaluate the results of the solution implementation to determine its effectiveness. If necessary, repeat the problem analysis process to identify and resolve any remaining problems or improve the solution.

Key takeaways

• What is problem analysis in HR: Problem analysis in HR involves using systematic techniques to evaluate HR-related issues and proposing solutions to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the business.
• Why is problem analysis used in HR: HR teams use problem analysis to understand current and future issues, research situations thoroughly, and make data-informed decisions.
• Examples of when problem analysis is used: HR can conduct problem analysis to solve issues around change management, workforce planning, predicting future problems, talent management, and recruiting.
• Examples of 5 problem analysis techniques: Problem tree analysis, Root cause analysis, CATWOE analysis, Kepner Tregoe analysis, and SCAMPER analysis are some of the systematic analysis tools your team can use to help you solve problems.

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Tackling Workplace Challenges: How to Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills

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Picture this: you’re in the middle of your workday, and suddenly, a problem arises. Maybe it’s a miscommunication between team members, a tight deadline that’s getting closer, or an unhappy customer you need to appease.

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

The thing is, facing challenges at work is pretty much inevitable. But what sets successful professionals apart is their knack for tackling these issues head-on with a problem-solving mindset.

You see, being a great problem solver is a game-changer in any work environment. It helps us navigate through obstacles, come up with creative solutions, and turn potential setbacks into opportunities for growth.

In this article, we will dive into some common workplace problems and explore real-life examples of problem-solving scenarios.

We’ll also share practical solutions and strategies that you can use to tackle these challenges, ultimately empowering you to become a more effective problem solver and team player.

Common Workplace Problems Businesses Experience

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of problem-solving scenarios, let’s take a quick look at some of the most common workplace problems that almost every professional encounters at some point in their career.

By understanding these challenges, we’ll be better equipped to recognize and address them effectively.

Communication breakdowns

Miscommunications and misunderstandings can happen to the best of us. With team members working together, sometimes remotely or across different time zones, it’s not surprising that communication breakdowns can occur. These issues can lead to confusion, missed deadlines, and even strained relationships within the team if left unaddressed.

Some examples of communication breakdowns include:

• Unclear instructions
• Lack of updates on project progress
• Messages lost in a sea of emails

Fostering open communication channels and utilizing collaboration tools can help teams stay connected and informed.

Conflicting priorities and resource allocation

With limited resources and multiple projects competing for attention, it can be challenging to determine which tasks should take precedence. Juggling conflicting priorities and allocating resources efficiently is a common workplace problem that can result in decreased productivity and increased stress if not managed properly.

For example, two high-priority projects might be scheduled simultaneously, leaving team members stretched thin and struggling to meet deadlines. Developing a clear project prioritization framework and regularly reviewing priorities can help teams stay focused and manage their resources effectively.

Employee performance issues

It’s not unusual for team members to face performance-related challenges occasionally. Employee performance issues can affect team productivity and morale, whether it’s due to a lack of skills, motivation, or other factors. Identifying and addressing these concerns early on is crucial for maintaining a high-performing and engaged team.

For instance, employees may struggle to keep up with their workload due to a skills gap or personal issues. Providing coaching, training, and support can help employees overcome performance challenges and contribute positively to the team’s success.

Customer satisfaction challenges

Meeting customer expectations and delivering exceptional service are goals for most organizations. However, addressing customer satisfaction challenges can be tricky, especially when dealing with diverse customer needs, tight deadlines, or limited resources.

Ensuring a customer-centric approach to problem-solving can help overcome these obstacles and keep your customers happy.

For example, a product might not meet customer expectations, resulting in negative feedback and returns. By actively listening to customer concerns, involving them in the solution process, and implementing improvements, organizations can turn customer dissatisfaction into opportunities for growth and enhanced customer loyalty.

Adapting to change

Change is inevitable in the modern workplace, whether due to new technology, evolving market conditions, or organizational restructuring. Adapting to change can be difficult for some team members, leading to resistance or fear of the unknown.

Embracing a flexible mindset and developing strategies to cope with change is essential for maintaining a productive and resilient work environment.

For instance, a company might introduce new software that requires employees to learn new skills, causing anxiety and frustration. By providing training, resources, and support, leaders can help team members adapt to change more effectively and even become champions of new initiatives.

How to Identify Workplace Problems

A problem-free workplace doesn’t exist.

Even if you run a well-oiled machine with many happy employees, it’s still a good idea to proactively search for any problems.

The earlier you can get ahead of issues, the easier it will be to put things right and avoid any breakdowns in productivity. Here’s how you can go about that:

Recognizing the Signs of Potential Issues

Before diving into problem-solving strategies, it’s essential first to identify the workplace problems that need attention.

Look out for signs that could indicate potential issues, such as decreased productivity and efficiency, increased employee turnover or dissatisfaction, frequent miscommunications, and conflicts, or declining customer satisfaction and recurring complaints. These red flags might signal underlying problems that require your attention and resolution.

Proactive Problem Identification Strategies

To stay ahead of potential issues, it’s crucial to adopt a proactive approach to problem identification. Open communication channels with your team members and encourage them to share their concerns, ideas, and feedback.

Regular performance reviews and feedback sessions can also help identify areas for improvement or potential problems before they escalate.

Fostering a culture of transparency and trust within the organization makes it easier for employees to voice their concerns without fear of retribution. Additionally, utilizing data-driven analysis and performance metrics can help you spot trends or anomalies that may indicate underlying problems.

Seeking Input from Various Sources

When identifying workplace problems, gathering input from various sources is crucial to ensure you’re getting a comprehensive and accurate picture of the situation. Employee surveys and suggestion boxes can provide valuable insights into potential issues.

At the same time, team meetings and brainstorming sessions can stimulate open discussions and creative problem-solving.

Cross-departmental collaboration is another effective way to identify potential problems, enabling different teams to share their perspectives and experiences. In some cases, it might be helpful to seek external expert consultations or benchmark against industry standards to gain a broader understanding of potential issues and identify best practices for resolving them.

Problem-Solving Scenario Examples and Solutions

Let’s dive into some real-life problem-solving scenarios, exploring the challenges and their practical solutions. We’ll discuss communication issues, conflicting priorities, employee performance, customer satisfaction, and managing change.

Remember, every situation is unique; these examples are just a starting point to inspire your problem-solving process.

Scenario 1: Resolving communication issues within a team

• Identifying the root causes: Let’s say your team has been missing deadlines and experiencing confusion due to poor communication. The first step is identifying the root causes, such as ineffective communication tools, unclear instructions, or a lack of regular updates.
• Implementing effective communication strategies: Implement strategies to improve communication. For example, consider adopting collaboration tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams to streamline communication, establish clear channels for updates, and create guidelines for concise and transparent instructions.
• Encouraging a culture of openness and feedback: Cultivate a team culture that values openness and feedback. Encourage team members to voice concerns, ask questions, and share ideas. Regularly hold check-ins and retrospectives to discuss communication challenges and opportunities for improvement.

Scenario 2: Balancing conflicting priorities and resource constraints

• Evaluating project requirements and resources: In this scenario, you’re juggling two high-priority projects with limited resources. Start by evaluating each project’s requirements, resources, and potential impact on the organization.
• Prioritization techniques and delegation: Use prioritization techniques like the Eisenhower Matrix or MoSCoW method to rank tasks and allocate resources accordingly. Delegate tasks efficiently by matching team members’ skills and expertise with project requirements.
• Continuous monitoring and adjustment: Regularly monitor project progress and adjust priorities and resources as needed. Keep stakeholders informed about changes and maintain open lines of communication to ensure alignment and avoid surprises.

Scenario 3: Addressing employee performance concerns

• Identifying performance gaps: When an employee’s performance is below expectations, identify the specific areas that need improvement. Is it a skills gap, lack of motivation, or external factors like personal issues?
• Providing constructive feedback and support: Provide clear, constructive feedback to the employee, highlighting areas for improvement and offering support, such as training, coaching, or mentorship.
• Developing performance improvement plans: Collaborate with the employee to develop a performance improvement plan , outlining specific goals, timelines, and resources. Regularly review progress and adjust the plan as needed.

Scenario 4: Improving customer satisfaction

• Analyzing customer feedback and pain points: In this scenario, customers are dissatisfied with a product, resulting in negative feedback and returns. Analyze customer feedback to identify common pain points and areas for improvement.
• Implementing customer-centric solutions: Work with your team to develop and implement solutions that address customer concerns, such as enhancing product features or improving customer support.
• Monitoring progress and iterating for success: Regularly monitor customer satisfaction levels and gather feedback to assess the effectiveness of your solutions. Iterate and improve as needed to ensure continuous progress toward higher customer satisfaction.

Scenario 5: Managing change and uncertainty

• Assessing the impact of change on the organization: When faced with change, such as the introduction of new software, assess the potential impact on the organization, including the benefits, challenges, and required resources.
• Developing a change management plan: Create a comprehensive change management plan that includes communication strategies, training, and support resources to help team members adapt to the change.
• Fostering resilience and adaptability among team members: Encourage a culture of resilience and adaptability by providing ongoing support, celebrating small wins, and recognizing the efforts of team members who embrace and champion the change.

Scenario 6: Navigating team conflicts

• Identifying the sources of conflict: When conflicts arise within a team, it’s crucial to identify the underlying issues, such as personality clashes, competing interests, or poor communication.
• Facilitating open discussions and mediation: Arrange a meeting with the involved parties to discuss the conflict openly and objectively. Consider using a neutral third party to mediate the conversation, ensuring everyone’s perspective is heard and understood.
• Developing and implementing conflict resolution strategies: Work together to develop strategies for resolving the conflict, such as setting clear expectations, improving communication, or redefining roles and responsibilities. Monitor progress and adjust strategies as needed to ensure long-term resolution.

Scenario 7: Overcoming deadline pressure and time management challenges

• Assessing project progress and priorities: If a team is struggling to meet deadlines, assess project progress and review priorities. Identify tasks that are behind schedule, and determine if any can be reprioritized or delegated.
• Implementing time management techniques: Encourage the team to adopt effective time management techniques, such as the Pomodoro Technique or time blocking, to maximize productivity and stay focused on tasks.
• Adjusting project scope and resources as needed: In some cases, it may be necessary to adjust the project scope or allocate additional resources to ensure successful completion. Communicate any changes to stakeholders and maintain transparency throughout the process.

Scenario 8: Tackling low employee morale and engagement

• Identifying the causes of low morale: When faced with low employee morale, it’s essential to identify the contributing factors, such as lack of recognition, insufficient growth opportunities, or unrealistic expectations.
• Implementing targeted initiatives to boost morale: Develop and implement initiatives to address these factors, such as offering regular feedback and recognition, providing professional development opportunities, or reassessing workload and expectations.
• Monitoring and adjusting efforts to improve engagement: Regularly monitor employee morale and engagement through surveys or informal conversations. Adjust your initiatives to ensure continuous improvement and maintain a positive work environment.

Developing Problem-Solving Skills in the Workplace

As we’ve seen, problem-solving is a crucial skill for navigating the myriad challenges that can arise in the workplace. To become effective problem solvers, you must develop hard and soft skills that will allow you to tackle issues head-on and find the best solutions.

Let’s dive into these skills and discuss how to cultivate them in the workplace.

Soft Skills

Soft skills are non-technical, interpersonal abilities that help you interact effectively with others, navigate social situations, and perform well in the workplace. They are often referred to as “people skills” or “emotional intelligence” because they involve understanding and managing emotions and building relationships with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders.

Soft skills are typically learned through life experiences and personal development rather than formal education or training.

Examples of soft skills include:

• Critical thinking: Critical thinking is the ability to analyze a situation objectively, considering all relevant information before making a decision. To develop this skill, practice asking open-ended questions, challenging assumptions, and considering multiple perspectives when approaching a problem.
• Effective communication: Strong communication skills are vital for problem-solving, as they enable you to express your ideas clearly and listen actively to others. To improve your communication skills, focus on being concise, empathetic, and open to feedback. Remember that nonverbal communication, such as body language and tone, can be just as important as the words you choose.
• Collaboration and teamwork: Problem-solving often requires collaboration, as multiple minds can bring diverse perspectives and fresh ideas to the table. Foster a sense of teamwork by being open to others’ input, sharing knowledge, and recognizing the contributions of your colleagues.
• Emotional intelligence: The ability to recognize and manage your emotions, as well as empathize with others, can significantly impact your problem-solving abilities. To cultivate emotional intelligence, practice self-awareness, self-regulation, and empathy when dealing with challenges or conflicts.
• Adaptability and resilience: In a constantly changing work environment, the ability to adapt and bounce back from setbacks is essential. Develop your adaptability and resilience by embracing change, learning from failure, and maintaining a growth mindset.

Hard Skills

Hard skills, on the other hand, are specific, teachable abilities that can be acquired through formal education, training, or on-the-job experience. These skills are typically technical, industry-specific, or job-related and can be easily quantified and measured.

Hard skills are often necessary for performing specific tasks or operating specialized tools and equipment.

Examples of hard skills include:

• Project management: Effective problem-solving often involves managing resources, timelines, and tasks. Improve your project management skills by learning popular methodologies (e.g., Agile, Scrum, or Waterfall), setting clear goals, and monitoring progress.
• Data analysis and interpretation: Many problems require data analysis to identify trends, patterns, or insights that inform decision-making. Strengthen your data analysis skills by familiarizing yourself with relevant tools and software, such as Excel or Tableau, and practicing critical thinking when interpreting results.
• Technical proficiency: Depending on your industry, various technical skills may be crucial for problem-solving. Stay current with your field’s latest tools, technologies, and best practices by participating in workshops, online courses, or industry events.
• Decision-making: Strong decision-making skills are vital for problem-solving, as they enable you to evaluate options and choose the best course of action. Develop your decision-making abilities by learning about decision-making models (e.g., SWOT analysis, cost-benefit analysis, or decision trees) and applying them in real-life situations.

Both types of skills—soft and hard—play a crucial role in achieving success in the workplace, as they work together to create a well-rounded and highly effective employee. When combined, these skills enable individuals to excel in their roles and contribute significantly to their organization’s performance and productivity.

Boosting Your Problem-Solving Skills in the Workplace

Boosting your problem-solving skills in the workplace is essential for success, personal growth, and increased productivity.

To effectively improve these skills, consider the following strategies:

• Cultivate a growth mindset by embracing challenges as learning opportunities, being open to feedback, and believing in your ability to develop and improve.
• Enhance critical thinking and creativity by objectively analyzing information, considering multiple perspectives, and brainstorming innovative solutions.
• Develop effective communication skills, including active listening and clear articulation of your thoughts, to facilitate collaboration and problem-solving.
• Foster empathy and emotional intelligence to understand others’ emotions, perspectives, and needs, which can help you devise better solutions.
• Learn from experienced colleagues, study successful problem-solving strategies, and participate in professional development courses or workshops to gain new insights and techniques.
• Adopt a systematic approach to problem-solving by defining the problem, gathering and analyzing relevant information, generating and evaluating potential solutions, and implementing the chosen solution while monitoring its effectiveness.
• Stay organized and manage your time effectively by prioritizing tasks based on urgency and importance and breaking complex problems into smaller, more manageable parts.
• Embrace change, be resilient and adaptable, and learn from failures and setbacks to stay flexible and open to new ideas.

By dedicating time and effort to improving these aspects of your problem-solving skills, you can become a more effective problem-solver, contributing positively to your workplace and enhancing your career prospects.

Problems in the workplace will continuously develop and evolve over time if left unaddressed. Proactively dealing with these issues is the most effective method to ensure a positive and productive work environment.

By honing your problem-solving skills, embracing a growth mindset, and fostering open communication, you can tackle challenges head-on and prevent minor issues from escalating into significant obstacles.

Remember, staying proactive, adaptable, and continuously refining your problem-solving strategies is crucial for professional success and personal growth in the ever-changing world of work.

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10 common HR issues (and how to solve them)

Anyone who’s worked in human resources knows that there are a host of HR issues that need to be managed, juggled, and solved on a regular basis. HR teams are busy, and the problems they face are diverse. 

While it’s likely little comfort for HR pros dealing with these challenges right now, it may give you a bit of comfort knowing that these issues are prevalent across industries and companies of all sizes. Everyone’s in the same boat, and there’s a wealth of information available to help you solve virtually any HR issue you face. 

This article will focus on 10 of the most prominent HR issues companies face today. It will share  the scope of the issue, and offer some solutions for how to come out on top. 

First, let’s back up and recap what an HR department—or HR management—actually does. 

What does HR management involve?

HR managers may be responsible for a wide range of activities related to hiring and managing employees at a company.

Responsibilities found under the HR umbrella might include:

• Job design ( job descriptions , recruitment ads , strategic prioritization)
• Workforce planning
• Training and development of existing employees
• Performance management
• Compensation and benefits management
• Navigating legal requirements
• Health and safety

In the largest organizations, these responsibilities are usually split across an HR organization. Smaller companies, however, often don't have that luxury, and one or two people may have to juggle these priorities.

This lack of resources or manpower is at the core of many HR problems companies face. There are many jobs to be done - all of which are important - but it may not be possible to do all of them with the limited resources available.

The rest of this article will focus on the most prevalent HR issues, and offer possible solutions.

Common HR issues (and their solutions)

This section will highlight the HR issues that are top of mind for companies in 2024 (and likely beyond). These challenges were identified by Recruitee’s internal experts, as well as industry research to get an idea of what is keeping HR pros awake at night.

1. Recruiting the right people quickly 

Recruiting the right people is and always will be a priority for HR departments. But the speed at which that needs to be done is only accelerating. This is especially true in times of extreme talent shortage amongst highly in-demand skills sets. 

In fact, according to the Manupower Group’s 2024 Global Talent Shortage study , 75% of employers are reporting difficulty in filling roles. They agree, by extension, that this makes having an efficient (and effective) recruitment process more critical than ever. 

This HR issue is particularly acute in industries like healthcare, IT, and consumer goods, where talent shortage is most pronounced, according to the Manupower study. But not being able to fill these roles isn’t the only challenge. The pressure to fill them quickly can also lead to rused hiring decisions, which may not result in the best fit for the organization.  

• High competition for top talent: Companies are increasingly competing with other companies for an ever narrowing pool of skilled candidates.
• Time-consuming recruitment processes: Lengthy hiring processes can result in losing top candidates to faster-moving competitors. And rushed hiring processes can result in costly bad hires.
• Maintaining quality while speeding up hiring: Balancing the need for quick hires with the requirement to find candidates who are a good long-term fit for the company.
• Use the right recruitment technology. Implement AI-driven recruitment tools to streamline the hiring process and identify the best candidates more efficiently.
• Optimize the hiring process. Review and refine the recruitment processes to eliminate unnecessary steps and reduce time-to-hire .
• Enhance employer branding. Develop a strong employer brand to attract top talent proactively, making the company a more desirable place to work.
• Leverage recruitment analytics. Use data and recruitment analytics to track and improve recruitment performance, identifying bottlenecks and areas for improvement.

2. Diversity, equity and inclusion

Organizations are under continued pressure and scrutiny from employees and prospective candidates to demonstrate their commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. A Glassdoor study recently found that 76% of job seekers and employees consider a diverse workforce to be an importance factor when evaluating job offers.

DEI has a direct impact on both existing employees and candidates, making it a top issue not just for HR, but for senior management as well. 

• Managing bias in hiring. Recruitment teams need to be able to identify, manage, and overcome hiring biases that may affect selection and promotion decisions. 
• A lack of diverse candidates. Companies without an active DEI initiative in place may find it hard to attract a diverse pool of candidates due to their existing networks and sourcing strategies. 
• Ineffective DEI initiatives. Immature, pathwork, or ineffective DEI initiatives likely do not go deep enough to address the root causes of inequity at the company, and therefore fail to bring about meaningful change. 
• Implement bias training. HR should conduct—either themselves or via third party consultants—regular training sessions to help employees and hiring managers recognize and mitigate bias during hiring. 
• Expand sourcing channels. Use diverse job boards, active outreach, and community partnerships to reach a broader range of candidates. 
• Set measurable DEI goals. Establish clear and achievable DEI goals, and hold leadership accountable for progress. Track and report on this progress publicly to demonstrate to prospective employees that you are actively working on improving diversity metrics . 
• Promote an inclusive culture. Foster an environment where all employees feel valued and included. Encourage diverse perspectives and ideas, and implement support systems and employee resource groups (ERGs) for under-represented demographics. 

3. Remote and hybrid workplace management

Managing remote and hybrid workplaces has become an acute HR issue since the pandemic started in 2020. In the United States, 22% of the workforce is expected to be fully remote by 2025, with many more opting for hybrid working models. 

This poses numerous issues for HR, ranging from personnel management to logistics to recruitment considerations. Many companies adapted quickly during the pandemic, but that pivot now needs to be a permanent one for many organizations. 

To compensate, the HR department needs to adapt to meet the growing demands and complexities of distributed teams. This includes working cross-departmentally to introduce the right tooling and people management processes to maintain team cohesion, monitor performance, and ensure effective communication. 

‍ Note: This is not solely an HR issue. IT, senior management, and direct supervisors all have an active role to play in effectively managing remote and hybrid workplaces. 

• Maintaining team cohesion: Keeping remote and hybrid teams connected and engaged with engaging team building activities and collaboration tools.
• Monitoring performance: Ensuring that remote employees remain productive and accountable.
• Effective communication: Overcoming the barriers of physical distance to maintain clear and consistent communication.
• Implement robust communication tools : Use platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom to facilitate seamless communication. Implement tools like Miro to facilitate collaborative sessions. Use shared knowledge bases and coffee chat software to facilitate information sharing. 
• Establish clear policies and guidelines: Develop comprehensive remote work policies that outline expectations, work hours, and communication protocols.
• Invest in employee engagement initiatives: Organize virtual team-building activities and regular check-ins to foster a sense of community.

4. Low employee engagement

Low employee engagement is an ever-present HR issue for many organizations. Despite the clear link between engagement, performance, and organizational success, only 31% of employees report that they’re actively engaged. That spells big trouble for organizations who rely on high performance from their employees (i.e. all organizations). 

Low engagement, as we know, can lead to decreased productivity, higher turnover rates, and negative impact on the company’s bottom line. This is a longstanding issue amongst HR teams, and one that needs continued attention. 

• Disengagement at various levels. There may exist significant differences in engagement levels between senior management and frontline employees, creating a disconnect between productivity and output throughout the company. 
• Lack of recognition and communication: Inadequate recognition for high performers and poor communication of business goals can lead to disengaged employees. When employees tune out, they are at a higher risk of attrition. 
• Insufficient alignment of individual and organizational goals: Employees not understanding how their roles contribute to overall business strategy, creating disillusionment amongst rank and file employees. This can tank productivity, motivation, and performance. 
• Implement recognition programs: Develop formal recognition programs that reward high performers and celebrate achievements.
• Enhance communication: Ensure clear and consistent communication of business goals and strategies at all levels of the organization.
• Align goals: Create a goal alignment system that ties individual performance to corporate objectives, ensuring everyone understands their role in the company's success.

5. Retaining top employees

Employee retention is a close sibling to engagement, and another ongoing HR issue for most organizations. Employee retention, as we know, is a critical challenge and priority for HR departments. 

High turnover rates can lead to significant financial costs, with the average cost of replacing a salaried employee ranging from six to nine months of their salary. Stopping attrition and retaining employees at a higher rate is a top priority for practically all companies. This is essential to maintaining productivity, morale, and organizational knowledge. 

• High turnover costs. Replacing employees can be expensive, with costs including recruitment, training, and lost productivity.
• Employee disengagement. Disengaged employees are more likely to leave, impacting overall team morale and performance.
• Lack of career development opportunities. Employees may leave if they don't see a clear path for advancement within the organization.
• Offer competitive compensation and benefits. Ensure that salaries and benefits are competitive to retain top talent.
• Implement recognition programs. Recognize and reward employees for their contributions to keep them engaged and motivated.
• Provide career development opportunities. Create clear career paths and offer professional development programs to help employees grow within the company.

6. Burn out and high sick leave

Burnout and high rates of employee absenteeism have become a significant HR problem since the pandemic began. Burnout, driven by excessive workloads and stress, has become an increasingly common issue , leading to higher absenteeism. 

This not only impacts employee wellbeing, it also has cascading impacts on productivity and financial performance. Burnout, therefore, is both a people and a business problem that needs to be addressed. 

• Excessive workloads and stress. Employees experiencing high stress levels and burnout are more likely to take sick leave.
• Poor mental health support. Inadequate support for mental health issues can exacerbate burnout and absenteeism.
• Impact on productivity and morale. High sick leave rates can lower overall team productivity and morale.
• Promote work-life balance. Encourage flexible working hours and remote work options to help employees manage their workloads better.
• Enhance mental health support. Implement comprehensive mental health programs and provide access to counseling services.
• Foster a supportive work environment. Create a culture that values employee well-being, including regular check-ins and stress management workshops.
• Encourage open communication. Make open and honest communication the default across the organization, regardless of seniority. Put tools and channels in places for employees to share their feedback on workloads, stress, mental health issues, and burnout, and provide the appropriate support to address that feedback. 

7. Balancing senior leadership wants vs employee needs

HR departments are constantly in a struggle to balance the wants and demands of senior leadership, and the needs of their employees. Effective HR management must align organizational goals with employee satisfaction to both achieve the company’s strategic mandate, and maintain employee happiness and productivity. 

According to a report by Achievers , only 27% of employees feel that leadership is adequately trained to lead through changes, indicating a significant gap between leadership capabilities and employee expectations. This is a middle ground that HR teams will continuously be stuck in, with the mandate to balance and appease both parties. 

• Misalignment of priorities. Senior leadership often focuses on strategic goals, while employees prioritize day-to-day satisfaction and work-life balance.
• Communication gaps. Ineffective communication between leadership and employees can lead to misunderstandings and reduced morale.
• Resistance to change. Employees may resist changes proposed by leadership if they feel their needs and concerns are not being addressed.
• Foster open communication. Implement regular feedback loops and town hall meetings to ensure transparency and two-way communication between leadership and employees.
• Train leaders. Provide leadership training programs to help senior leaders understand and address employee needs effectively.
• Involve employees in decision-making. Encourage a participative management style where employees have a say in decisions that affect their work and well-being.

8. Limited HR budget 

Budget is a major factor for all departments. But managing HR functions on a limited budget is a particularly major challenge, given the direct impact that this team has on employees across the organization. 

As companies face financial constraints, higher interest rates, and strong economic headwinds, management naturally tightens their belts. HR is not immune to these effects. As budgets are together, HR departments often struggle to allocate resources effectively while maintaining essential HR services and initiatives.

This financial limitation can impact everything from recruitment to employee development, and overall HR department effectiveness. It can also lead to HR restricting certain morale-boost initiatives like perks, compensation, and skills development—all of which can impact employee engagement and output. 

• Resource allocation. Balancing the budget between various HR functions such as recruitment, training, and employee benefits.
• Limits on initiatives and perks. Financial constraints can restrict the implementation of new initiatives and employee perks.
• Compensation and skills development. Limited budgets can hinder competitive compensation packages and opportunities for employee skills development.
• Find efficiencies. For example, use HR software and automation tools to streamline processes and reduce administrative costs.
• Focus on high-impact areas. Prioritize HR initiatives that offer the highest return on investment, such as employee engagement programs and training.
• Seek external partnerships. Collaborate with external providers for training, benefits, and other HR services to optimize costs.

9. Change management

Effective change management is crucial for all organizations, especially in the face of significant transformations driven by technological advancements like AI, market and economic shifts, and global events that disrupt business and usual. Change is constant in a modern organization, and so are its impacts on employees. 

HR must play an active role in managing change to ensure that employees pivot and adapt effectively. For many organizations, however, this remains a challenge. According to a report from Willis Towers Watson, a staggering 70% of change initiatives fail in some capacity, with poor leadership being the primary culprit. 

Because of that high failure rate, employee perception of change isn’t great. Only 43% of surveyed employees say their organization is good at managing change, and only 25% say that it’s a strength amongst their senior leaders. 

Clearly, there is room of improvement across the organization. As the department that directly interacts with employees most often, HR must take an active role in change management, acting as the conduit between workers and senior managers. 

• Employee resistance. Mistrust in the organization and fear of the unknown lead to high resistance to change.
• Communication barriers. Ineffective communication of change initiatives can cause confusion and anxiety among employees.
• Change fatigue. Constant changes can overwhelm employees, leading to stress and decreased productivity.
• Engage employees in the process. Involve employees in creating and implementing change strategies to increase buy-in and reduce resistance.
• Enhance communication. Clearly articulate the reasons for change and how it benefits both the organization and the employees.
• Support mental health. Provide resources and support to help employees manage stress and adapt to changes, such as counseling and stress management workshops.

10. Reductions in workforce (aka layoffs)

Reductions in workforce (RIF)—commonly known as layoffs—have had an enormous impact on virtually every sector of the economy since the start of 2020. Businesses hit hard by COVID-19 had to first layoff parts of their staff. And once the tech bubble burst starting in 2022, mass layoffs in this industry took the baton. To say this is a major HR issue would be an understatement. 

Layoffs affect everyone—from the people losing their jobs to the team members who have to break the news to their colleagues. For HR, the issues are amplified. They’re often directly involved in the RIF planning process, are often the frontlines of speaking to impacted employees, and have increasingly been victims of layoffs themselves. 

There’s no easy way to deal with mass layoffs—especially if they come in multiple rounds. But it’s best to be eyes wide open about this prevalent HR issue, and take the appropriate steps to help ease a difficult situation. 

• Employee morale and trust. Layoffs can lead to decreased morale and trust among remaining employees.
• Legal and compliance issues. Ensuring layoffs are conducted in compliance with labor laws and regulations.
• Rebuilding the workforce. Managing the loss of skills and experience while trying to rebuild a productive team.
• Transparent communication. Maintain open and honest communication with employees about the reasons for layoffs and future plans.
• Support for affected employees. Provide outplacement services and career counseling to help laid-off employees transition to new jobs.
• Focus on retention and engagement. Implement strategies to boost morale and retain remaining employees, such as recognition programs and professional development opportunities.

The HR department is often one of the busiest in most companies. That becomes even more apparent in smaller companies with fewer employees dedicated to these mission-critical tasks. This is a very multifaceted role that brings with it many unique problems and challenges.

Like with most business challenges, focusing on strong communication, technology, processes, and goal tracking can help you overcome these common HR problems in companies. 

Brendan is an established writer, content marketer and SEO manager with extensive experience writing about HR tech, information visualization, mind mapping, and all things B2B and SaaS. As a former journalist, he's always looking for new topics and industries to write about and explore.

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Problem-solving interview questions and answers

Use these sample problem-solving interview questions to discover how candidates approach complex situations and if they can provide effective solutions.

An experienced recruiter and HR professional who has transferred her expertise to insightful content to support others in HR.

10 good problem-solving interview questions

• Describe a time when you had to solve a problem without managerial input. How did you handle it, and what was the result?
• Give an example of a time when you identified and fixed a problem before it became urgent.
• Share a situation where you predicted a problem with a stakeholder. How did you prevent it from escalating?
• Describe a time when you faced challenges in doing your job efficiently. How did you overcome them?
• Recall a time when you successfully used crisis-management skills.
• How would you handle a new project with great revenue potential but potential legal implications for the company?
• How do you determine when to solve a problem on your own or ask for help?
• Describe a time when you faced a difficult situation at work that required critical thinking and decision-making under pressure.
• Have you ever used intuition or prior experience to anticipate and address a problem effectively? Provide an example.
• Share an example of a project or task that initially seemed overwhelming. How did you approach it, and what strategies did you use to ensure successful completion?

1. Describe a time when you had to solve a problem without managerial input. How did you handle it, and what was the result?

This question assesses candidates’ ability to take initiative and solve problems independently. Look for their problem-solving approach, the actions they took, and the outcome of their efforts.

Sample answer:

“In my previous role, we encountered a sudden technical issue that disrupted our operations. As the team lead, I gathered all available information, analyzed the root cause, and facilitated a brainstorming session with the team. We implemented a temporary workaround and collaborated with the IT department to resolve the issue. Our proactive approach ensured minimal disruption, and we were able to restore normal operations within 24 hours.”

2. Give an example of a time when you identified and fixed a problem before it became urgent.

This question evaluates candidates’ ability to anticipate and address problems proactively. Look for their ability to identify potential issues and take preventive measures.

“While working as a project manager, I noticed a potential bottleneck in our production process that could have led to delays if left unaddressed. I conducted a thorough analysis, identified the root cause, and proposed process improvements. By implementing these changes proactively, we eliminated the bottleneck and increased efficiency. As a result, we consistently met project deadlines, and our team’s productivity significantly improved.”

3. Share a situation where you predicted a problem with a stakeholder. How did you prevent it from escalating?

This question assesses candidates’ ability to identify and mitigate potential conflicts. Look for their communication and problem-solving skills in managing stakeholder relationships.

“While working on a cross-functional project, I anticipated a miscommunication issue that could arise with a key stakeholder due to conflicting expectations. I scheduled a meeting with the stakeholder, listened to their concerns, and facilitated a discussion among the team members. By proactively addressing the issue, we established clear communication channels, built trust, and ensured a smooth collaboration throughout the project.”

4. Describe a time when you faced challenges in doing your job efficiently. How did you overcome them?

This question evaluates candidates’ ability to handle challenges and find solutions to improve efficiency. Look for their problem-solving strategies and their adaptability to overcome obstacles.

“In a previous role, I faced a situation where the workload significantly increased due to unexpected circumstances. To maintain efficiency, I assessed the situation, identified tasks that could be delegated, and communicated with my colleagues to seek their support. By redistributing responsibilities and fostering a collaborative environment, we successfully managed the increased workload without compromising quality or missing deadlines.”

5. Recall a time when you successfully used crisis-management skills.

This question assesses candidates’ ability to remain calm and make effective decisions under pressure. Look for their problem-solving approach and their ability to handle high-stress situations.

“In a previous role as a customer service representative, we experienced a sudden surge in customer complaints due to a product quality issue. I quickly coordinated with relevant departments, identified the root cause, and developed an action plan. By prioritizing urgent cases, maintaining open communication with affected customers, and providing timely updates, we regained customer satisfaction and prevented further damage to our brand reputation.”

6. How would you handle a new project with great revenue potential but potential legal implications for the company?

This question assesses candidates’ ability to balance potential risks and rewards. Look for their ethical considerations, problem-solving approach, and willingness to seek guidance when faced with legal implications.

“If faced with a project that carries both revenue potential and potential legal implications, I would approach it with caution and thorough evaluation. I would research and seek legal guidance to fully understand the implications and compliance requirements. I would then collaborate with legal experts, cross-functional teams, and stakeholders to develop a comprehensive plan that minimizes legal risks while maximizing revenue potential.”

7. How do you determine when to solve a problem on your own or ask for help?

This question assesses candidates’ judgment and collaboration skills. Look for their ability to assess situations and make decisions about when to seek assistance.

“When faced with a problem, I first evaluate its complexity and impact on the project or task at hand. If it’s within my capabilities and doesn’t significantly hinder progress, I take the initiative to solve it on my own. However, if the problem is complex or could have a significant impact, I believe in seeking help from relevant team members or subject matter experts. Collaboration often leads to more comprehensive and effective solutions.”

8. Describe a time when you faced a difficult situation at work that required critical thinking and decision-making under pressure.

This question assesses candidates’ ability to think critically and make sound decisions in challenging situations. Look for their problem-solving approach, decision-making process, and the outcomes of their decisions.

“In a previous role, I faced a tight deadline for a project with limited resources. It required careful resource allocation and prioritization. I gathered all available data, analyzed the project requirements, and consulted with team members. Through strategic planning and effective delegation, we managed to complete the project successfully within the given timeframe, exceeding client expectations.”

9. Have you ever used intuition or prior experience to anticipate and address a problem effectively? Provide an example.

This question assesses candidates’ ability to leverage intuition and past experiences to navigate problem-solving situations. Look for their ability to reflect on past situations, apply lessons learned, and make informed decisions.

“In a previous role, I noticed a recurring issue in our supply chain that had caused delays in the past. Drawing upon my prior experience, I anticipated the problem and suggested process improvements to streamline the supply chain. By implementing these changes, we minimized delays and improved overall efficiency, resulting in cost savings for the company.”

10. Share an example of a project or task that initially seemed overwhelming. How did you approach it, and what strategies did you use to ensure successful completion?

This question assesses candidates’ ability to tackle complex projects and break them down into manageable tasks. Look for their problem-solving approach, organization skills, and ability to persevere in the face of challenges.

“I once undertook a project that involved a significant amount of data analysis and reporting within a tight deadline. Initially, it felt overwhelming, but I broke it down into smaller tasks and created a detailed timeline. I prioritized the most critical aspects and sought assistance from colleagues with specialized skills. Through effective time management, collaboration, and diligent effort, we successfully completed the project on time and delivered high-quality results.”

Why you should ask candidates problem-solving interview questions

Employees will face challenges in their job. Before you decide on your next hire, use your interview process to evaluate how candidates approach difficult situations.

Problem-solving interview questions show how candidates:

• Approach complex issues
• Analyze data to understand the root of the problem
• Perform under stressful and unexpected situations
• React when their beliefs are challenged

Identify candidates who are results-oriented with interview questions that assess problem-solving skills. Look for analytical and spherical thinkers with the potential for technical problem solving.

Potential hires who recognize a problem, or predict one could potentially occur, will stand out. Candidates should also demonstrate how they would fix the issue, and prevent it from occurring again.

These sample problem-solving interview questions apply to all positions, regardless of industry or seniority level. You can use the following questions to gauge your candidates’ way of thinking in difficult situations:

Tips to assess problem-solving skills in interviews

• During your interviews, use hypothetical scenarios that are likely to occur on the job. It’s best to avoid unrealistic problems that aren’t relevant to your company.
• Examine how candidates approach a problem step-by-step: from identifying and analyzing the issue to comparing alternatives and choosing the most effective solution.
• Pay attention to candidates who provide innovative solutions. Creative minds can contribute fresh perspectives that add value to your company.
• When problems arise, employees should show commitment and a can-do attitude. Test candidates’ problem-solving skills in past situations. If they were determined to find the best solution as soon as possible, they will be great hires.
• Most complex situations require a team effort. Candidates’ previous experiences will show you how they collaborated with their colleagues to reach decisions and how comfortable they felt asking for help.
• If you’re hiring for a technical role, ask questions relevant to the work your future hires will do. Technical problem-solving interview questions, like “How would you troubleshoot this X bug?” will reveal your candidates’ hard skills and their ability to effectively address problems on the job.
• No answer. If a candidate can’t recall an example of a problem they faced in a previous position, that’s a sign they may avoid dealing with difficult situations. Canned answers. A generic answer like “Once, I had to deal with a customer who complained about the pricing. I managed to calm them down and closed the deal,” doesn’t offer much insight about the candidate’s thought process. Ask follow-up questions to get more details.
• Focus on the problem, not the solution. Identifying the problem is one thing, but finding the solution is more important. Candidates who focus too much on the problem may be too negative for the position.
• Feeling stressed/uncomfortable. It’s normal to feel slightly uncomfortable when put on the spot. But, if candidates are so stressed they can’t answer the question, that’s an indicator they don’t handle stressful situations well.
• Superficial answers. Candidates who choose the easy way out of a problem usually don’t consider all aspects and limitations of the situation. Opt for candidates who analyze the data you’ve given them and ask for more information to better dig into the problem.
• Cover up the problem or minimize its significance. Unaddressed problems could quickly escalate into bigger issues. Employees who leave things for later mightn’t be result-oriented or engaged in their jobs.

In conclusion, problem-solving interview questions provide valuable insights into candidates’ abilities to approach challenges, think critically, and provide effective solutions. By asking these questions and considering the tips provided, you can assess candidates’ problem-solving skills and make informed hiring decisions that align with your organization’s needs.

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The 4 biggest HR problems and how to solve them

But there’s something broken with HR. Too often, it solves the wrong problems or applies the wrong solutions.

• I think the HR-military-industrial complex is to blame for sticking to outdated approaches.
• CEOs are to blame for not thinking hard enough about HR.
• We’re all to blame for sticking to worn out ideas and/or embracing new fads without really thinking about whether they are good or whether they work in our company or not.

‘Best practice’ is a dangerous idea. Someone else’s best practice could be your worst nightmare. For example, stack ranking worked at GE but, arguably, failed at Microsoft.

It’s time for a shake-up. We’re working hard on this here at Turbine (and our parent company Articulate ) so, for myself as a CEO, these issues are very current and pressing. I have some criticisms, thoughts, suggestions and questions; what do you think?

Problem #1: Appraisals

Appraisals are not life-enhancing experiences. If any other aspect of a business failed so epically, it would have been stopped long ago.

For many commentators, the traditional approach to appraisals is broken and it’s time to bury it. For Microsoft, stack ranking may have held the firm back. However, even as Microsoft abandons that approach , Yahoo adopts it.

It’s like a zombie that just won’t die.

So, what are companies actually trying to achieve with appraisals? Yes, it’s a link to pay and promotions and it’s a tool to address underperformance, but that misses the point.

Appraisals, like HR as a whole , need to address the fundamental questions: how do people improve and how do companies improve. Fostering progress is more important than measurement. Looking forward is more valuable than looking over your shoulder. Employees are human beings capable of infinite growth, not interchangeable units of production.

Here are two alternatives to corporate kabuki: Google found that monthly one-on-ones produced measurable improvements in manager and team performance and Adobe switched from a traditional performance review to real-time feedback.

Problem #2: Training

Traditionally, ‘training’ happens in a classroom somewhere, probably on a one-day course. This model is both painfully expensive and mostly unproductive, especially when you consider that some people forget 90 percent of what they learned after one month, it all seems like a pointless David Brent-esque charade.

The key point here is that learning is a multi-faceted, active process. Sending people back to school and boring them to death doesn’t help; people learn best by doing .

In fact, you can read all the manuals you like, but until you get into a plane with an instructor, you’re not really learning to fly. The 70:20:10 model for learning and development suggests that:

‘Lessons learned by successful and effective managers are roughly: 70% from tough jobs 20% from people (mostly the boss) 10% from courses and reading’

This video is a good introduction to this approach:

Problem #3: Motivation

What motivates people? What demotivates them? Many bosses get this terribly wrong, creating incentives that demotivate people. They ‘kick people in the ass’.

Let me give you an example of this from my own experience. Back when I was running Intelligent Games , we used to offer teams a timely delivery bonus if they finished on schedule. However, employee motivation was only one factor in timely delivery. When the delivery date slipped, as it inevitably did, people saw their bonuses go up in smoke. It must have felt like getting a pay cut – not the original intention.

A CEO’s job is to create a culture that promotes satisfaction and addresses the hygiene factors to avoid creating dissatisfaction.

For knowledge workers – such as programmers and writers – understanding what matters to them is the key to motivating them.

Dan Pink’s Drive has some attractive insights about how motivation really works.

Problem #4: Paperwork

Over the last couple of years, I’ve talked to a lot of HR people through Turbine. One thing I keep seeing is a morbid addiction to paperwork. They ask if we can recreate their forms in Turbine or adapt Turbine to incorporate some quirk in their own workflow.

One company I talked to collected time off forms in more than 40 different locations, posted them to one office to be signed off and to another office to be entered into the world’s most depressing Excel spreadsheet by the world’s most bored employee.

Obviously, I’m going to recommend Turbine as the answer to a lot of this stuff ( Expenses , Purchases , Time off requests and HR records ), but there are dozens of apps and tools to automate other routine admin. Here are a few that we use:

• Basecamp for project management
• Toggl for time recording
• Freshbooks for invoicing
• Zendesk for tech support
• Taco for task aggregation and management

The biggest obstacle to off-the-shelf solutions is a bureaucracy’s natural instinct to replicate all the idiosyncrasies of its existing practices. However, it is often easier to go for the 90 percent solution and adjust behaviour to match tools rather than pay to adjust tools to match behaviour.

Physician heal thyself

As we try to solve our own HR problems over the coming months, I’ll share what we do and how it goes – good and bad.

I’d love to get your ideas, feedback and thoughts. What works for you? What doesn’t? In the meantime, beatings will continue until morale improves.

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6 Common HR Issues and How to Solve Them Visually

Updated on: 13 July 2023

If you are part of an HR team, you must have tried one thousand and one ways to solve common HR challenges and HR issues.

But here’s a twist.

Solving them visually could be easier.

Following are easy visual techniques that you can use to effectively deal with common challenges of human resource management .

Whether it is to complement the existing staff or to replace those who have left the company, recruiting top talent could bring about several HR challenges. Here are a few visual techniques to help you effectively deal with them.

Use Process Maps to Improve the Process

Does your hiring process take up too much time, money and resources? But produce no results? Maybe it needs a revamp.

A comprehensive  process map that maps the entire process can point out exactly where you need to make improvements .

Tip: Make sure that the recruitment process flowchart can be accessed by everyone involved in it, so they won’t get confused about the steps they are responsible for.

Use Flowcharts to Visualize the Interview Process

You can add a flowchart visualizing the interview process to the interview invitation email. Highlight the time period it may take on the flowchart as well. This will help the candidate come prepared.

       Here are four ways managers can use flowcharts to be more efficient .

It would look something like this,

Use SWOT Analysis to Choose the Right People

Do a SWOT analysis of each of the shortlisted candidates. Identify what strengths and weaknesses they possess and what opportunities and threats they would cause if you hire them permanently. Match the SWOT analysis data against your selection criteria to decide the ideal person for the job.

Here’s a free editable SWOT analysis template to help you get started.

Click the template to edit it online

Onboarding and Welcoming New Employees

Increasing the engagement and the retention of new employees depends on how successful your onboarding process is. Following is what you can do to improve this visually.

Use Flowcharts to Enhance the Onboarding Process

• The employee onboarding process includes most departments of the company, from the HR department to the facilities team that arrange the furniture. You can use a flowchart to c larify the steps carried out by each team .  This will help prevent confusions and delays.

Tip: Attach it to the welcome-onboard email of the new guy and it can double as a first-day-at-work program that will help him come prepared.

• Or you can design a separate orientation process flowchart highlighting all the key events the new hire will be participating on the first day or in the first week . Add swim lanes to mark dates and time to create a timeline as well.

   Here’s a swim lane flowchart template you can use for this,

Use Org Charts to Clarify Roles and Responsibilities

Hand your new hires a comprehensive org chart of the company or their department. This will help them get an idea of their role within and help them adjust quickly . You can highlight the responsibilities on the charts as well. And arranging it hierarchically will emphasize the reporting structure.

Here’s a list of organizational chart types you can use.

Training/ Talent Development/ Skills Evaluation

To get the best from your workforce, you need to train and develop their skills. Here’s how to go about doing this using visual techniques.

Use Flowcharts to Standardize Training Processes and Develop Strategies

• After measuring the current capacity of the talent pool at your company, you can use a flowchart to create a talent development strategy. Use swim lanes to separate different stages, such as search for applicants, selection, hiring and training.
• During the training period, a new hire would go through many training programs, from induction training to fire alarm training. It might become difficult to keep track of the steps in all of these programs. Use flowcharts to create official records of them. Don’t forget to share them with everyone.

Use Org Charts to Create a Skills Inventory

An org chart, carrying details , like the job role, responsibilities, years of experience and the expertise of the employees can work as a skills inventory . This could come in handy when you are planning a talent development strategy and need to know which departments need development .

Here’s an org chart template you can edit and expand with the details of your own organization

Use SWOT Analysis to Evaluate Skills

Just like the SWOT analysis helped you pick the right person for the job, you can use it again to evaluate the skills of your current staff. You can even get your team to do a personal SWOT analysis of themselves.

Allocating Resources

A project needs a lot of resources; from people to equipment and material.

That’s a lot of resources to allocate.

When it comes to allocating the right people, you can make things smoother by using an org chart .

Use Org Charts to Identify the Right People

When planning projects, you need to allocate resources. A comprehensive org chart can tell you, who in the team/ department is apt for the job and which projects he/ she is currently working on.

Tip: Maintain an org chart that is always updated and can easily be accessed by all employees. This way they can mark their availability on the chart themselves.

Problem Solving

A successful HR professional should be great at solving problems. Here’s a visual trick you can use to solve problems easily.

Use Fishbone Diagrams to Identify Root Causes

Fishbone diagrams are a great way to identify the root causes of a certain problem . Say you need to know why the employee productivity levels are dropping; you can gather around a team and use a fishbone diagram to capture the points thrown around during the brainstorming session.

Analyze the fishbone diagram thoroughly, and you’ll find the root cause of your problem easily.

Here’s a free fishbone diagram template to start right away.

Human Resource Planning

Whether it’s hiring, onboarding, or training, human resource planning can be challenging.

But not if you…

Use Mind Maps to Plan Your Work

Mind maps are a great planning tool. Use mind maps to foster the free flow of ideas during a brainstorming session and to structure information visually in such a way that would give you a quick overview of what you are planning.

Click the template to edit online

What Methods Do You Use to Solve Common HR challenges

The HR team comes across all sorts of hr challenges every day, and the key to resolving them efficiently in most cases is the same; proper organization of and easy access to relevant data.

The visualization techniques we have discussed above can help you do both these, effectively. Use them to streamline common tasks and improve the efficiency of your HR department.

And don’t forget to share with us what other common HR challenges you have faced and how you solved them.

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Problem Analysis In HR: 5 Problem-Solving Techniques

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When it comes to problem analysis in HR, there are several problem-solving techniques that can be effective in identifying and addressing challenges. Here are five commonly used techniques:

• Root Cause Analysis: This technique focuses on identifying the underlying cause of a problem rather than just treating the symptoms. It involves asking “why” repeatedly to delve deeper into the issue until the root cause is discovered. Once the root cause is identified, appropriate solutions can be implemented to address it effectively.
• SWOT Analysis: SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This technique involves assessing the internal strengths and weaknesses of the HR department or organization and analyzing external opportunities and threats. By understanding these factors, HR professionals can gain insights into the current state of affairs and develop strategies to leverage strengths, overcome weaknesses, capitalize on opportunities, and mitigate threats.
• Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa Diagram): This visual tool helps identify and categorize potential causes contributing to a problem. The diagram resembles a fishbone, where the problem is placed at the head, and potential causes are represented as branches. These branches are further divided into sub-branches that represent various categories such as people, processes, equipment, environment, etc. The fishbone diagram aids in organizing information and uncovering different factors that might be contributing to the problem.
• Pareto Analysis: This technique is based on the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, which states that 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. In HR problem-solving, it involves identifying the vital few factors or causes that are responsible for the majority of the problems. By focusing efforts and resources on these critical factors, HR professionals can achieve significant improvements.
• Brainstorming: Brainstorming is a collaborative problem-solving technique that involves generating a large number of ideas in a group setting. The goal is to encourage creative thinking and generate a wide range of potential solutions. During a brainstorming session, participants are encouraged to share their ideas freely, and no judgment or evaluation of ideas is done at this stage. Once a list of ideas is generated, the group can evaluate and refine the solutions to determine the most viable options.

These problem-solving techniques can help HR professionals analyze and tackle various challenges they may encounter in the workplace effectively. It’s important to adapt and apply the techniques according to the specific problem at hand and the context of the organization.

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How to be viewed as a problem solver in HR

To be perceived as a problem-solver, these actions and behaviors are recommended with your client groups and leaders:

In meetings, transition from negative energy in discussions to positive, constructive forward-thinking problem-solving. Everyone likes to complain occasionally, venting is healthy and cathartic. However, if most of what coworkers hear from you is complaints, you’re likely to become known as a negative person instead of a problem solver.

Gather facts, data, and diverse views from team members; look for root causes of problems. Sometimes you have to go off a hunch, but when possible it’s best to bring data and research to the table. Get diverse views and back your position with data to show you’ve thoroughly considered the factors involved.

Encourage brainstorming to surface as many ideas as possible, even those ‘far out.’ The first idea isn’t always the best. If you just stop there you might miss out on some innovative solutions. Encourage brainstorming to see how many ideas you can come up with, then find the best solution. Perhaps each idea has some ups and downs that can be combined into a winning concept.

Help find “common ground” between team members who may be in conflict. Everyone (in theory) has the same goal – to find a solution that best serves the organization’s needs. However, when tensions get high it can be hard to remember that. Keep conflict productive and find the common ground in between to be seen as a facilitator and valuable team member.

Discuss how to blend ideas and find solutions that the whole group can buy into, and actually commit to implementing. You’ll never get a new initiative off the ground without buy-in, so it’s vital to highlight how each group involved will benefit and how this plan will be the best to achieve the goal.

Check to see that there is a solid agreement on how to move forward as a team. A long planning meeting is useless if you come out of it with halfhearted agreements and unclear next steps. Ensure there’s a clearly laid out plan.

Define roles, responsibilities, and both short and long-term actions. This is a vital step, each participant needs to be held accountable for the actions they’ll have to take.

Consider obstacles and specific approaches to overcome pitfalls. You must think forward and critically to be a valuable asset. Don’t assume things will go perfectly smooth. Consider what likely obstacles are and plan how to overcome them. Others are likely to come up also, but at least you’ll have addressed some of the more likely obstacles.

Facilitate agreement on timelines and checkpoints. Setting a tight deadline is no good if the employees responsible don’t agree to it. Consider in-put and ensure that timelines are reasonable and attainable, even if they are sometimes tight.

To be perceived as an HR innovator, these actions and behaviors are recommended with client groups and leaders:

Encourage ‘out of the box’ thinking when issues or work problems arise. If the same-old solution was working, then you probably wouldn’t be in the position you’re in. Don’t shoot down off-the-wall ideas or creative solutions, a new idea only seems crazy until it succeeds.

Regularly solicit organizational needs from client group leaders and individual contributors. There are always ongoing problems, but department and team leaders don’t often bring them up until they peak. By regularly reaching out to identify concerns and problems, you get ahead of issues and can head them off before they become too serious. Management will appreciate the initiative.

Resist a rush to solution; instead, foster open dialogue (‘peel the onion’). Sometimes you need a quick solution, but that doesn’t mean you need to jump on the first solution available. Spend at least an hour to think deeply on a concept — you can usually afford to spend a little more time before you jump to a conclusion.

WHAT TO READ NEXT

Major Problem Solving Techniques and Tips

Let’s admit the fact that we all face tough situations in our daily lives. While many people shy away from this fact to claim that they are flawless in their work, at least at the start of a new task we do face problems. Problem solving is a tough phase but we need to make it as smooth as possible without terming it impossible so that it can get on your nerves.

Luckily for us, there are plenty of techniques that are available to solve virtually every problem at hand. This post is aimed at people who don’t know how to solve complex problems at work and the various techniques/steps involved in it.

There are 4 core steps known as methodical four-step process. I’m sure you will have a flashback after going through these below mentioned steps you first encountered the Scientific Method.

• First of all, a problem must be defined. What is its cause? There should be a confirmation that a problem do exist.
• Secondly, one needs to identify various options for solutions. Look around for some ideas to solve the problem at hand.
• Thirdly, evaluate your options and choose from among them. What is the best option for your particular problem? What’s the easiest one and how you can choose one?
• Fourthly, implement the chosen solution. Does it solve the problem? Do you need some other option?

Creative Problem Solving Techniques

But the above mentioned technique is a bit old school and you need to get creative when it comes to solving your problems. You need to think out of the box when it comes to thinking unlike most of the others. Creative Problem Solving is actually a formal process coined by Sidney Parnes and Alex Faickney Osborn. This technique emphasizes several things. Let’s analyze this in detail.

Separate the Idea Formation from Evaluation: When you brainstorm creative ideas, list it all down separately. Only prioritize or evaluate them when everything is captured.

Judging will Shut it Down: Nothing stops the flow of creative ideas faster than judging then on the spot. Evaluate only after the brainstorming is complete.

Restate Problems as Questions: A group can be directed into thinking of creative ideas as open-ended questions are hurled towards them.

Use a Positive Approach: Many people like to add a new idea by starting “But I think…” which translates into a negative approach. Instead use “Yes and…” to make sure you are starting to solve the problem on a positive note.

Problems Solving Tips from Psychology

Through our experience, we learn many new aspects of simple things we do every day. For example, if you always complete a task manually, then you can use an online task management software  as a ploy for solving some queries and ease off your load. Throughout history, human beings have been able to find new ways of completing their tasks and lately complete them efficiently.

The famous trial-and-error technique was formulated by American psychologist Edward Thorndike in 1911. Basically after watching cats who figured out how to escape from the cage he placed them in. He termed it law of effect.

Reproductive Thinking

After Edward Thorndike, many other psychologists took his theory forward and concluded that problem solving can happen via reproductive thinking. It is concerned with solving a problem by using past experiences and reproducing that experience to solve the current problem.

One way is to look up the solution through mental set or entrenchment. This is when you are so fixated on a solution that used to work well in a previous situation but can’t be applied to a current problem. Don’t get hooked to an idea even if won’t get you results. Just let it go and look for alternate solutions.

The other way is using a cognitive bias called functional fixedness which can ruin any of your critical thinking techniques as you’ll see an object’s conventional function.

Want to share your thoughts or add your experience for this blog? Please use the comments section below.

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A Guide To Human Resource Problems and Solutions

The role that a company’s human resources personnel plays is more important than most people think. Not only does human resource handle payroll and leave requests, but they also preserve company culture and oversee the employee’s entire lifecycle. In short, human resource acts as a company’s moral compass in addition to keeping employees well-trained, happy, and productive. Having a thorough understanding of human resource problems and solutions can be critical in a company’s success.

Table of Contents

But needless to say, working in human resource (HR) poses a distinct set of challenges. Typically, these challenges come in the form of universal human resource problems and solutions. They’re usually present in all companies to some extent, while other businesses might suffer from greater deficiencies in certain areas. Either way, it’s up to you to meet these challenges directly and to solve these problems whenever they crop up.

Current Problems in Human Resource Management

Broadly speaking, best human resource problem-solving practices involve a two-pronged approach. First, you should develop a plan in advance. This plan should be comprised of programs, training, and other mechanisms that cut problems in the workplace off at their root. Second, HR personnel must remain vigilant at all times. That way, they can address stickier problems as your company grows. These practices might seem daunting at first, but they’re well worth the effort they require.

Some human resource problems are universal. These perennial problems are ones that every human resource department will encounter at one time or another. Other human resource problems are more specific and localized. These challenges are those that are particular to a given industry, company, or overarching cultural climate. Either way, it’s up to human resource personnel to come with creative strategies to solve them.

In fact, solving these problems is one of human resource’s most important functions. If not handled properly, human resource problems can stifle innovation, create large-scale team conflicts, and drag down productivity. Avoiding these difficulties is especially important in today’s fiercely competitive market. To succeed in this market, your company has to be firing on all cylinders. So the last thing you need is a constant parade of infighting and other disruptions.  It’s for these reasons and more that human resource departments are so important in the contemporary workplace.

The purpose of this guide is to explore the current problems in human resource management you’re likely to encounter. First, we’ll talk about the attitude human resource personnel should bring into solving these problems. Then, we’ll discuss a number of specific problems and suggest ways you can address them.

Planning Ahead for Successful Human Resource Management

After our comprehensive discussion of the problems faced by employees at work, we’ll take a deep dive into the subject of advance planning. Human resource departments have no choice but to deal with employee problems on a case-by-case basis. That’s why this guide begins by discussing ways to solve very specific problems. But advance planning is also critical to solving human resource problems in a timely and effective manner.

So after we’ve discussed the problems mentioned above, we’ll describe some basic human resource tools you can use to reduce their frequency and severity in advance. First, we’ll talk about the importance of technology in the workplace and how human resource can leverage it to their advantage. Then, we’ll conclude our guide with an in-depth discussion of the multifaceted solutions that employee retention strategies can provide as you go forward.

Approaching Human Resource Problems and Solutions

Solving the problems faced by employees at work starts with the right attitude. Human resource departments must expect certain problems to arise and be prepared to deal with them. You might not know the exact details that will be involved, but don’t be surprised when problems appear. In other words, you must take the subject of human resource problems and solutions seriously. Otherwise, you’re sure to encounter great difficulties down the road.

Human resource problems always require the rigorous practices we mentioned above, but it will definitely prove worth it in the end. Without the vigilance and constructive effort that human resource problems require, your company will be exposed to a variety of commercial problems. When these practices are in place, however, your employees will be in the ideal position to focus on their work and raise your company’s ceiling.

In the next sections, we’ll address the most current issues in human resource management and detail the ways you can resolve them.

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Sexual harassment in the workplace is a perennial challenge for human resource departments. Unfortunately, it’s been this way for decades. Fortunately, the public sphere has paid much more attention to it in recent years. Morally, this extra attention is definitely a good thing. It goes without saying that no one should ever feel sexually harassed in the workplace.

Additionally, it’s only the frequency with which harassment is reported that’s risen, not the incidents themselves. As a result, sexual harassment in any form is something companies just can’t allow. This is a trend we’ll put in the win column for people of all genders, but it does present human resource with a number of new challenges.

Companies must now do everything in their power to prevent sexual harassment. Further, they have to address these incidents promptly and firmly every time they come up. Failure to do so can result in a number of negative consequences. Companies who aren’t vigilant enough open themselves up to the following negative outcomes:

• Lawsuits and other legal difficulties
• Charges from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
• Negative coverage in various press outlets
• Irreparable harm to the company’s public reputation

Needless to say, human resource departments have every reason in the world to prevent sexual harassment and nip it in the bud whenever it comes up. Let’s have a look at how human resources can do to accomplish this.

Best Human Resource Problems and Solutions for Combating Sexual Harassment

Protecting your employees from sexual harassment is both a moral imperative and a legal necessity. Entire books have been written on how to reduce or eliminate sexual harassment, but here are the practices we suggest as a starting point:

• Take complaints seriously and investigate them to the best of your ability.
• Strive for diversity in company leadership and other positions of power.
• Encourage staff members of all genders to speak up if they witness incidents of sexual harassment.
• Promise confidentiality to victims of sexual harassment and to those who report it.
• Make sure everyone is thoroughly familiar with your company’s policies regarding sexual harassment. You should also update them on any changes.
• Post these policies conspicuously throughout the workplace.
• Create multiple channels through which employees can file complaints.
• Assign a trusted HR staff member to oversee the handling of the complaint from start to finish.
• Have procedures in place for investigating complaints and make sure they’re followed.
• Consult with an attorney who specializes in sexual harassment law during your investigation.
• Consult with other HR personnel before making any final decisions.
• If you decide that sexual harassment has occurred, take the appropriate disciplinary actions swiftly.

Again, this is by no means a complete list. To provide the protection your employees deserve, educate yourself further on the subject of sexual harassment and alter your policies and procedures as you see fit.

Workplace Diversity Issues

Diversity is one of the most commonly talked about human resource problems and solutions, but that doesn’t mean HR departments automatically have a handle on it. However intuitive the concept of diversity might seem, truly understanding it requires a great deal of effort. This is especially true if you want to apply the concept of diversity in practical, real-world terms.

Diversity is a hot-button topic in every corner of contemporary life and the workplace is no exception. You hear a lot about workplace diversity and inclusion these days. In fact, people throw these terms around all the time. Unfortunately, they don’t always know what they mean. That’s why it’s important to be very precise when talking about either of these important terms. First, let’s have a look at what workplace diversity means in actual practice.

What Exactly is Workplace Diversity?

Workplace diversity might seem like a pretty vague term in some ways, but we can definitely formulate a precise definition. First, a diverse workplace is one that embodies the principles of inclusion. It accomplishes this by going beyond the mere acceptance of difference by understanding its value and embracing the various points of view it brings it to the conference table. Perhaps most importantly, a diverse workplace provides equal opportunities for all employees, regardless of their race, color, gender, sexual orientation, nationality or religion.

These conditions let each employee make unique contributions to their workplace and vastly improve internal and external relationships. These relationships help connect employees with customers and the community in a positive way. Workplace diversity provides many other benefits as well. We’ll discuss these in the next section.

The Benefits of Workplace Diversity

Enhancing the diversity of your workplace is more than just the right thing to do. It’s also more important than simple compliance. In addition to these necessary goals, increased diversity provides tangible benefits as well. We’ll take a look at these benefits in just a moment. But first, it’s important to keep in mind the kind of competition you’re up against today.

The companies in your industry sector — your competition– typically have an enormous amount of resources at their disposal. We live in an economy that becomes more globalized with each passing day, and that means companies have a vast talent pool to choose from. To keep up, you’ll have to get the absolute most of your people. And one of the best ways to accomplish this is by employing a workforce that’s as diverse as possible.

Now here are ten of the most significant benefits of a diverse workforce:

• Multiple perspectives on company challenges
• Improved collaboration
• Increased knowledge of an industry market sector
• Better teamwork
• More effective problem solving
• A more stimulating work environment
• Increased levels of creativity and innovation
• Better overall team performance
• Easier entry into new markets
• Increased revenue and profits

This list should give you a decent idea of how workplace diversity can benefit your company. Now, it’s just a matter of achieving the optimal level of diversity in a way that’s both compliant and productive. In the next section, we’ll discuss several ways HR departments can create and maintain workplace diversity.

Fostering Diversity in the Workplace

Inclusion and diversity are non-optional qualities in today’s workplace. Unfortunately, neither of these things come about on their own. They must be an explicit part of a company’s mission statement and factor into their collective decisions. They also must play an active role in a business’s everyday practices and standard operating procedures. In order to help HR departments bring all this about, here are five tips for creating diversity in your workplace:

• Talk about diversity with your staff frequently. Emphasize the benefits companies accrue when they have an inclusive workplace.
• Work with your employees to pinpoint and correct any unconscious biases they might have.
• Examine your recruitment and promotion policies. Make sure they don’t prevent particular groups of people from achieving success in your company.
• Encourage your team to recognize and acknowledge the value of a diverse workforce. Explain how language skills and international perspectives can aid productivity.
• Make sure that all employees have flexible work options. This should include applying the same leave policies across the board.
• Educate yourself on diverse cultural practices and make necessary adjustments whenever possible.
• Take action to protect all employees from discrimination in the workplace.

Hostile Work Environment

The following is a scenario that everyone in HR has dealt with at one time or another. A company receives multiple complaints about employee working conditions in a short space of time. Maybe employees insist that their supervisor consistently behaves in an unprofessional or abusive way. Or perhaps the complaints involve a co-worker, vendor, or customer. In any case, the complaints are too serious to ignore and HR has to investigate.

The key phrase here is ‘hast to.’ A certain amount of work frustration is to be expected. Ditto the occasional office dust-up or disgruntled employee. But if the complaints are serious enough, HR has no choice but to address them quickly. This is especially true if the nature of the complaints suggests the existence of a hostile work environment.

A hostile work environment is one of the most difficult problems for HR departments to confront. The first challenge is trying to decipher the complaints you’re received. Are they evidence of systematic maltreatment within a given department? Or do they stem from isolated incidents like personality clashes, arguments, or everyday work stress? Either way, it’s up to HR to find out what the root of the problem is and get busy solving it.

In this section, we’ll discuss the conditions that contribute to a hostile work environment and how to go about fixing them.

What is a Hostile Work Environment?

You’ll need to know what a hostile work environment actually is before starting to fix it. Unfortunately, difficulties arise when you try to define a hostile work environment in strictly legal terms. Some states do have explicit legislation that outlines and forbids hostile work environments, but no such federal laws currently exist. At the federal level, the closest we can come is the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) rules against general harassment . That’s why for the possible legal ramifications, we suggest you obtain the pertinent information from your company’s legal department.

In the absence of a specific legal definition, we’ll work from a set of criteria that is often used to classify a workplace as hostile. We’ll get these in a minute, but first let’s have a look at what does NOT constitute a hostile work environment:

• General unpleasantness
• Minor annoyances
• Isolated incidents of mild rudeness
• An ineffective or bad boss, unless their actions turn into some form of harassment
• Irritating or lazy co-workers
• Occasional conflicts
• Being overworked and/or overpaid
• Deep unhappiness with one’s job

While none of these things contribute to a positive work situation, more is typically required to classify a workplace as hostile. As an HR representative, you might want to address some or all of these things, but not for legal reasons.

When Things Go From Bad to Worse

A truly hostile work environment is one where offensive or unwanted behavior consistently makes employees feel so frightened, uneasy or intimidated that it becomes nearly impossible to fulfill their duties. That being said, at what point does a workplace go from being unpleasant to counterproductively hostile?  Again, this is a rather subjective question, but here are some guidelines HR personnel can use in their assessment:

• The negative behaviors must discriminate against certain groups of employees.
• This discrimination must be based on their race, color, nationality, gender, religion, or disability.
• The behaviors must be unwelcome. This means that the individual has been asked to stop the harmful behavior but refuses to do so.
• The actions in question cannot be limited to one or two incidents. They must go on for an extended period of time and become pervasive to qualify as hostile.
• The situation must be consistently severe. This means that the accused person(s) must act or communicate in a way that has an objectively negative impact on an employee’s work.

Specific Behaviors that Contribute to a Hostile Work Environment

For the most part, the above guidelines deal with the severity and frequency of hostile work behaviors. With that done, we can discuss some of the specific behaviors that can make for a hostile work environment.  If not effectively addressed, here are some of the actions that make a workplace truly hostile:

• Verbal harassment through name calling, inappropriate jokes, or degrading forms of communication that the bully refuses to stop
• A supervisor firing an employee for refusing their sexual advances or rewarding those who cooperate with them
• Denying an employee a promotion for refusing sexual advances
• When a co-worker or supervisor consistently interferes with an employee’s work or makes hostile physical contact with them repeatedly

These behaviors are a sure sign of a hostile work environment. But as you can see, there’s a fine line between general unpleasantness and true hostility. However, it’s still up to HR departments to investigate these types of complaints and take appropriate action. Next, we’ll take a look at what you can do when confronted with the possibility of a truly hostile work environment.

Repairing the Damage

If an employee (or group of employees) files a complaint with your HR team about a hostile work environment, there are steps you should start taking immediately:

• Take each complaint seriously
• Investigate the claim thoroughly
• During the investigative stage, listen closely to all sides of the story
• If unacceptable behavior comes to light, set up consequences for further offenses
• Come up with a plan to resolve the issues at the root of the conflict
• Follow up with all concerned parties and monitor the situation until it’s resolved

The most important thing is to address the situation as quickly as possible. That way, you can help everyone refocus on doing their jobs and avoid the possibility of time-draining, costly lawsuits. Lastly, it’s also a good idea to take preemptive action to prevent the behaviors that can create a hostile work environment. For best results, arrange annual or bi-annual training sessions and make everyone fully aware of your employee conduct policy.

Human Resources and Technology in the Workplace

Technology has transformed the way HR departments go about their daily business. It has changed the way HR personnel stay in contact with their employees and assess their performance. Technology has also changed the ways in which HR stores important information and maintain their record keeping system.

Depending on how the technology is used, it can either make HR’s work more efficient or get in the way. By using technology wisely, HR personnel can work more efficiently and position themselves to be of maximum use to their company. In the following sections, you’ll read about how to leverage HR technology effectively.

Time and Attendance Management

Managing employee attendance is an important part of any HR department’s daily work. Companies need to know where their people are and how they’re using their time. With proper time and attendance management, HR departments can eliminate costly inefficiencies and maximize employee productivity. And while this can be a challenging set of tasks, there’s technology out there that can help.

An attendance tracker is one of the most effective HR tools in this regard. Attendance trackers have replaced the clumsy punch clocks of old with sophisticated systems that generate and store important attendance information. Additionally, this data can be exported easily into payroll systems and eliminate traditional human error.  Attendance trackers can also process other types of data and present in a number of convenient formats.

The end results of using this technology are truly impressive. High-quality attendance trackers provide seamless integration, easy access, and error-free payroll generation. They can also be customized to fit the industry needs of your company. Highly adaptable, accurate, and user-friendly, the right attendance tracker will go a long way toward simplifying HR’s daily monitoring duties.

Human Resources and Employee Retention

Employee retention plays a huge role in the success of your business. In fact, there’s nothing more important than keeping skilled people in the company fold. We’ve spent a great deal of time discussing specific resource problems and solutions, but you’ll soon see that an effective retention strategy is one of HR’s most useful assets.

As you’ll read in the next several sections, we place a lot of emphasis on employee retention. The reason? Because a good employee retention strategy can help destroy the foundation of many of the problems HR departments deal with in the first place. While certainly not a cure-all, effective employee retention will help create an environment where HR problems are less likely to occur. Similarly, it will foster the levels of teamwork, mutual concern, and unity that are so necessary for solving problems that do occur.

Next, let’s have a quick look at the more specific benefits of keeping great employees on board..

The Benefits of Employee Retention

At an intuitive level, you probably have a pretty good idea why employee retention is so important. Nevertheless, a deeper understanding will be of great benefit to human resources departments. Here are five key benefits to retaining talented and motivated people:

• Reduces the negative impact of high rates of employee turnover
• Improves Overall Productivity and Performance
• Makes it easier to recruit new talent
• Increases employee morale
• Lower overall costs, especially in recruitment and training
• Higher long-term profits

Of course, this is only a small sampling of what good employee retention helps you accomplish. Simple common sense should tell you why it’s a good idea to keep your most talented people. The only real question is how HR departments can actually make it happen. We’ll have a look at strategies for employee retention in the next section.

Strategies for High Rates of Employee Retention

It’s a nightmare scenario when one of your best people leaves unexpectedly. Immediately, you face a number of difficult challenges . First, you have to seek an adequate replacement. This is hard enough all by itself, but you also have to reduce the impact the departure has on your remaining staff.

That’s why having a comprehensive employee retention strategy in place is so crucial. Not only do they help keep your top talent on board, but they also reduce the chaos that often ensues after key departures. Human resources departments ignore the aftereffects of key departures far too often. Good employee retention strategies give you a great deal of help in this regard. First, they reduce the number of good employees who end leaving your company. And when these key people do leave, retention strategies help ease what is often a difficult transition.

Obviously, you want to retain your best people as long as you can. But keeping talented employees on board can be tricky. There are several reasons for the difficulties involved, but a good retention strategy can address many of them simultaneously. Hopefully, you recognize the need for an effective retention strategy by now. All that remains is understanding how to create one.

The Elements of An Effective Retention Strategy

Retention is an extension of employee recruitment and an important part of managing your talent. It’s also one of the chief functions of HR departments in general. In other words, the task of keeping good people falls to you. Unfortunately, employees don’t stay with a single employer as long as they once did.

So how does HR go about retaining talent in such an environment? The answer lies in the creation (and maintenance) of effective employee retention strategies. And while these strategies require time, effort, and thoughtful planning, no company can afford to lose their most valuable assets.

An employee retention strategy is a set of policies designed to reduce turnover and keep employees productive over the long term.  Many different aspects of the work environment factor into retention strategies. We’ll cover nine of the most important elements of retention strategies in the next several sections.

1. Strategic recruitment and hiring procedures

In order to be successful, a retention strategy has to be active from the beginning of an employee’s tenure. First, you have to hire people who fit in and have complementary skill sets. This means locating and recruiting talent that blends well together. The ideal blend of skills can vary greatly depending on your company’s needs. To achieve it, HR should be in constant communication with department heads and listen closely to their feedback.

Hiring people who ‘fit’ is a different story. First, you need to understand that ‘fitting in’ has nothing to do with conformity. In some ways, it’s actually the exact opposite of conformity. Here, the right ‘fit’ is someone whose personality meshes with the rest of the team and shares your company’s overall values. You can locate these people during the interview process. First, a simple personality test will help you decide if a given candidate is right for the position in a psychological sense.

Hiring people who share your company’s values is essentially a two-part process. First, make sure your prospect has a copy of your company values and mission statement. Then, use the interview process to find out if the candidate is likely to buy into your company’ vision. Strive for this balance from the very start and retention will be that much easier.

2. Onboarding new hires with an eye toward long-term retention

First impressions matter, especially in the workplace. That’s why, during the onboarding period, HR should focus on helping new hires get comfortable as soon as possible. Make your employees feel welcome right away by introducing them properly co-workers, showing them around, and familiarizing them with your company’s general procedures. For best results, also take the time to your company’s shared values and show your new hires how you put them into practice in the workplace.

The onboarding process is also a great time for HR to instruct new hires on the business’s various channels of communication. This will show them where to go for any information they need and increase feelings of independence. All in all, onboarding is when you set the tone for an employee’s initial experiences with your company. This initial period is when employees begin to form perceptions about their future with your company, so it’s in your best interests to get off on the right foot.

3. An emphasis on training and career development

People tend to stay at jobs that offer opportunities for advancement. Even if they don’t consider their new position a ‘destination job,’ they’re still more likely to stick around if they have access to the type of training that will enhance their career development. Either way, you’ll accomplish several things at once by focusing on your employees’ future development.

First, they’ll build on their skill set and be in a better position to help your company. Second, advanced training will help keep your new hires engaged and keep up their morale. In short, putting an emphasis on training and career development makes for better employees. And this holds true no matter how long end up working for your company.

In the best case scenario, a great employee has a long tenure with your company and reap the benefits of their training directly. But even if they leave after only a short time, the resources you spent training them will still pay dividends later on. When people leave a position, they inevitably talk about their former employers. Focus on your employees’ career development and you’ll become that much more attractive to future talent.

Training and career development are overlapping areas, both of which are invaluable for employee retention. Training on your company’s specific tech tools and standard operating procedures should begin during onboarding. Eventually, this training should extend to seminars and workshops outside your company.

Career development overlaps with employee training in some ways but is also distinct from it. It involves giving new hires opportunities for internal advancement. Additionally, employees should learn teamwork skills that make them attractive throughout your industry sector. HR departments would be well advised to work towards these goals simultaneously.

4. Using mentorship to ease the transition

No matter how talented they are, some people have a difficult time transitioning into a new position. There are so many things to get used to that even your best employees might experience some initial difficulties. These difficulties vary from person to person, but mentorship programs are a great way to help new hires navigate them smoothly.

Essentially, mentorship means pairing new hires with veteran employees who can help them get used to their new environment in an informal way. Typically, the mentor helps the new hire develop positive relationships with their co-worker and teaches them about your company’s standard operating procedures.  Mentorship should begin during the onboarding process, preferably immediately after the new hire starts to work for you.

Mentorship helps both parties. Mentors give new hires the individual attention they need to get comfortable and feel cared about. They also jump-start the new hire’s career development by integrating them into your company’s culture. The mentor benefits because the new hire provides them with a fresh perspective and makes them feel more valuable to the company.

5. Giving fair and consistent performance evaluations

Regular performance evaluations are a great way to make employees aware of their strengths and limitations. They also show that you’re concerned with their individual development and advancement opportunities. Perhaps just as importantly, regular evaluations convey a sense of commitment and professionalism. They show employees that you’re fully aware of what’s happening (or not happening) within your company and that you’ll go to any lengths to get everyone up to speed.

These evaluations should be fair, impartial, and standardized. They should also assess performance according to previously set goals. This will ensure that your employees understand the criteria you’ll use to evaluate their performance. It will also help you give them specific and constructive feedback.

When conducting performance evaluations, HR personnel should be open, honest, and thorough. They should also listen to what employees have to say in response. The most effective evaluations include feedback on areas of both strength and weakness. They also provide very specific counsel on how employees can improve on their weaknesses. Lastly, deadlines are often very helpful in the evaluation process. For best results, insist that your employees reach certain benchmarks of improvement within a reasonable timeframe.

When your employees know how they’re doing, they understand the areas where they need work. They also start to understand how to leverage their strengths for optimal development. Regular performance evaluations benefit both parties and can play a key role in holding onto your talent.

6. Offering Competitive Salaries and Benefit Packages

Offering your team members an attractive compensation package is essential to any effective retention strategy. Today’s employee might value things like career development more than they used to, but a competitive salary and benefits package is still non-negotiable.

It goes without saying that a good salary is of utmost importance. The same holds true for adequate health coverage and vacation time as well. But to maximize their chances of keeping key people, many companies are willing to go the extra mile. These companies offer attractive retirement plans and other perks to make their workplace more attractive.

7. Open channels of communication within the company

Good communication is an absolute must for high rates of employee retention. Employees will only stay with a company if they feel like they can come to you with their questions, concerns, and ideas. It’s also important you respond appropriately, but it all starts with open lines of communication.

You should establish a precedent for good communication from the beginning of an employee’s tenure. Then, it’s important to follow the precedent you set with consistent follow-up.  This means HR personnel should connect with individual staff members as often as possible. For best results, go above and beyond what’s formally required of you. In other words, don’t just contact your staff when something goes wrong or you need them to update a form. Reaching out for its own sake is one the best ways to open up communication and tell people you’re available.

8. Consistent employee recognition

It’s just human nature– everyone wants to feel appreciated for the work that they do. And for most people, this means more than just a paycheck every week. It means being recognized on a consistent basis for accomplishments both big and small. Recognition from supervisors also fosters a sense of belonging. This sense of belonging is one of the most significant factors in employee retention and is definitely worth the time it takes to create.

So go out of your way to recognize your employees. You can do this with a simple congratulatory email, extra time off, or an inexpensive gift. People also tend to respond well to verbal encouragement and praise. Whatever you do, be sure to let your employees know that you notice what they do for you and your company on a daily basis.  It’s actually a lot easier than it might sound and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results.

9. Delivering a positive offboarding experience

The offboarding process also plays a key role in an employee retention strategy. Employee departures are a natural part of doing business, but it’s still in your best interests to make the experience as positive as you can. For the purpose of retention strategies, it might help to think about offboarding from two different perspectives.

First, consider things from the departing employee’s perspective. No matter why an employee leaves, you can bet they’ll talk to people about how they were treated along the way. It’s also safe to assume that they’ll talk to people in your industry about it. The implications of this should be pretty clear. A departing staff member’s perspective on how they were treated can have a profound effect on your ability to acquire top level talent. And this effect can be a positive one if you manage the offboarding process well .

Lastly, the departure of key personnel often leads to a state of chaos among your remaining employees. They might start to worry about their own future with you or become overly distracted.  Loyalty and employee morale can be damaged if you don’t handle the onboarding process in the proper way. Losing a key team member is bad enough on its own, much less dealing with more widespread negative effects.

Tips For Implementing an Effective Employee Retention Strategy

Here are twelve additional tips for the creation of an employee retention strategy that will cut off many human resource problems at the root:

• Make your expectations clear immediately and formulate clear policies for employees to follow
• Put in the necessary efforts to develop a supportive company culture
• Advise employees on achieving a healthy work-life balance
• Give your employees meaningful work to do and explain how it connects to your company’s overall vision
• Be fair and equitable in the distribution of internal and external training opportunities
• Challenge your team members without overburdening them
• Conduct exit interviews whenever an employee leaves to find out what does and doesn’t work for your people
• Listen to your employee’s concerns and be prepared to adapt to them when necessary
• Allow employees to work in leadership roles on a rotating basis
• Give and receive constant feedback
• Pay attention to employee morale and take action whenever it begins to sag
• Make room for a little workplace fun

The importance of an effective employee retention cannot be overemphasized. Having such a strategy in place will help your company in many areas, not the least of which is human resource problems and solutions. That’s why we’ve covered the subject so extensively in this guide– to show you that the effort involved is more than worth it over the long haul.

The Importance of Human Resource Now and Going Forward

HR departments are more important today than they’ve ever been in the past, especially in our fiercely competitive global economy. HR departments are staffed with the facilitators, mediators, and efficiency experts that keep a company running smoothly. This makes it easy to see why a well-trained HR department is one of the wisest investments a company can make. In addition to the role they play in employee recruitment, hiring, and training, HR personnel also help resolve the inevitable team conflicts and keep companies compliant.

HR departments are central to everything a company does, both internally and externally. They act as the liaison between management and staff while protecting the interests of their company. HR personnel plays a critical moral role as well. They protect employees from possibly abusive situations, provide direction during difficult times, and help maintain a positive work culture.

And the importance of HR departments will only increase in coming years. The need for effective teamwork will continue to grow as the economy expands into different parts of the globe, and HR is one of the chief engines of this necessary collaboration. But like the old saw says, enormous responsibilities accompany this importance. This reality will require HR departments to stay at the bleeding edge of the management tools and techniques so necessary for their companies’ survival. It is our sincere hope that this guide will prove useful to HR departments now and going forward.

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How to Conduct a Problem-Solving Session with Human Resources?

October 26, 2023

HR's role in conflict resolution is crucial for maintaining a positive work environment and boosting employee satisfaction. Effective problem-solving involves identifying issues, gathering relevant information, and setting clear objectives. During sessions, HR should establish ground rules, encourage open communication, and use techniques like mediation and negotiation. Post-session actions include evaluating outcomes, implementing solutions, and monitoring progress to ensure lasting success.

Arpit Bhavsar

In any organization, human resources (HR) plays a vital role in resolving conflicts and finding effective solutions to problems that arise. Problem-solving sessions with HR are crucial for maintaining a harmonious work environment and promoting employee satisfaction. In this article, we will explore the steps involved in conducting a problem-solving session with human resources and how to ensure its success.

Understanding the Importance of Problem-Solving in HR

Effective problem-solving is a key responsibility of HR professionals. They are the mediators and facilitators in conflict resolution within the organization. HR professionals are trained to address various issues that arise among employees and between employees and management. By proactively managing conflicts, HR can create a positive work environment, leading to increased employee satisfaction and improved overall productivity.

HR professionals play a crucial role in maintaining harmony and resolving conflicts within the workplace. They possess the necessary skills and knowledge to navigate through complex interpersonal dynamics and find solutions that are fair and satisfactory to all parties involved. Through their expertise, HR professionals ensure that conflicts are addressed promptly and effectively, preventing them from escalating and causing further disruptions in the workplace.

The Role of HR in Conflict Resolution

HR professionals act as impartial third parties when conflicts arise. They listen to the concerns of all parties involved and work towards finding a fair and satisfactory resolution. By maintaining confidentiality and trust, HR professionals can create an open and safe space for employees to express their grievances. They also ensure that all parties are treated fairly and that any resolutions align with company policies and regulations.

When conflicts arise, HR professionals employ various conflict resolution techniques such as mediation, negotiation, and arbitration. They facilitate constructive dialogue between conflicting parties, encouraging them to express their perspectives and concerns. Through active listening and effective communication, HR professionals help parties understand each other’s viewpoints, leading to a greater likelihood of finding common ground and resolving the conflict amicably.

Furthermore, HR professionals play a crucial role in preventing conflicts from arising in the first place. They proactively identify potential sources of conflict within the organization and implement strategies to address them. By fostering a culture of open communication and promoting positive relationships among employees, HR professionals create an environment where conflicts are less likely to occur.

The Impact of Effective Problem-Solving on Employee Satisfaction

When conflicts and problems are effectively resolved through problem-solving sessions, employees feel heard and valued. This leads to increased job satisfaction, engagement, and commitment towards their work and the organization. Moreover, it fosters a culture of open communication, collaboration, and teamwork, which are essential for success within any organization.

Employees who witness effective problem-solving in action are more likely to trust the HR department and have confidence in its ability to handle conflicts. This, in turn, enhances employee morale and creates a positive work environment where individuals feel supported and empowered. When employees know that their concerns will be taken seriously and addressed promptly, they are more likely to be proactive in addressing issues and working towards their resolution.

Furthermore, effective problem-solving in HR contributes to the overall organizational success. By resolving conflicts and addressing underlying issues, HR professionals create a harmonious work environment where employees can focus on their tasks and responsibilities. This leads to improved productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness across the organization, ultimately contributing to its growth and success.

Preparing for a Problem-Solving Session

Before conducting a problem-solving session, certain preparatory steps should be taken to ensure its effectiveness. These steps involve careful planning and thorough preparation to address the specific issues at hand.

Identifying the Issues

The first step in preparing for a problem-solving session is identifying the specific issues that need to be addressed. This involves gathering information from various sources, such as employee feedback, performance reviews, and incident reports. By clearly defining the problems, HR professionals can focus the session and avoid wasting time on unrelated matters.

During the process of identifying the issues, it is important to consider the root causes behind them. This requires a comprehensive analysis of the situation, taking into account both internal and external factors that may contribute to the problems. By understanding the underlying causes, HR professionals can develop effective strategies to address and resolve the issues.

Gathering Relevant Information

Once the issues are identified, it is crucial to gather all relevant information related to the problems. This may include reviewing relevant policies, procedures, and documentation, as well as interviewing the individuals involved to gain a comprehensive understanding of the situation. Collecting sufficient data ensures that the problem-solving session is based on accurate information and facilitates informed decision-making.

In addition to gathering information, it is also important to consider the perspectives of all stakeholders involved. This includes not only the employees directly affected by the issues but also managers, supervisors, and other relevant parties. By taking into account different viewpoints, HR professionals can gain a more holistic understanding of the problems and develop solutions that address the needs and concerns of all parties involved.

Setting Clear Objectives for the Session

Before commencing the problem-solving session, HR professionals should establish clear objectives. These objectives define the desired outcomes of the session, such as resolving conflicts, improving communication, or reaching consensus on a particular issue. Clear objectives help keep the session focused and guide the discussions towards achieving the desired results.

Setting clear objectives also involves prioritizing the issues to be addressed. Not all problems may require immediate attention, and some may be more critical than others. By prioritizing the issues, HR professionals can allocate the necessary time and resources to each problem, ensuring that the most pressing matters are adequately addressed during the session.

In addition to setting objectives, it is also important to establish a timeline for the problem-solving session. This helps create a sense of urgency and ensures that the session does not drag on indefinitely. By setting a timeline, HR professionals can effectively manage the session and ensure that all necessary discussions and activities are completed within the allocated time.

Conducting the Problem-Solving Session

During the problem-solving session, HR professionals need to follow certain guidelines to ensure its effectiveness. This involves establishing ground rules, encouraging open communication, and implementing effective problem-solving techniques.

Establishing Ground Rules

At the beginning of the session, it is important to establish ground rules that promote respectful and constructive communication. Ground rules may include active listening, speaking without interruptions, and maintaining confidentiality. These rules create a safe environment for participants to express their thoughts and concerns without fear of judgment or reprisal.

Additionally, HR professionals can emphasize the importance of respecting diverse perspectives and fostering an inclusive atmosphere. By setting clear expectations for behavior and interaction, participants can feel more comfortable sharing their ideas and engaging in meaningful dialogue.

Encouraging Open Communication

HR professionals should encourage open and honest communication throughout the problem-solving session. This involves actively listening to all parties involved, asking clarifying questions, and ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to express their viewpoints.

Furthermore, HR professionals can facilitate effective communication by creating a non-judgmental space where individuals feel heard and understood. They can encourage participants to actively engage in dialogue, share their experiences, and provide constructive feedback. By fostering an environment of trust and respect, HR professionals can help participants overcome communication barriers and build stronger relationships.

Implementing Effective Problem-Solving Techniques

During the session, HR professionals can utilize various problem-solving techniques to facilitate discussions and reach resolutions. These techniques may include brainstorming, mediation, negotiation, or consensus-building.

Brainstorming allows participants to generate a wide range of ideas and potential solutions. By encouraging creativity and suspending judgment, HR professionals can help participants explore innovative approaches to problem-solving.

Mediation techniques can be employed when conflicts arise during the session. HR professionals can act as neutral facilitators, guiding participants towards finding common ground and resolving differences. Through active listening and reframing, they can help parties understand each other’s perspectives and work towards mutually beneficial outcomes.

Negotiation skills are crucial in problem-solving sessions, as they enable HR professionals to find compromises and trade-offs that satisfy the needs of all parties involved. By focusing on interests rather than positions, HR professionals can help participants identify shared goals and reach mutually agreeable solutions.

Consensus-building involves fostering collaboration and reaching a collective decision. HR professionals can facilitate discussions that allow participants to explore different viewpoints, analyze potential consequences, and ultimately arrive at a consensus that best addresses the identified problems.

In conclusion, conducting an effective problem-solving session requires HR professionals to establish ground rules, encourage open communication, and implement various problem-solving techniques. By creating a safe and inclusive environment, facilitating meaningful dialogue, and guiding participants towards collaborative solutions, HR professionals can help organizations address challenges and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

Post-Session Actions and Follow-ups

Once the problem-solving session has concluded, there are important steps to take to ensure the agreed-upon solutions are implemented and progress is monitored.

Evaluating the Outcome of the Session

HR professionals should evaluate the outcomes of the problem-solving session to assess its effectiveness. This involves considering whether the identified issues were adequately addressed, if all parties are satisfied with the resolution, and if any follow-up actions are necessary. Evaluation helps identify areas for improvement and allows HR professionals to refine their problem-solving skills for future sessions.

Implementing Agreed Upon Solutions

After the session, it is essential to implement the agreed-upon solutions. HR professionals should communicate the resolutions to all relevant individuals and ensure that appropriate actions are taken promptly. Clear communication and follow-through on the agreed solutions demonstrate the commitment of the organization towards resolving conflicts and improving the work environment.

Monitoring Progress and Providing Feedback

Regularly monitoring progress and providing feedback is crucial to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of the solutions. HR professionals should follow up with the individuals involved to determine if the agreed-upon solutions are being implemented and if they are achieving the desired outcomes. Ongoing communication and support from HR demonstrate the organization’s commitment to continuous improvement and employee satisfaction.

Conducting problem-solving sessions with human resources is an essential part of maintaining a healthy and productive work environment. By understanding the importance of problem-solving, adequately preparing for the session, conducting it effectively, and following up on agreed solutions, HR professionals can create a positive and collaborative workplace culture. Ultimately, this leads to increased employee satisfaction, improved productivity, and the overall success of the organization.

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HR’s role in conflict resolution is crucial for maintaining a positive work environment and boosting employee satisfaction. Effective problem-solving involves identifying issues, gathering relevant information, and setting clear objectives. During sessions, HR should establish ground rules, encourage open communication, and use techniques like mediation and negotiation. Post-session actions include evaluating outcomes, implementing solutions, and monitoring progress to ensure lasting success.

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To Solve a Tough Problem, Reframe It

• Julia Binder
• Michael D. Watkins

Research shows that companies devote too little effort to examining problems before trying to solve them. By jumping immediately into problem-solving, teams limit their ability to design innovative solutions.

The authors recommend that companies spend more time up front on problem-framing, a process for understanding and defining a problem. Exploring different frames is like looking at a scene through various camera lenses while adjusting your angle, aperture, and focus. A wide-angle lens gives you a very different photo from that taken with a telephoto lens, and shifting your angle and depth of focus yields distinct images. Effective problem-framing is similar: Looking at a problem from a variety of perspectives helps you uncover new insights and generate fresh ideas.

This article introduces a five-phase approach to problem-framing: In the expand phase, the team identifies all aspects of a problem; in examine, it dives into root causes; in empathize, it considers key stakeholders’ perspectives; in elevate, it puts the problem into a broader context; and in envision, it creates a road map toward the desired outcome.

Five steps to ensure that you don’t jump to solutions

Idea in Brief

The problem.

Research shows that most companies devote too little effort to examining problems from all angles before trying to solve them. That limits their ability to come up with innovative ways to address them.

The Solution

Companies need a structured approach for understanding and defining complex problems to uncover new insights and generate fresh ideas.

The Approach

This article introduces a five-phase approach to problem-framing: In the expand phase, the team identifies all aspects of a problem; in examine, it dives into root causes; in empathize, it considers key stakeholders’ perspectives; in elevate, it puts the problem into a broader context; and in envision, it creates a road map toward the desired outcome.

When business leaders confront complex problems, there’s a powerful impulse to dive right into “solving” mode: You gather a team and then identify potential solutions. That’s fine for challenges you’ve faced before or when proven methods yield good results. But what happens when a new type of problem arises or aspects of a familiar one shift substantially? Or if you’re not exactly sure what the problem is?

Research conducted by us and others shows that leaders and their teams devote too little effort to examining and defining problems before trying to solve them. A study by Paul Nutt of Ohio State University, for example, looked at 350 decision-making processes at medium to large companies and found that more than half failed to achieve desired results, often because perceived time pressure caused people to pay insufficient attention to examining problems from all angles and exploring their complexities. By jumping immediately into problem-solving, teams limit their ability to design innovative and durable solutions.

When we work with organizations and teams, we encourage them to spend more time up front on problem-framing, a process for understanding and defining a problem. Exploring frames is like looking at a scene through various camera lenses while adjusting your angle, aperture, and focus. A wide-angle lens will give you a very different photo from that taken with a telephoto lens, and shifting your angle and depth of focus yields distinct images. Effective problem-framing is similar: Looking at a problem from a variety of perspectives lets you uncover new insights and generate fresh ideas.

As with all essential processes, it helps to have a methodology and a road map. This article introduces the E5 approach to problem-framing—expand, examine, empathize, elevate, and envision—and offers tools that enable leaders to fully explore the problem space.

Phase 1: Expand

In the first phase, set aside preconceptions and open your mind. We recommend using a tool called frame-storming, which encourages a comprehensive exploration of an issue and its nuances. It is a neglected precursor to brainstorming, which typically focuses on generating many different answers for an already framed challenge. Frame-storming helps teams identify assumptions and blind spots, mitigating the risk of pursuing inadequate or biased solutions. The goal is to spark innovation and creativity as people dig into—or as Tina Seelig from Stanford puts it, “fall in love with”—the problem.

Begin by assembling a diverse team, encompassing a variety of types of expertise and perspectives. Involving outsiders can be helpful, since they’re often coming to the issue cold. A good way to prompt the team to consider alternative scenarios is by asking “What if…?” and “How might we…?” questions. For example, ask your team, “What if we had access to unlimited resources to tackle this issue?” or “How might better collaboration between departments or teams help us tackle this issue?” The primary objective is to generate many alternative problem frames, allowing for a more holistic understanding of the issue. Within an open, nonjudgmental atmosphere, you deliberately challenge established thinking—what we call “breaking” the frame.

It may be easy to eliminate some possibilities, and that’s exactly what you should do. Rather than make assumptions, generate alternative hypotheses and then test them.

Consider the problem-framing process at a company we’ll call Omega Soundscapes, a midsize producer of high-end headphones. (Omega is a composite of several firms we’ve worked with.) Omega’s sales had declined substantially over the past two quarters, and the leadership team’s initial diagnosis, or reference frame, was that recent price hikes to its flagship product made it too expensive for its target market. Before acting on this assumption, the team convened knowledgeable representatives from sales, marketing, R&D, customer service, and external consultants to do some frame-storming. Team members were asked:

• What if we lowered the price of our flagship product? How would that impact sales and profitability?
• How might we identify customers in new target markets who could afford our headphones at the current price?
• What if we offered financing or a subscription-based model for our headphones? How would that change perceptions of affordability?
• How might we optimize our supply chain and production processes to reduce manufacturing costs without compromising quality?

In playing out each of those scenarios, the Omega team generated several problem frames:

• The target market’s preferences have evolved.
• New competitors have entered the market.
• Product quality has decreased.
• Something has damaged perceptions of the brand.
• Something has changed in the priorities of our key distributors.

Each of the frames presented a unique angle from which to approach the problem of declining sales, setting the stage for the development of diverse potential solutions. At this stage, it may be relatively easy to eliminate some possibilities, and that’s exactly what you should do. Rather than make assumptions, generate alternative hypotheses and then test them.

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Phase 2: Examine

If the expand phase is about identifying all the facets of a problem, this one is about diving deep to identify root causes. The team investigates the issue thoroughly, peeling back the layers to understand underlying drivers and systemic contributors.

A useful tool for doing this is the iceberg model, which guides the team through layers of causation: surface-level events, the behavioral patterns that drive them, underlying systematic structures, and established mental models. As you probe ever deeper and document your findings, you begin to home in on the problem’s root causes. As is the case in the expand phase, open discussions and collaborative research are crucial for achieving a comprehensive analysis.

Let’s return to our Omega Soundscapes example and use the iceberg model to delve into the issues surrounding the two quarters of declining sales. Starting with the first layer beneath the surface, the behavioral pattern, the team diligently analyzed customer feedback. It discovered a significant drop in brand loyalty. This finding validated the problem frame of a “shifting brand perception,” prompting further investigation into what might have been causing it.

Phase 3: Empathize

In this phase, the focus is on the stakeholders—employees, customers, clients, investors, supply chain partners, and other parties—who are most central to and affected by the problem under investigation. The core objective is to understand how they perceive the issue: what they think and feel, how they’re acting, and what they want.

First list all the people who are directly or indirectly relevant to the problem. It may be helpful to create a visual representation of the network of relationships in the ecosystem. Prioritize the stakeholders according to their level of influence on and interest in the problem, and focus on understanding the roles, demographics, behavior patterns, motivations, and goals of the most important ones.

Now create empathy maps for those critical stakeholders. Make a template divided into four sections: Say, Think, Feel, and Do. Conduct interviews or surveys to gather authentic data. How do various users explain the problem? How do they think about the issue, and how do their beliefs inform that thinking? What emotions are they feeling and expressing? How are they behaving? Populate each section of the map with notes based on your observations and interactions. Finally, analyze the completed empathy maps. Look for pain points, inconsistencies, and patterns in stakeholder perspectives.

Returning to the Omega case study, the team identified its ecosystem of stakeholders: customers (both current and potential); retail partners and distributors; the R&D, marketing, and sales teams; suppliers of headphone components; investors and shareholders; and new and existing competitors. They narrowed the list to a few key stakeholders related to the declining-sales problem: customers, retail partners, and investors/shareholders; Omega created empathy maps for representatives from each.

Here’s what the empathy maps showed about what the stakeholders were saying, thinking, feeling, and doing:

Sarah, the customer, complained on social media about the high price of her favorite headphones. Dave, the retailer, expressed concerns about unsold inventory and the challenge of convincing customers to buy the expensive headphones. Alex, the shareholder, brought up Omega’s declining financial performance during its annual investor day.

Sarah thought that Omega was losing touch with its loyal customer base. Dave was considering whether to continue carrying Omega’s products in his store or explore other brands. Alex was contemplating diversifying his portfolio into other consumer-tech companies.

As a longtime supporter of the brand, Sarah felt frustrated and slightly betrayed. Dave was feeling anxious about the drop in sales and the impact on his store’s profitability. Alex was unhappy with the declining stock value.

Sarah was looking for alternatives to the headphones, even though she loves the product’s quality. Dave was scheduling a call with Omega to negotiate pricing and terms. Alex was planning to attend Omega’s next shareholder meeting to find out more information from the leadership team.

When Omega leaders analyzed the data in the maps, they realized that pricing wasn’t the only reason for declining sales. A more profound issue was customers’ dissatisfaction with the perceived price-to-quality ratio, especially when compared with competitors’ offerings. That insight prompted the team to consider enhancing the headphones with additional features, offering more-affordable alternatives, and possibly switching to a service model.

Phase 4: Elevate

This phase involves exploring how the problem connects to broader organizational issues. It’s like zooming out on a map to understand where a city lies in relation to the whole country or continent. This bird’s-eye view reveals interconnected issues and their implications.

For this analysis, we recommend the four-frame model developed by Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal, which offers distinct lenses through which to view the problem at a higher level. The structural frame helps you explore formal structures (such as hierarchy and reporting relationships); processes (such as workflow); and systems, rules, and policies. This frame examines efficiency, coordination, and alignment of activities.

The human resources frame focuses on people, relationships, and social dynamics. This includes teamwork, leadership, employee motivation, engagement, professional development, and personal growth. In this frame, the organization is seen as a community or a family that recognizes that talent is its most valuable asset. The political frame delves into power dynamics, competing interests, conflicts, coalitions, and negotiations. From this perspective, organizations are arenas where various stakeholders vie for resources and engage in political struggles to influence decisions. It helps you see how power is distributed, used, and contested.

The symbolic frame highlights the importance of symbols, rituals, stories, and shared values in shaping group identity and culture. In it, organizations are depicted as theaters through which its members make meaning.

Using this model, the Omega team generated the following insights in the four frames:

Structural.

A deeper look into the company’s structure revealed siloing and a lack of coordination between the R&D and marketing departments, which had led to misaligned messaging to customers. It also highlighted a lack of collaboration between the two functions and pointed to the need to communicate with the target market about the product’s features and benefits in a coherent and compelling way.

Human resources.

This frame revealed that the declining sales and price hikes had ramped up pressure on the sales team, damaging morale. The demotivated team was struggling to effectively promote the product, making it harder to recover from declining sales. Omega realized it was lacking adequate support, training, and incentives for the team.

The key insight from this frame was that the finance team’s reluctance to approve promotions in the sales group to maintain margins was exacerbating the morale problem. Omega understood that investing in sales leadership development while still generating profits was crucial for long-term success and that frank discussions about the issue were needed.

This frame highlighted an important misalignment in perception: The company believed that its headphones were of “top quality,” while customers reported in surveys that they were “overpriced.” This divergence raised alarm that branding, marketing, and pricing strategies, which were all predicated on the central corporate value of superior quality, were no longer resonating with customers. Omega realized that it had been paying too little attention to quality assurance and functionality.

Phase 5: Envision

In this phase, you transition from framing the problem to actively imagining and designing solutions. This involves synthesizing the insights gained from earlier phases and crafting a shared vision of the desired future state.

Here we recommend using a technique known as backcasting. First, clearly define your desired goal. For example, a team struggling with missed deadlines and declining productivity might aim to achieve on-time completion rates of 98% for its projects and increase its volume of projects by 5% over the next year. Next, reverse engineer the path to achieving your goal. Outline key milestones required over both the short term and the long term. For each one, pinpoint specific interventions, strategies, and initiatives that will propel you closer to your goal. These may encompass changes in processes, policies, technologies, and behaviors. Synthesize the activities into a sequenced, chronological, prioritized road map or action plan, and allocate the resources, including time, budget, and personnel, necessary to implement your plan. Finally, monitor progress toward your goal and be prepared to adjust the plan in response to outcomes, feedback, or changing circumstances. This approach ensures that the team’s efforts in implementing the insights from the previous phases are strategically and purposefully directed toward a concrete destination.

Applying the Approach

Albert Einstein once said, “If I had one hour to solve a problem, I would spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about the solution.” That philosophy underpins our E5 framework, which provides a structured approach for conscientiously engaging with complex problems before leaping to solutions.

As teams use the methodology, they must understand that problem-framing in today’s intricate business landscape is rarely a linear process. While we’re attempting to provide a structured path, we also recognize the dynamic nature of problems and the need for adaptability. Invariably, as teams begin to implement solutions, new facets of a problem may come to light, unforeseen challenges may arise, or external circumstances may evolve. Your team should be ready to loop back to previous phases—for instance, revisiting the expand phase to reassess the problem’s frame, delving deeper into an overlooked root cause in another examine phase, or gathering fresh insights from stakeholders in a new empathize phase. Ultimately, the E5 framework is intended to foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

• JB Julia Binder is the director of the Center for Sustainable and Inclusive Business and a professor of sustainable innovation at IMD.
• Michael D. Watkins is a professor of leadership and organizational change at IMD , a cofounder of Genesis Advisers , and the author of The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking .

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December 15, 2022

The Problem-Solving Interview: 16 Questions for Better Hires

We’ve all been there. You hire the wrong candidate, resulting in wasted time, money and energy. You’ve learned the true cost of a bad hire the hard way. And you want to make sure your future interview process is as goof-proof as possible.

That’s where problem-solving interviews can change the game.

Though traditional interviews haven’t gone by the wayside, more companies are taking a practical approach when it comes to vetting candidates based on actual workplace scenarios.

Problem-solving interviews use questions that evaluate how candidates deal with difficult situations they may actually face in a given role. With scenario-based and behavioral questions for all of your problem-solving needs, consider this your totally bookmarkable resource to keep coming back to when prepping for candidate interviews.

Examples of problem-solving interview questions:

• Tell me about a project where you had to manage a cross-functional team.
• Describe a situation where you succeeded in motivating team performance.
• What is the most creative idea or project you've generated in your current role?
• In what ways have you encouraged your work team to be more innovative?
• Have you ever improved project workflows based on your analysis?
• Have you ever had a deadline you weren't able to meet? What happened?
• Give an example of a time when you had to explain something complex to a frustrated client.
• Talk about a time when you worked under extremely loose supervision. How did you handle that?

Help your hiring team get more out of your candidate interviews while still keeping things human for applicants. Breezy is the candidate-friendly applicant tracking system that includes custom interview guides so that every interviewer on your team knows exactly what to ask.

What's the buzz about problem-solving interviews?

Problem-solving interview questions occasionally go by other names. 

From behavioral interview questions, scenario-based interview questions, or simply ‘second job interview questions’ — if you’re like most employers, you probably already have an unofficial term for the part of the hiring process where you really lean in and learn how a candidate might act in a given situation.

Whatever you call it, a problem-solving interview is essentially:

A behavioral interview asking questions that provide insight into how a candidate has dealt with challenging workplace issues in the past . The candidate’s answers often reveal their actual level of experience and potential to handle similar situations in the future.

To get a real flavor for what this type of interview will entail, and the types of problems and problem-solving skills we’re considering, we’ve compiled a go-to list of top examples of problem-solving interview questions. Feel free to adjust these questions, the problem-solving abilities and the potential problems these questions address to suit your specific role and employer brand .

15 examples of problem-solving interview questions

Each interviewing situation is unique. Questions for an entry-level position obviously won't get you very far with an executive-level candidate . Similarly the questions you ask for a technical role like software engineer are going to be far different from those you’d ask of a sales candidate.

Before you launch into any problem-solving interview, take time to match your questions to your open role. And remember, the more structured your interview process , the easier it'll be to make the right call.

Here are three of the most common problem-solving interview scenarios, plus our top questions for each.

Leadership roles

Question #1: Describe the most difficult team you've had to lead? What made it challenging? How did you go about overcoming the issues?

Why it works: Asking a candidate to rate the difficulty of working with others is a great way to see whether they throw their team under the bus or focus more on the problem/solution aspect of the question. A strong candidate will map out how they overcame the situation and prevented it from becoming a long-term issue within the company.

Question #2: What do you consider your proudest moment or greatest achievement in the workplace? What were the practical steps that got you there?

Why it works: Some leadership skills come naturally — but most require careful planning and the ability to take inspired action. A candidate who doesn’t just regurgitate their resume but gives actual insight into how they achieve the impossible is someone who's willing to think about process and the importance of why they're in a leadership position in the first place.

Question #3: Tell me about a project where you had to manage a cross-functional team to achieve a specific goal or outcome. How did you adapt your leadership style to achieve this objective?

Why it works: The ability to adapt is crucial for strong leaders. No single leadership style matches every work situation. Exceptional leaders know how to tune into their teams and adapt accordingly.

Question #4: Describe a situation where you succeeded in motivating your team to improve their performance. What actions were the most effective?

Why it works: Performance management is a tough nut to crack . You're looking for an executive candidate who has the right mix of diplomacy and energy to get the best work out of every employee.

Question #5: Describe a leadership role you've undertaken outside of work. Why did you choose to commit to this role? How did you benefit from it?

Why it works: Great leaders don’t leave their leadership hats in the office. Knowing your candidate takes on leadership roles in their community — be it volunteering, coaching or running a professional group — helps you get a better understanding of their leadership characteristics both within and outside of the office.

Creative roles

Question #1: What is the most creative idea or project you've generated in your current role? How was it received?

Why it works: Creativity can mean something completely different based on the role and organization — but a true creative will have a unique approach to problem-solving even if they aren’t interviewing for the role of Art Director. A candidate’s ability to take criticism will also shine through in this question.

Question #2: In what ways have you encouraged your team to be more creative and innovative?

Why it works: A truly creative person will help others think outside the box. How your candidate answers this question will give you insight into their teamwork skills and help clue you into how they apply their creativity at the strategic level.

Question #3: Every creative needs an outlet. What creative work do you like to do in your own time?

Why it works: Do those creative juices flow into other areas of life? If your creative candidate lights up when you ask about their hobbies and work outside the office, you know that same energy will flood into the workplace too.

Question #4: What tech tools do you use daily?

Why it works: Creatives tend to love tech and knowing how they keep their tech skills sharp gives you a glimpse into what strategies they'll bring to the table to help keep your company on the cutting edge.

Question #5: What do you think of our creative materials?

Why it works: If your candidate is truly invested in your brand, they probably did their homework. The right person will be eager to offer insight into your marketing, branding or other creative projects. Someone who shows up with their A-game and isn’t afraid to deliver their very own 'like it, love it, leave it' feedback is a keeper.

Technical roles

Question #1: Have you ever improved a project workflow based on your analysis? If so, how did you do this?

Why it works: If there's one thing every great techie should have, it's laser-precise attention to detail. You want a candidate who takes a proactive approach to optimizing workflows and doesn’t hang back hoping for someone else to step in and make things more efficient. 

Question #2: Have you ever had a deadline you weren't able to meet? What happened? How did you handle it?

Why it works: In a fast-paced tech environment, deadlines can get pushed back due to things beyond your candidate’s control. If they own up to this and demonstrate that they know how to stay cool under pressure, it’s a good sign they can handle the heat.

Question #3: When you’re working with a large number of clients, it’s tricky to deliver excellent service to them all. How do you go about prioritizing your clients’ needs?

Why it works: Time management skills are crucial in technical roles. A candidate who's not only able to deliver the coding and programming goods but can also manage a tight schedule and full plate of internal and external client requests is a true unicorn.

Question #4: Give an example of a time when you had to explain something fairly complex to a frustrated client. How did you handle this delicate situation?

Why it works: Technical workers usually have their own jargon, but it’s important for your candidate to be able to convey their work to the everyday client or team member. If they can’t explain what they do in simple terms, this could be a red flag for any role with a client-facing or cross-departmental component.

Question #5: Talk about a time you worked under extremely loose supervision. How did you handle that?

Why it works: Many tech employees work remotely or with flex schedules. It’s important for your candidate to be a self-starter. Look for specific insights about the tactics and methods they use to manage their own schedule, meet deadlines and deliver on project expectations.

Questions #6 : What resources do you follow to stay current with changes in technology? 

Why it works: Technical roles require candidates to stay current. It’s important to ask the candidate how they keep up with an. Because when you’re hiring for roles like SEO , IT coordinator or software engineer , they need to think outside the box (and into the future).

Red flags to look out for in your problem-solving interviews 

While problem-solving interview questions’ answers can help best-fit candidates truly shine, they can also cast a harsh light on people who aren’t fit for the job. 

Here are some red flags you should look out for, from possibly ok-ish to definitely not the right fit.

Vague (or nonexistent) answers 🚩

If the interviewee can’t remember a time they thought outside of the box or were challenged in the workplace or handled a stressful situation, it might mean they steer clear of tough situations and difficult decisions. So if they offer up a super vague answer with little to no specifics, try to ask follow-up questions to get some insight into their mentality.

Over-the-top uneasiness 🚩🚩

Problem-solving questions are designed to make candidates think critically about their work style, and being put on the spot like that is bound to be a little uncomfortable. But if candidates are so stressed they can’t give you a straight answer, it’s probably a sign that they don’t deal with pressure well.

Scripted responses 🚩🚩🚩

Candidates who give superficial responses are more likely to choose the easy way out instead of thinking critically about the best way to handle a scenario. Run-of-the-mill answers also show a lack of creativity. Go for candidates who analyze the situation and really dig into the issue at hand to come up with a more thorough answer.

Problem-oriented mindset 🚩🚩🚩🚩

The name says it all: problem-solving interview questions are about solving the problem, not dwelling on the difficulties. So if a candidate answering a problem-solving question seems too hung up on the issue at hand rather than how they rose above and dealt with it, they might not be the culture add you’re looking for.

Tips to ask the right problem-solving interview questions

A problem-solving interview is only as good as the questions you ask. So if you want to identify results-oriented candidates and analytical problem-solvers, here’s how to ask the right questions .

Use hypothetical scenarios with real-world applications

Don’t waste your time on unrealistic scenarios and improbable outcomes. Ask hard-hitting questions with real-life solutions.

Illuminate the candidate’s thought process

Ask questions that give insight into a candidate’s thought process. Pay special attention to how candidates approach a scenario, working through the problem step-by-step and arriving at a clear (and effective) solution. Oh, and keep an eye out for innovative perspectives!

Gauge team spirit

The best solutions are often collaborative ones. Ask questions about a situation that required a team effort, and pay special attention to how they characterize their colleagues and the collective decision-making process. You want candidates who are comfortable asking for help and have a knack for teamwork.

Know what you can (and can’t) ask

Some interview questions are awkward, others are straight-up illegal. 

We know you're not out to violate anyone's rights, but even the most well-meaning hiring managers can end up asking lousy interview questions. How lousy, you ask?

These ones top our list of major no-nos:

“Tell me about your biggest weakness.” 

Oh, you mean like the time I accidentally disconnected the server and left thousands of customers without service for hours? Get real. No one's going to reveal their Kryptonite during an interview. This question generates the most canned answers imaginable ranging from “I’m a workaholic,” to “I over-deliver and exceed expectations.” 🙄

“If a song described you, what would it be.”

Avoid this and any other overly abstract question asking a candidate to describe themselves in bizarre metaphors. Be direct. Relate the questions to the position and interviewee, not some over the top hypothetical about whether someone sees themself as a shark or a unicorn.

“Tell me about your [sexual orientation, relationship status, ethnicity, race, religion, political affiliation].”

One word: creepy. Oh, and: illegal. (Okay, that's two words but you get the idea...) 

Fact is, any question that doesn't jive with the EEOC not only violates the candidate’s rights, it may also have you searching for a new career. Just don't go there.

Avoid the ‘gotchyas’ and keep your interview q’s focused on solving real problems

At the end of the day, no single thread of interview questions will work as a one-size-fits-all. 

Human hiring requires human thinking. By analyzing and hand-selecting thoughtful questions, you can ensure a consistent interview flow with all candidates while avoiding generic replies and those dreaded awkward silences. 

Just make sure they're interview questions that both you and your candidate can feel good about.

With Breezy’s modern recruitment platform, you can access over 400 free interview guides , schedule interviews with one click, and deliver a first-rate hiring experience candidates love.

Try it yourself totally free.

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What Are Problem-Solving Skills? Definition and Examples

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Forage puts students first. Our blog articles are written independently by our editorial team. They have not been paid for or sponsored by our partners. See our full  editorial guidelines .

Why do employers hire employees? To help them solve problems. Whether you’re a financial analyst deciding where to invest your firm’s money, or a marketer trying to figure out which channel to direct your efforts, companies hire people to help them find solutions. Problem-solving is an essential and marketable soft skill in the workplace. 

So, how can you improve your problem-solving and show employers you have this valuable skill? In this guide, we’ll cover:

Problem-Solving Skills Definition

Why are problem-solving skills important, problem-solving skills examples, how to include problem-solving skills in a job application, how to improve problem-solving skills, problem-solving: the bottom line.

Problem-solving skills are the ability to identify problems, brainstorm and analyze answers, and implement the best solutions. An employee with good problem-solving skills is both a self-starter and a collaborative teammate; they are proactive in understanding the root of a problem and work with others to consider a wide range of solutions before deciding how to move forward. 

Examples of using problem-solving skills in the workplace include:

• Researching patterns to understand why revenue decreased last quarter
• Experimenting with a new marketing channel to increase website sign-ups
• Brainstorming content types to share with potential customers
• Testing calls to action to see which ones drive the most product sales
• Implementing a new workflow to automate a team process and increase productivity

Problem-solving skills are the most sought-after soft skill of 2022. In fact, 86% of employers look for problem-solving skills on student resumes, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers Job Outlook 2022 survey . 

It’s unsurprising why employers are looking for this skill: companies will always need people to help them find solutions to their problems. Someone proactive and successful at problem-solving is valuable to any team.

“Employers are looking for employees who can make decisions independently, especially with the prevalence of remote/hybrid work and the need to communicate asynchronously,” Eric Mochnacz, senior HR consultant at Red Clover, says. “Employers want to see individuals who can make well-informed decisions that mitigate risk, and they can do so without suffering from analysis paralysis.”

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Problem-solving includes three main parts: identifying the problem, analyzing possible solutions, and deciding on the best course of action.

>>MORE: Discover the right career for you based on your skills with a career aptitude test .

Research is the first step of problem-solving because it helps you understand the context of a problem. Researching a problem enables you to learn why the problem is happening. For example, is revenue down because of a new sales tactic? Or because of seasonality? Is there a problem with who the sales team is reaching out to? 

Research broadens your scope to all possible reasons why the problem could be happening. Then once you figure it out, it helps you narrow your scope to start solving it. 

Analysis is the next step of problem-solving. Now that you’ve identified the problem, analytical skills help you look at what potential solutions there might be.

“The goal of analysis isn’t to solve a problem, actually — it’s to better understand it because that’s where the real solution will be found,” Gretchen Skalka, owner of Career Insights Consulting, says. “Looking at a problem through the lens of impartiality is the only way to get a true understanding of it from all angles.”

Decision-Making

Once you’ve figured out where the problem is coming from and what solutions are, it’s time to decide on the best way to go forth. Decision-making skills help you determine what resources are available, what a feasible action plan entails, and what solution is likely to lead to success.

On a Resume

Employers looking for problem-solving skills might include the word “problem-solving” or other synonyms like “ critical thinking ” or “analytical skills” in the job description.

“I would add ‘buzzwords’ you can find from the job descriptions or LinkedIn endorsements section to filter into your resume to comply with the ATS,” Matthew Warzel, CPRW resume writer, advises. Warzel recommends including these skills on your resume but warns to “leave the soft skills as adjectives in the summary section. That is the only place soft skills should be mentioned.”

On the other hand, you can list hard skills separately in a skills section on your resume .

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In a Cover Letter or an Interview

Explaining your problem-solving skills in an interview can seem daunting. You’re required to expand on your process — how you identified a problem, analyzed potential solutions, and made a choice. As long as you can explain your approach, it’s okay if that solution didn’t come from a professional work experience.

“Young professionals shortchange themselves by thinking only paid-for solutions matter to employers,” Skalka says. “People at the genesis of their careers don’t have a wealth of professional experience to pull from, but they do have relevant experience to share.”

Aaron Case, career counselor and CPRW at Resume Genius, agrees and encourages early professionals to share this skill. “If you don’t have any relevant work experience yet, you can still highlight your problem-solving skills in your cover letter,” he says. “Just showcase examples of problems you solved while completing your degree, working at internships, or volunteering. You can even pull examples from completely unrelated part-time jobs, as long as you make it clear how your problem-solving ability transfers to your new line of work.”

Learn How to Identify Problems

Problem-solving doesn’t just require finding solutions to problems that are already there. It’s also about being proactive when something isn’t working as you hoped it would. Practice questioning and getting curious about processes and activities in your everyday life. What could you improve? What would you do if you had more resources for this process? If you had fewer? Challenge yourself to challenge the world around you.

Think Digitally

“Employers in the modern workplace value digital problem-solving skills, like being able to find a technology solution to a traditional issue,” Case says. “For example, when I first started working as a marketing writer, my department didn’t have the budget to hire a professional voice actor for marketing video voiceovers. But I found a perfect solution to the problem with an AI voiceover service that cost a fraction of the price of an actor.”

Being comfortable with new technology — even ones you haven’t used before — is a valuable skill in an increasingly hybrid and remote world. Don’t be afraid to research new and innovative technologies to help automate processes or find a more efficient technological solution.

Collaborate

Problem-solving isn’t done in a silo, and it shouldn’t be. Use your collaboration skills to gather multiple perspectives, help eliminate bias, and listen to alternative solutions. Ask others where they think the problem is coming from and what solutions would help them with your workflow. From there, try to compromise on a solution that can benefit everyone.

If we’ve learned anything from the past few years, it’s that the world of work is constantly changing — which means it’s crucial to know how to adapt . Be comfortable narrowing down a solution, then changing your direction when a colleague provides a new piece of information. Challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone, whether with your personal routine or trying a new system at work.

Put Yourself in the Middle of Tough Moments

Just like adapting requires you to challenge your routine and tradition, good problem-solving requires you to put yourself in challenging situations — especially ones where you don’t have relevant experience or expertise to find a solution. Because you won’t know how to tackle the problem, you’ll learn new problem-solving skills and how to navigate new challenges. Ask your manager or a peer if you can help them work on a complicated problem, and be proactive about asking them questions along the way.

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Step 1 of 3

Companies always need people to help them find solutions — especially proactive employees who have practical analytical skills and can collaborate to decide the best way to move forward. Whether or not you have experience solving problems in a professional workplace, illustrate your problem-solving skills by describing your research, analysis, and decision-making process — and make it clear that you’re the solution to the employer’s current problems. 

Image Credit: Christina Morillo / Pexels 

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