How do you approach a problem you have never seen before?

I start by making sure I understand the problem: what is happening, what should be happening and who is affected. Then I gather facts before forming opinions, because my first guess is often wrong. I break the problem into smaller parts, list possible causes and test the most likely ones first. If I am stuck, I ask someone who knows the area. Once I find a fix, I check that it actually solved the problem and did not create a new one.

What does a good solution look like to you?

A good solution fixes the root cause, not just the symptom, and does it in proportion to the size of the problem. It should be simple enough that other people can understand and maintain it, and it should not create bigger problems somewhere else. Speed matters too: a solution that is good enough today is often better than a perfect one next quarter. I also like solutions that make the same problem less likely to happen again.

How do you decide which problems to solve first?

I look at impact and urgency together. A problem that affects many customers or blocks other work comes first, even if it is not the most interesting one. Then I consider effort: if a small fix removes a lot of pain, I do it quickly. For bigger problems, I agree priorities with my manager or the people affected rather than deciding alone. I keep a short written list so smaller issues are not forgotten while I work on the urgent ones.

Which problem solving methods do you use?

I use a few simple tools depending on the problem. The five whys helps me get from a symptom to a root cause. A quick fishbone sketch is useful when there are many possible causes, such as people, process, tools and data. For decisions between options, I list the criteria and score each option. And for anything measurable, I like to test a change on a small scale first, look at the data and then roll it out.

Tell me about a difficult problem you solved at work.

Our weekly sales report was showing revenue about five percent lower than finance's numbers, and nobody trusted either figure. I compared the two reports line by line for one week and found three causes: refunds counted on different dates, one region using a different currency rate and a filter that excluded new accounts. I documented each difference, agreed the correct rules with finance and fixed the report. The numbers matched from then on and leadership stopped arguing about data.

Tell me about a time you found the root cause of a recurring issue.

Customers kept reporting that confirmation emails arrived late, and each time the team restarted the email service, which helped for a few days. I looked at the timing of the delays and noticed they always followed our nightly data import. The import was using the same database connections as the email service and starving it. We moved the import to its own connection pool and the delays stopped completely, which also saved the team hours of restarts every month.

Tell me about a time your first solution did not work.

Our onboarding drop-off was high, and I assumed the signup form was too long, so we shortened it. Signups rose slightly but drop-off barely changed. I went back and watched recordings of real sessions, which showed people were getting stuck on an email verification step that failed silently on some providers. We fixed the verification and drop-off fell sharply. The lesson for me was to look at evidence of what users actually do before choosing a fix.

Tell me about a time you solved a problem with limited resources.

Our small support team was overwhelmed during a product launch, and there was no budget to hire. I analyzed a week of tickets and found that four questions made up almost half of the volume. I wrote clear help articles for those four, added links to them in the product and set up saved replies for the team. Ticket volume dropped by roughly a third within two weeks, and response times came back within our target without extra staff.

What would you do if you had to solve a problem with very little information?

I would write down what I know, what I do not know and what I am assuming, so the gaps are clear. Then I would find the fastest ways to fill the most important gaps: asking people closest to the problem, checking logs or data, or running a small test. If I still had to act without full information, I would choose an option that can be reversed easily and keep watching the results so I could adjust quickly.

What would you do if two departments blamed each other for a problem?

I would move the conversation away from blame and toward facts. I would map the process step by step with someone from each department and find exactly where things break down. Usually the problem sits in the handover between teams, where nobody fully owns it. Once we agree on what is happening, I would help them agree clear ownership for that step and a simple check so the problem does not return.

What would you do if you found a problem that was not your responsibility?

I would not ignore it. I would find out who owns that area and tell them clearly what I noticed, with any evidence I have, so they can act. If it was urgent and affecting customers, I would also tell my manager and offer to help. If nobody seemed to own it, I would raise that gap as a problem in itself, because issues without an owner tend to keep coming back.

What would you do if your manager rejected your solution?

I would ask what concerns they have, because they may know about constraints I do not, such as budget, timing or other priorities. If their concern is valid, I would adapt my solution or support theirs. If I still believed my approach was better, I would bring additional evidence or suggest a small trial to test it. Ultimately, the goal is to solve the problem, not to win the argument, so I stay open.

What is the most common mistake people make when solving problems?

Jumping to a solution before understanding the problem. People see a symptom, assume a cause and start fixing it, often because they are under pressure or have seen something similar before. The fix then fails or only works for a while. I have made this mistake myself, so I now spend a few minutes writing down the problem and the evidence before choosing any solution. That small pause saves time in the end.

How do you know when to ask for help?

I give myself a reasonable amount of time to make progress on my own, depending on how urgent the problem is. If I have tried the obvious approaches and I am not getting closer, or if the problem is blocking other people, I ask. Before asking, I write down what I have already tried, so the conversation is quick. Asking early on an urgent problem is much cheaper than struggling alone for a day.

Do you prefer to solve problems alone or with others?

It depends on the problem. For a well defined issue in my own area, I usually work through it alone first, because it is faster. For complex problems that cross teams, I prefer working with others, since people from different areas notice different causes and solutions. Even when I work alone, I like to explain my thinking to a colleague before acting, because saying it out loud often reveals gaps.

Which problem solving skill are you working on improving?

I am working on framing problems in terms of their business impact before diving into the detail. I enjoy the technical side of investigating issues, and sometimes I have spent too long on a fascinating problem that did not matter much. Now I ask early who is affected, how badly and what it costs, which helps me decide how much effort the problem deserves and explain it better to stakeholders.

How do you solve a problem when stakeholders disagree on what the problem is?

I start by getting each stakeholder to describe the problem in their own words and what success would look like for them. Then I look for evidence that shows which version is closest to reality. Often they are describing different parts of the same issue. I write a short problem statement that everyone can agree on before discussing solutions, because arguments about solutions are usually hidden disagreements about the problem itself.

How do you decide between a quick fix and a long-term solution?

I ask how much harm the problem is causing right now and how often it will recur. If customers are affected today, I apply a quick fix to stop the damage, then plan the long-term solution and make sure it is scheduled, not forgotten. If the problem is minor and rare, a quick fix may be enough. The mistake I avoid is layering quick fixes on the same problem until it becomes much harder to solve properly.

How do you prevent problems instead of just solving them?

After solving a significant problem, I run a short review asking why it happened and why we did not catch it earlier. That usually points to a missing check, unclear ownership or a fragile process. I fix those as well as the problem itself. I also watch for early warning signs, such as small complaints, slower response times or rising error rates, because big problems usually start as small ones that nobody followed up.

How do you use data when solving a problem?

I use data to check my assumptions and to measure whether my solution worked. Before changing anything, I look at what the data shows about when and where the problem occurs, and I note a baseline. After the change, I compare against that baseline. I am also careful not to trust data blindly: I check where it comes from and whether something else could explain the pattern, like a seasonal change or a tracking error.

Problem Solving Interview Questions and Answers

20 common Problem Solving interview questions with strong sample answers, grouped by round.

Ask these on video All interview questions

20 questions with sample answers

Problem solving questions asked in interviews work best when they ask for a real problem the candidate solved. These questions show how someone breaks down a problem, tests options and checks the result, with what to listen for.

Short on interview hours? Screen applicants on video with these questions first, and call only the ones whose answers stand out.

Opening problem solving interview questions4 questions

1
How do you approach a problem you have never seen before?
I start by making sure I understand the problem: what is happening, what should be happening and who is affected. Then I gather facts before forming opinions, because my first guess is often wrong. I break the problem into smaller parts, list possible causes and test the most likely ones first. If I am stuck, I ask someone who knows the area. Once I find a fix, I check that it actually solved the problem and did not create a new one.
2
What does a good solution look like to you?
A good solution fixes the root cause, not just the symptom, and does it in proportion to the size of the problem. It should be simple enough that other people can understand and maintain it, and it should not create bigger problems somewhere else. Speed matters too: a solution that is good enough today is often better than a perfect one next quarter. I also like solutions that make the same problem less likely to happen again.
3
How do you decide which problems to solve first?
I look at impact and urgency together. A problem that affects many customers or blocks other work comes first, even if it is not the most interesting one. Then I consider effort: if a small fix removes a lot of pain, I do it quickly. For bigger problems, I agree priorities with my manager or the people affected rather than deciding alone. I keep a short written list so smaller issues are not forgotten while I work on the urgent ones.
4
Which problem solving methods do you use?
I use a few simple tools depending on the problem. The five whys helps me get from a symptom to a root cause. A quick fishbone sketch is useful when there are many possible causes, such as people, process, tools and data. For decisions between options, I list the criteria and score each option. And for anything measurable, I like to test a change on a small scale first, look at the data and then roll it out.

Behavioral problem solving interview questions4 questions

5
Tell me about a difficult problem you solved at work.
Our weekly sales report was showing revenue about five percent lower than finance's numbers, and nobody trusted either figure. I compared the two reports line by line for one week and found three causes: refunds counted on different dates, one region using a different currency rate and a filter that excluded new accounts. I documented each difference, agreed the correct rules with finance and fixed the report. The numbers matched from then on and leadership stopped arguing about data.
6
Tell me about a time you found the root cause of a recurring issue.
Customers kept reporting that confirmation emails arrived late, and each time the team restarted the email service, which helped for a few days. I looked at the timing of the delays and noticed they always followed our nightly data import. The import was using the same database connections as the email service and starving it. We moved the import to its own connection pool and the delays stopped completely, which also saved the team hours of restarts every month.
7
Tell me about a time your first solution did not work.
Our onboarding drop-off was high, and I assumed the signup form was too long, so we shortened it. Signups rose slightly but drop-off barely changed. I went back and watched recordings of real sessions, which showed people were getting stuck on an email verification step that failed silently on some providers. We fixed the verification and drop-off fell sharply. The lesson for me was to look at evidence of what users actually do before choosing a fix.
8
Tell me about a time you solved a problem with limited resources.
Our small support team was overwhelmed during a product launch, and there was no budget to hire. I analyzed a week of tickets and found that four questions made up almost half of the volume. I wrote clear help articles for those four, added links to them in the product and set up saved replies for the team. Ticket volume dropped by roughly a third within two weeks, and response times came back within our target without extra staff.

Situational problem solving interview questions4 questions

9
What would you do if you had to solve a problem with very little information?
I would write down what I know, what I do not know and what I am assuming, so the gaps are clear. Then I would find the fastest ways to fill the most important gaps: asking people closest to the problem, checking logs or data, or running a small test. If I still had to act without full information, I would choose an option that can be reversed easily and keep watching the results so I could adjust quickly.
10
What would you do if two departments blamed each other for a problem?
I would move the conversation away from blame and toward facts. I would map the process step by step with someone from each department and find exactly where things break down. Usually the problem sits in the handover between teams, where nobody fully owns it. Once we agree on what is happening, I would help them agree clear ownership for that step and a simple check so the problem does not return.
11
What would you do if you found a problem that was not your responsibility?
I would not ignore it. I would find out who owns that area and tell them clearly what I noticed, with any evidence I have, so they can act. If it was urgent and affecting customers, I would also tell my manager and offer to help. If nobody seemed to own it, I would raise that gap as a problem in itself, because issues without an owner tend to keep coming back.
12
What would you do if your manager rejected your solution?
I would ask what concerns they have, because they may know about constraints I do not, such as budget, timing or other priorities. If their concern is valid, I would adapt my solution or support theirs. If I still believed my approach was better, I would bring additional evidence or suggest a small trial to test it. Ultimately, the goal is to solve the problem, not to win the argument, so I stay open.

Self-assessment problem solving interview questions4 questions

13
What is the most common mistake people make when solving problems?
Jumping to a solution before understanding the problem. People see a symptom, assume a cause and start fixing it, often because they are under pressure or have seen something similar before. The fix then fails or only works for a while. I have made this mistake myself, so I now spend a few minutes writing down the problem and the evidence before choosing any solution. That small pause saves time in the end.
14
How do you know when to ask for help?
I give myself a reasonable amount of time to make progress on my own, depending on how urgent the problem is. If I have tried the obvious approaches and I am not getting closer, or if the problem is blocking other people, I ask. Before asking, I write down what I have already tried, so the conversation is quick. Asking early on an urgent problem is much cheaper than struggling alone for a day.
15
Do you prefer to solve problems alone or with others?
It depends on the problem. For a well defined issue in my own area, I usually work through it alone first, because it is faster. For complex problems that cross teams, I prefer working with others, since people from different areas notice different causes and solutions. Even when I work alone, I like to explain my thinking to a colleague before acting, because saying it out loud often reveals gaps.
16
Which problem solving skill are you working on improving?
I am working on framing problems in terms of their business impact before diving into the detail. I enjoy the technical side of investigating issues, and sometimes I have spent too long on a fascinating problem that did not matter much. Now I ask early who is affected, how badly and what it costs, which helps me decide how much effort the problem deserves and explain it better to stakeholders.

Advanced problem solving interview questions4 questions

17
How do you solve a problem when stakeholders disagree on what the problem is?
I start by getting each stakeholder to describe the problem in their own words and what success would look like for them. Then I look for evidence that shows which version is closest to reality. Often they are describing different parts of the same issue. I write a short problem statement that everyone can agree on before discussing solutions, because arguments about solutions are usually hidden disagreements about the problem itself.
18
How do you decide between a quick fix and a long-term solution?
I ask how much harm the problem is causing right now and how often it will recur. If customers are affected today, I apply a quick fix to stop the damage, then plan the long-term solution and make sure it is scheduled, not forgotten. If the problem is minor and rare, a quick fix may be enough. The mistake I avoid is layering quick fixes on the same problem until it becomes much harder to solve properly.
19
How do you prevent problems instead of just solving them?
After solving a significant problem, I run a short review asking why it happened and why we did not catch it earlier. That usually points to a missing check, unclear ownership or a fragile process. I fix those as well as the problem itself. I also watch for early warning signs, such as small complaints, slower response times or rising error rates, because big problems usually start as small ones that nobody followed up.
20
How do you use data when solving a problem?
I use data to check my assumptions and to measure whether my solution worked. Before changing anything, I look at what the data shows about when and where the problem occurs, and I note a baseline. After the change, I compare against that baseline. I am also careful not to trust data blindly: I check where it comes from and whether something else could explain the pattern, like a seasonal change or a tracking error.

Keep going

Skills tests for Problem Solving

Cognitive & aptitude

One-way video interview

Hear every applicant before the first call

Skills tests

Test the skills before the interview

Resume scoring

Rank every resume against the job

Emma Ross

Resume · Customer support agent

3 of 4 met

92of 100

Resume matchRead against your four criteria, ranked with the rest.

3+ years in customer support“4 years at Lazada, tier-2 escalations”Met
Zendesk or Intercom in production“Handled 60 tickets a day in Zendesk”Met
Led a team of 3 or more“Mentored two junior agents”Partly met
Workforce management exposureNo supporting evidence foundMissing

AI Each verdict quotes the resume line behind it.

Qualifying questions

Knock out the wrong fits first

Hiring soon?

Screen every applicant from one link

Get started free Free plan, no card needed

Ready to get started?

Create an account and send your first screening link today. The free plan gives you 10 credits a month, with no card needed.

Get started free

See what you'll pay

Credits are charged only when a candidate completes. Plans from $0.

Pricing details

See the report

A real candidate report: scores, answers and the evidence behind each one.

Sample report

Problem Solving Interview Questions and Answers

Opening problem solving interview questions4 questions

How do you approach a problem you have never seen before?

What does a good solution look like to you?

How do you decide which problems to solve first?

Which problem solving methods do you use?

Behavioral problem solving interview questions4 questions

Tell me about a difficult problem you solved at work.

Tell me about a time you found the root cause of a recurring issue.

Tell me about a time your first solution did not work.

Tell me about a time you solved a problem with limited resources.

Situational problem solving interview questions4 questions

What would you do if you had to solve a problem with very little information?

What would you do if two departments blamed each other for a problem?

What would you do if you found a problem that was not your responsibility?

What would you do if your manager rejected your solution?

Self-assessment problem solving interview questions4 questions

What is the most common mistake people make when solving problems?

How do you know when to ask for help?

Do you prefer to solve problems alone or with others?

Which problem solving skill are you working on improving?

Advanced problem solving interview questions4 questions

How do you solve a problem when stakeholders disagree on what the problem is?

How do you decide between a quick fix and a long-term solution?

How do you prevent problems instead of just solving them?

How do you use data when solving a problem?

Skills tests for Problem Solving

Problem Solving Test

Logical Reasoning Test

Critical Thinking Test

Communication Interview Questions

Teamwork Interview Questions

Conflict Resolution Interview Questions

Critical Thinking Interview Questions

Culture Fit Interview Questions

Situational Interview Questions: A Guide for Employers

What Is an Aptitude Test for Employment?

Illegal Interview Questions: What Not to Ask

How to Interview a Candidate, With a Script

Questions to Ask in an Interview as an Employer

Behavioral and Performance-Based Interview Questions

Keep your hiring moving

Ready to get started?