Problem Solving - Starter test

If you need to revamp your hiring process, consider implementing a problem-solving test for hiring. A problem-solving test acts as an aptitude assessment for prospective employees, giving you insight into their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. 

Companies have been using problem-solving tests for years. These tests allow employers the opportunity to learn more about how candidates might:

• Approach and address problems
• Learn and employ new information
• Draw connections between data
• Find out-of-the-box solutions
• Handle crises or confrontations 
• Deal with stress in the workplace

Using a problem-solving test for hiring in conjunction with other tests, such as personality, employers gain a solid grasp of the individual they’re considering for a job. These tests provide a deeper look into the thought life of an individual.

With the right pre-employment screening options, employers increase their chances of hiring the right person for the job on the first try. Using problem-solving tests from Maki People can make the whole process easier and more enjoyable for everyone involved. 

How To Use Problem Solving Tests in the Hiring Process?

Someone who interviews well and has a charming personality may be horrible at problem-solving. Even though an employer may think they have a good understanding of an interview, there’s always the possibility of skeletons in the closet. 

A great way to avoid the awkward situation of hiring someone with no critical thinking skills is a problem-solving test for hiring. These tests offer greater insight that’s harder to fake or exaggerate. 

If you want to incorporate a problem-solving test into the hiring process, consider where it will fit best in the order of things. Using something like a problem-solving test is a great way to narrow down potential candidates and find the person best suited for your job opening.  

Assess Problem-Solving Skills in the Interview

The first step towards finding the right new hire is conducting a thorough first interview. Give the candidate plenty of opportunities to explain their problem-solving habits. Ask open-ended questions that allow room for on-the-spot problem-solving. 

You should learn much about an individual’s skills from the initial interview. After all, that first interaction is your opportunity to decide whether or not you want them back. 

If they exhibit none of the qualities you’re looking for, the decision is easy. But if they show potential, you’ll have to consider moving them on in the interview process. 

Determine if They’re a Good Fit

The next step is to evaluate whether or not they’d be a good fit for your job opening. Depending on the type of problem-solving skills you want to see, it could be relatively easy to rule out candidates who show no aptitude for problem-solving. 

Ask Them Back for a Second Interview

When you narrow down your candidate selection from the first interview, the next step is to ask them back for a second interview. This is your opportunity to ask more job-specific questions. Get them thinking about ways to solve problems within the context of the job.

You should have better luck if you conduct a second interview before using a problem-solving test. It’s a good idea to know what an individual might bring to your company before moving forward in the hiring process. A problem-solving test can come next.

Provide the Problem-Solving Test

Once you’ve determined the best candidates from the second interview, it’s time to implement a problem-solving test. Using such a test should help narrow your choices even further and give you confidence when making your final selection.

A problem-solving test like those provided by Maki People helps business owners and hiring managers assess an individual. You can learn more about how your candidate:

• Processes information
• Solves problems
• Analyzes data
• Draws conclusions

You can also see how people draw links between data sets. This is usually one of the most crucial parts of your hiring process. 

Regardless of the industry that you’re in, it would be best if you saw how someone thinks. Seeing how an individual draws logical conclusions and connects data is essential to the hiring process.

Once you’ve selected your final candidates for the job, you have two options. You can either send the candidate a problem-solving test online. Or you can have them come to take the test at your office. 

How to Assess and Use Problem Solving Test for Hiring?

The problem-solving test that your prospective candidate will take should force them to analyze uncommon and complex situations. Seeing how the individual responds to such scenarios will tell you how they’ll respond to challenging conditions in the workplace.

The primary way to assess a problem-solving test is to look at the consistency of the answers. While this might seem obvious, it’s important to note that some candidates will try to answer how they think an employer wants them to respond. 

Another great feature of the problem-solving test in hiring is that it allows you to maintain objectivity while examining your potential hires' skills and reasoning abilities. The test results give you a more concrete picture of who the candidate is and how they think.

Examining Essentials Skills

Problem-solving is necessary no matter the industry. Every job, from a mechanical engineer down to a barista, requires a level of problem-solving and critical thinking skills. The amount of problem-solving necessary might change with each job, but it remains present.

One of the critical reasons to use a problem-solving test for hiring is that it will come in handy no matter what job you’re looking to fill. Examining the essential skills of your potential employee gets easier with tools like a problem-solving test. 

Incorporating problem-solving questions into your interviews with candidates is a great way to start. However, if you move them forward in the hiring process, it’s a good idea to have something at your disposal to assess their skills further. 

Finding the Right Person for the Job

Using a problem-solving test is one of the easiest ways to ensure that you fill your open position with the right person for the job. Tests such as those provided by Maki People allow you to examine your candidates on a level playing field. You can find tests that measure:

• Personality
• Soft skills
• Cognitive ability
• Language ability

Or you can find something that’s job-specific to hone in on how each candidate might function within the confines of your open position. 

With these tests, any potential for bias or unfairness is eliminated. You can use tests specific to your industry or your company, and you can customize tests to help candidates get a feel for your work culture. 

The Maki People Difference

Hiring has never been easier. Maki People provides a whole library of tests that are at your disposal during the hiring process. With over 150 different options designed by the world’s leading experts, you are guaranteed to find something that fits your needs. 

Recruiting for Problem-Solving

If you’re recruiting potential candidates for your opening, you can still use problem-solving tests for the interview and hiring process. Whether you’re recruiting externally or from within your organization, a problem-solving test will help you find the right person for the job. 

In many respects, recruiting has never been more challenging. Finding good people who want to work hard can feel nearly impossible. But with the right tools and technology, you can simplify the process and make bringing new people into your company culture easier. 

Benefits of Recruiting

There are many good reasons to recruit instead of waiting for qualified candidates to come your way. Some of the challenges that face hiring managers when they wait for answers to job postings include:

• Unqualified people applying
• Poor website traffic 
• Lack of interest in the position

Recruiting can help you overcome some of these issues. Recruiting allows you to go out and find the top qualified candidates instead of waiting for them to come to you. If you search for them, you have a much better chance of finding people you think will be a good fit. 

With recruiting, you eliminate the need to rely on websites that house thousands of job postings related to your own. You don’t necessarily garner more attention for your job, but you are more likely to attract the right people more readily.    

Finally, recruiting is more of an ongoing process. So even when you don’t technically have job openings, you can continuously work towards finding people who might be a good fit in your organization. This is a great way to build up your team and create something outstanding.  

Let Problem-Solving Tests Help You Recruit

A key way that you can improve your recruiting process is with a problem-solving test for hiring from a place like Maki People. Recruiters can use these tests as part of their hiring routines to optimize their systems. 

As a recruiter, you should be willing to utilize whatever resources are available to you. That means making the most of things like pre-made tests. When used properly, these tests will make your job easier and help you find the best people for your company. 

It’s not uncommon for recruiters to use problem-solving or aptitude tests such as the Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT). This is, perhaps, one of the most popular problem-solving tests for hiring that’s available. 

Using problem-solving tests as a recruiter is a great way to ease the burden of your job while improving the likelihood of success. An online test like Maki People's is the best way to measure problem-solving skills. 

Problem-Solving Test: Considerations for Recruiters

If you’re a recruiter looking for the perfect solution to find the best hires, consider utilizing a problem-solving test for hiring. There’s no better way to get a sense of your potential candidates and the way that they think critically about various situations. 

Before you start using a problem-solving test, consider some of the significant benefits that you might experience as a company recruiter:

• A well-rounded vision of each candidate’s skills
• Unbiased presentation of complex situations 
• More insight into an individual’s critical thinking abilities
• A level playing field for all potential hires

Problem-solving skills are not always easy to pick up on in an interview. Even recruiters might find it challenging to discern compatibility based on an interview alone. Taking advantage of all the tools available to you is the best way to ensure your company gets great people in vacant roles.

Is Problem-Solving an Assessment Tool?

Problem-solving tests are one of the most important assessment tools that a company might use. These tests are often scaled based on global norms, making it easy for a uniform hiring standard to exist within a company.

There are many different problem-solving tests available these days, but none are quite as effective as the product provided by Maki People. These tests allow recruiters to judge potential candidates on an equal basis. 

Recruiters and candidates alike will have an exceptional experience using these problem-solving tests. It’s an easy way to save time and energy and takes the stress out of planning for a big interview. 

As far as assessment tools go, few are as effective as a problem-solving test. They take inconsistency and bias out of the equation and make it possible for recruiters and candidates to have a great experience during the hiring process. 

Are Problem-Solving Tests Easy to Use?

The tests provided by Maki People are easy to use and set up. You can even create your own customized and branded tests that require minimal effort. By simply answering a few questions, you can have a test that’s ready to go in minutes. 

Not only are these tests highly effective and straightforward, but they’re also efficient. They eliminate wasted time and give you the results you need. Your candidate will even enjoy taking it!

Final Thoughts

There’s no better way to assess a candidate's critical thinking skills and ability to draw logical conclusions than with a problem-solving test.

Problem-solving tests are an excellent way for employers to assess potential candidates. Recruiters, in particular, will benefit from the help of a problem-solving test for hiring.