Job positions to use analytical skills questions forAlmost every position requires analytical skills to some extent, but in certain positions such as
Describe a project or situation where you successfully demonstrated your analytical abilities.
When you are faced with a problem, what do you do? Describe the steps in your problem-solving approach.
Give me an example of a situation when you took a risk to achieve a goal. What was the outcome?
In your experience, would you say that developing and using a detailed procedure was always necessary for your job?
Imagine a situation in which your one of your colleagues wants to solve a problem in a certain way, but the other colleague has a totally different approach in mind. They come to you asking for a help in deciding on the right approach. What do you do?
How do you compare and weigh pros and cons before making a decision?
14 examples of common analytical interview questions
Combining analytical interview questions with problem-solving and competency-based questions will effectively assist hiring managers to assess how candidates deal with complex situations that are likely to occur on the job. These questions include:
If you had to choose between two or three options, how would you decide?
What metrics do you track regularly? What information do you research and how do you use this information?
Your manager wants to buy new software or hardware that will increase the organization’s productivity and asks for your recommendation. How would you reply?
Explain how you would troubleshoot problem [X] or When you are faced with a problem, what do you do? Describe the steps you would use in your problem-solving approach.
Describe a project or situation where you successfully demonstrated your analytical skills
Describe a situation whereby you took a risk to achieve a goal. What was the outcome?
Based on your experience, would you say that developing and using a detailed procedure was always necessary to get the job done?
Imagine a situation where one of your team members wishes to tackle a problem in a certain way, but other team members have a completely different approach. They ask you for help to decide on the right strategy. How would you handle such a situation?
How do you compare and weigh the pros and cons before you make a decision?
Describe a situation where you had to put in your research skills to gather information that was necessary to solve a problem. How did you go about this?
Describe an instance where you had to analyze a situation before making a decision quickly.
Describe the most stressful work situation you’ve had to deal with and how you handled it.
Can you describe a time when you discovered a more efficient way to do a task?
Can you tell me about a situation where your analysis of a problem was deemed to be incorrect? What would you have done differently?
What goes into your decision-making process at work?
To answer this question, be specific and walk through your decision-making skills. For example, what’s your first step when you’re required to take action? What information do you gather, or who do you consult? How do you devise a plan of action, and how do you decide to execute it?
“Employers will expect students to use critical thinking to solve problems,” Mark Anthony Dyson, founder of The Voice of Job Seekers, says. “They may not expect the exact answer, but the thought process will matter more. The interviewer wants to hear you ‘think aloud’ on how to solve it.”
This is where the data comes in. Don’t be afraid to name specific metrics you’re familiar with and have used to measure progress on your work.
“Your data must be contextually relevant to the company if you want to stand out,” Dyson says. “It helps to know how you can solve their problem. Knowing what they need now will make them envision you as a coworker.”
For example, if you know the company is hiring you to help increase their website traffic, focus on numbers like website sessions, clicks, or conversion rate. On the other hand, if you’re interviewing for a sales position, focus on quotas, meetings held, and win rate.
Analytical Interview Questions (& Puzzles) – Tips from a Hiring Manager