Here's how you can assess critical thinking abilities with common interview questions.

The questions should always be simple and realistic, the response of the candidate towards a simple question will help you assess their understanding and critical thinking through their elaboration.

Assessing critical thinking abilities during interviews is important for evaluating problem-solving skills, decision-making, and effective analysis. Common questions can help evaluate critical thinking by focusing on challenging problems, complex decisions, task prioritization, quick thinking, risk anticipation, conflicting opinions, and decision validation. When asking these questions, pay attention to articulation, thought process, examples, and outcomes. Look for logical reasoning, problem-solving, creativity, and informed decision-making based on critical thinking.

In my early career as an internal auditor, I faced a project with minimal instructions. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, I approached the challenge by asking myself, "How can I ensure this project's success?" I began by gathering all available information, setting clear objectives, and consulting with colleagues for their insights. This process highlighted the importance of asking open-ended questions in interviews. Questions like, "How would you approach a new project with limited instructions?" reveal a candidate's problem-solving abilities, critical thinking, and capacity to navigate uncertainty. These insights are invaluable for understanding their potential to succeed in dynamic environments.

Assess critical thinking in interviews with questions that probe problem-solving skills. Ask candidates to describe a complex problem they've solved, detailing their approach and reasoning. Pose hypothetical scenarios to evaluate their ability to analyze information and make reasoned decisions under pressure. Inquire about their strategies for evaluating alternatives and anticipating outcomes. Encourage examples where they challenged assumptions or found innovative solutions. Evaluate their clarity of thought and ability to communicate complex ideas succinctly. By using such questions, you gauge candidates' ability to think critically, assess risks, and contribute effectively to strategic decision-making in your organization.

In today's dynamic work environment, mastering effective decision-making is paramount. By wholeheartedly adopting structured problem analysis, evidence-based reasoning, and perspective-taking with scenario planning, individuals and teams can drastically enhance their decision-making capabilities. These strategies offer a systematic approach to comprehending issues, utilizing data effectively, and considering diverse perspectives.

La estrategia de escenarios es muy interesante en las entrevistas. Al final, quien hace las preguntas debe siempre considerar que esto también dependerá del momento concreto, así como del nivel de tranquilidad y experiencia que tenga el candidato. A mayor experiencia, habrá mayor soltura al contestar. Los casos y preguntas deben adaptarse a la experiencia de la persona.

Usar escenarios hipotéticos es importante, y en el proceso de entrevista, esto debe usarse para poner al candidato en las situaciones más difíciles para saber cómo podría resolverlo, y si puede trabajar bajo presión. Es importante buscar que el candidato exprese experiencias pasadas y cómo actuó en esas situaciones, qué aprendió en cada caso y cómo puede aplicar esas experiencias en la compañía.

Don't just pick any hypothetical, but one that's relevant to the job role. This will give you a clear indicator of how the candidate will respond to the challenges faced in the role normally.

Just to share - when doing these, the interviewer must have a wide variety of possible solutions if the logic puzzle is scenario-based. The interviewer can gauge the creative responses of the solution logic provided by the interviewee if it falls within the expected solution sets. To suggest, one of questions to use would be "what is the first thing to do given this problem...". This will showcase the breadth of the interviewee's experience to similar problems that require fast analytical responses demonstrating the interviewee's scale of exposure to the logic puzzle/s.

This also speaks to the capabilities of the leader/interviewer. I'd be cautious about how you address this in an interview as it could tell someone a lot about how you would interact with them and provide assistance as they work to resolve your issues/problems/challenges.

In my role as an internal auditor, I once faced a situation where I had to make a critical decision without much guidance. During an audit, I discovered discrepancies in financial records that pointed to potential fraud. I relied on my training, analyzed the data thoroughly, and decided to escalate the issue to senior management while ensuring all findings were documented accurately. This experience taught me the importance of critical thinking and decisive action, even in uncertain situations. It reinforced my ability to handle responsibility and maintain integrity under pressure.

All aspects of an interview should serve a purpose in understanding the candidate you're potentially adding to your team. Requesting an experience can help in a multitude of ways. Most of which being how well someone can articulate and get a point across.

En un mundo tan cambiante, es importante que el candidato demuestre una gran creatividad para poder solucionar problemas que surjan sobre la marcha. Para lograr demostrar esta capacidad, se pueden realizar retos que consistan en mejorar la forma en la que se lleva a cabo una tarea específica. Se le puede preguntar cómo suele llevarla a cabo, cuáles son sus resultados concretos, y cómo podría duplicar los resultados, con los mismos recursos y tiempo.

It's all about the adage "Think outside of the box". let's take this a step further though, if we're so focused on process and procedure that it stops us from understanding the underlying issue, we should reevaluate the process to help those around us, either internally or externally. People are naturally trying to find and do the easiest thing, when they express concern or conflict it's because something is broken and needs to be fixed. Ask the questions to resolve their concerns and you'll always succeed in life.

Reflective thinking is crucial for learning and growth. I recall a project where our team aimed to streamline our internal audit processes, but unexpected technical issues derailed our progress. Instead of seeing it as a setback, we analyzed what went wrong and identified areas for improvement. From this, I learned the importance of flexibility, thorough planning, and continuous learning. Embracing a growth mindset allowed us to adapt and eventually implement successful changes. Reflecting on such experiences not only helps in overcoming challenges but also paves the way for future success.

Es importante conocer la experiencia del candidato y hacerle preguntas sobre sus problemas, la forma en la que los solucionó y la forma en la que piensa que podría haber tomado una mejor decisión. Es importante medir si la persona reflexiona y aprende activamente al desempeñarse en una posición laboral.

You not only want someone willing to offer improvement for themselves, but you also want someone open to receiving improvements from others. Also, it allows the interviewee to learn how feedback is given in this business or role, if they're willing to ask.

Can you describe a challenge or complex problem you have faced in the past and how you approached it? How would you solve it and what factors would you take into account when making a decision? How do you prioritize your tasks when you have multiple ongoing projects with tight deadlines? How would you decide which one to implement and why? Given this hypothetical situation, what factors would you consider when evaluating possible solutions and their long-term implications? By answering these questions, candidates can demonstrate their ability to think critically, reason logically, consider multiple perspectives, evaluate information objectively, and reach informed conclusions.

What makes a good candidate for a role or position? Is it truly their skills, talents, experience, etc or is it their character? What good is a resume if it's not giving insight to the hiring party? What good is an interview if you don't ask the right questions?