The typical process of hiring talent is the use of a set of job interviews, but that process fails to assess critical thinking, one of the most important, if not the most important, skills in a new hire, three researchers wrote in the Harvard Business Review.

The three co-authors of "Decisions Over Decimals: Striking the Balance between Intuition and Information:” Christopher Frank, vice president of research and analytics at American Express; Paul Magnone, head of global strategic alliances for Google; and Oded Netzer, vice dean for research and the Arthur J. Samberg Professor of Business at Columbia Business School, define critical thinking as “seeking information from various sources, assessing its credibility, and determining its relevance and veracity.” That is not a skill that can be discerned form the common questions asked during an interview, such as: Tell us about your background; Why do you want to work for us?; What are your weaknesses?; and the like, they wrote. 

After surveying and teaching thousands of executives for their research, the authors believed that “that the smartest person in the room is not the one with the answer but the person asking the question. They are curious, engaged, unafraid [and] inquisitive.” Furthermore, they wrote, “Innate curiosity has been shown to be associated with the following eight traits — avid learners, problem solvers, active listeners, self-driven, high productivity, growth mindset, overachievers, and strong at stakeholder management” – all qualifications that would be advantageous to a team.

Some companies have gone beyond the standard Q&A by using scenario-based or behavioral questions, such as: “How much should you charge to mow a lawn in Atlanta?” or “Why are utility holes round?” to assess candidates’ ability to ask questions, and to provide insights into candidates’ problem-solving and creative skills.

To identify candidates who possess the right “versatile and compelling mix of critical thinking and curiosity,” the authors recommend “flip[ping] the interview process” by applying the Socratic method, which “focuses on generating more questions than answers, where the answers are not a stopping point but the beginning of further analysis.”

In the flip interview, the candidate interviews the interviewer. Such an interview “is an alternate method to uncover a candidate’s intrinsic strengths, preferred ways of working, and how they think.” The interviewee may use four types of questions, which are increasing in their level of complexity and involvement: factual questions; convergent questions; divergent questions; and  evaluative questions.

The authors advise using the following framework to maximize the value of conversations with recruits.

Start with framing the interview by briefly describe a scenario, then asking the interviewee, “How would you start this discovery?” From this, the interviewer can evaluate how the interviewee framed the problem. “This first step is all about problem-finding more than problem-solving,” they wrote.

Once the interviewee defines the problem, he or she should be invited to ask questions about context. “Given how they framed the scenario, what other information would they like to know to work towards a recommendation?” This will determine how or if the resulting questions lead the interviewee to put the scenario in context.

The interviewee is then asked about his or her interpretation of the scenario by being asked “What is the essential decision that is needed?” or “How has their understanding of the situation shifted?” The interviewer Is then able to assess if the candidate’s narrative is a summary or a synthesis. “The critical thinker will demonstrate how they can consume and synthesize different pieces of information in parallel to arrive at a deeper understanding of the scenario or decision needed,” they wrote.

In this final step, the interviewee is asked, “What are the immediate next steps you would take?” The candidate would demonstrate critical thinking skills by asking questions about key stakeholders, shadow influencers, advocates, or swing voters who need to be convinced. This step is not about problem-solving or decision making, the authors noted; it is about how the candidate approaches problem solving and decision making.

“Reactivity, insight, and ingenuity are needed for companies to thrive,” they wrote in conclusion. “You seek agile thinkers who can be growth champions, truth-tellers, customer stewards, and insight creators. The candidate who can conceptualize the problem, frame the situation, and ask more thoughtful questions will outperform those relying on textbook answers. Hiring talent capable of asking thoughtful questions is the key to building successful teams.”