When have you had to think outside of the box to solve a problem?

How to Answer
1st Answer Example
2nd Answer Example

Nestle Nespresso values problem-solving skills in its employees and is committed to "striving to do better" as part of its core values. That includes being innovative and never settling for doing something "the way it's always been done." Consider your approach to solving problems in the workplace and discuss your techniques for brainstorming or solutioning. Consider sharing problem-solving skills like being subjective and open-minded, accepting mistakes and failures and learning from them, the ability to get to the root cause of the problem, and how you come up with potential solutions. Give a specific example in your answer to the interviewer.

"In my current position, we had to recruit several seasonal people for our retail store. In the past, corporate had done this for us, so it was the store's first time managing the recruitment, and we had very short notice. Instead of just posting the job online and waiting, my manager and I sat down and brainstormed as many recruitment ideas as we could, then we split them up and tackled each idea. I created a sign out front to advertise we were hiring, sent emails to hundreds of people in my network, contacted the local unemployment office, and partnered with a local coffee shop to host an open interview day for college students on the campus nearby. It was a huge success, and we filled all the positions with a week to spare!"

"I once had to deal with a space issue in our warehouse. We arranged and re-arranged several times and could not make it work. I thought outside the box and rented some outside pod storage until we were back to normal inventory levels."

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How to Answer: When have you had to think outside of the box to solve a problem?

Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Nestle Nespresso job interview.

2. When have you had to think outside of the box to solve a problem?

How to Answer

Nestle Nespresso values problem-solving skills in its employees and is committed to "striving to do better" as part of its core values. That includes being innovative and never settling for doing something "the way it's always been done." Consider your approach to solving problems in the workplace and discuss your techniques for brainstorming or solutioning. Consider sharing problem-solving skills like being subjective and open-minded, accepting mistakes and failures and learning from them, the ability to get to the root cause of the problem, and how you come up with potential solutions. Give a specific example in your answer to the interviewer.

Written by Jaymie Payne on October 26th, 2022

1st Answer Example

"In my current position, we had to recruit several seasonal people for our retail store. In the past, corporate had done this for us, so it was the store's first time managing the recruitment, and we had very short notice. Instead of just posting the job online and waiting, my manager and I sat down and brainstormed as many recruitment ideas as we could, then we split them up and tackled each idea. I created a sign out front to advertise we were hiring, sent emails to hundreds of people in my network, contacted the local unemployment office, and partnered with a local coffee shop to host an open interview day for college students on the campus nearby. It was a huge success, and we filled all the positions with a week to spare!"

Written by Jaymie Payne on October 26th, 2022

2nd Answer Example

"I once had to deal with a space issue in our warehouse. We arranged and re-arranged several times and could not make it work. I thought outside the box and rented some outside pod storage until we were back to normal inventory levels."

Next Question