5 Unique Ways to Develop Critical Thinking Skills
In the age of AI, critical thinking has become a top skill for getting hired. But what is critical thinking, and how can it be taught and developed?
Nearly four hundred years ago, René Descartes famously wrote, “I think, therefore I am”—arguing that what proves we exist is our ability to think. But if the French philosopher were trying to make the same case today, he might have to revise his argument along the lines of “I critically think, therefore I am.”
The rise of AI, with its ability to quickly compile, organize, analyze, and interpret information, means that thinking—at least from a business perspective—isn’t enough anymore. Recruiters and hiring managers now say they are looking for judgment, decision-making, problem-solving and, most importantly, critical-thinking skills. Roughly three-quarters of talent scouts in Korn Ferry’s 2026 global talent trends report rank critical thinking as the top skill they look for in candidates. This data is mirrored in surveys by the World Economic Forum and other organizations. “For years, organizations have taught people how to find answers,” says Korn Ferry senior client partner Mark Royal. “Now it’s more important to teach them how to question, evaluate, and apply the information AI generates.”
Employers test for critical-thinking skills in a variety of ways—for instance, questions like “Why are manhole covers round?” are common interview brainteasers. With that in mind, below are five unique approaches our experts recommend to developing or coaching critical-thinking skills.
Plan an escape.
You can develop some very effective critical thinking skills outside of the classroom or office. Roger Philby, global leader of the People Strategy and Performance practice at Korn Ferry, says popular date-night or group activities like escape rooms and scavenger hunts work well because they create ambiguity, incomplete information, time pressure, and the need for collaboration. “These types of games help build the thought processes needed to solve unfamiliar problems,” says Philby.
Make a connection.
Along those same lines, one game that has captured the attention of career coaches and leadership-development professionals is “Connections,” a New York Times word game that debuted in 2023. The game requires players to find the common thread uniting different groups of words. The connection is rarely the obvious one, as players like Miriam Nelson, a senior client partner in the Assessment and Succession practice at Korn Ferry, know. Nelson says she loves the game because it forces her to look beyond easy answers for relationships that are not immediately visible. “It helps develop abstract reasoning and fluid intelligence skills,” she says.
Wear multiple thinking hats.
One of the more traditional and formal ways used to teach critical thinking is an exercise known to recruiters and hiring managers as “Six Thinking Hats.” Developed by psychologist Edward de Bono, the exercise challenges job candidates to look at a single problem from six different perspectives, such as risk, creativity, information, and emotion. “It allows us to see how quickly people can switch mindsets and generate options outside their own frame of reference, as well as how much weight is given to one point of view over another,” says Dennis Baltzley, global head of leadership development solutions at Korn Ferry.
Quoth the raven.
In Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices test—another exercise popular with recruiters and hiring managers—subjects choose from eight options to find the missing piece that completes a series of geometrical shapes. Nelson says the test helps determine a candidate’s capacity to make meaning out of confusion and see interrelationships and conceptual themes. Research shows that success on the test correlates strongly with success in fast-moving corporate environments.
Ask why, why, why, why, why.
For those counting, that’s five whys—which is the name given to another exercise commonly used to teach critical thinking. Via a real-world business case, its goal is to uncover the hidden or related economic, systemic, human, or other factors that explain why a particular event happened. The idea is to move past superficial reasons and dig deeper from different perspectives. The beauty of the exercise, says Baltzley, is that people can use it to hone critical-thinking skills on their own by reading business media, case studies, and the like. “It teaches people how to ask better questions and how to challenge what is known,” he says.
Learn more about Korn Ferry’s Leadership and Professional Development capabilities.
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