Learn Why Employers Value Deductive

Reasoning, and How You Can Show It

By Alison Doyle
Updated January 23, 2018

Employers place a high value on the logical reasoning skills of job candidates during the
recruitment process. These skills also come into play when it comes to retaining and promoting
employees. Deductive reasoning represents an important form of logical reasoning that is widely
applied in many different industries. 

What is Deductive Reasoning?

Deductive reasoning involves a thought process in which general principles guide individuals as
they analyze specific phenomenon or take specific action.

Deductive reasoning is sometimes referred to as top-down thinking or moving from the general
to the specific. 

Deductive Reasoning in the Workplace

Employees who accept established premises and formulate approaches to their work based on
those premises (or standards) are using their deductive reasoning skills. Overall, they are guided
by the philosophy, policies, and procedures embraced by their organization. In their day-to-day
activity, they are guided by their knowledge of the job, company, and industry (including the
most recent industry trends) as they make decisions and solve problems.

Examples of Deductive Reasoning Skills

1. A consumer products firm believes that professional women are overloaded with family and
work responsibilities and strapped for time. Therefore, they are advertising that their hair
coloring product can be applied in less time than their competition's hair coloring product.
2. Human Resources have identified public speaking skills as an important qualifier for a
particular position. They decide to require candidates to make an oral presentation on a
predetermined topic as a part of their second interview. 

3. Management is committed to professional development for staff members and mandates that a
formal professional development plan is incorporated into all performance reviews.

4. Development executives at a college believe that professionals working in the financial sector
are the best donors. So, they direct their two most effective staff members to target alumni
working in finance when it comes time to plan their next fundraising strategy. 

5. A liquor store owner identifies a trend that customers are buying more bourbon than other
types of alcohol. The store owner then allocates prime ad space to bourbon and offers related
discounts.

6. A supermarket manager believes that candy products are an impulse buy. He or she positions
candy displays adjacent to store entry paths. 

7. A detective believes that robberies at banks are usually inside jobs planned by experienced
thieves. Therefore, he or she does a criminal background check on employees with access to cash
reserves.  

8. A hospital believes that patients recover more quickly if they get more sleep. The hospital
distributes eye masks and earplugs to patients and reduces lighting during the night. 

9. Teachers in the science department agree that their students learn better through hands-on
activity. Therefore, they increase laboratory activities when developing next year's curriculum. 

10. A food products company spots a trend that consumers favor organic products, so they
increase the size of the lettering for the word "Organic" when redesigning their packaging.

Retrieved from: https://www.thebalance.com/deductive-reasoning-definition-with-examples-2063749

Date Retrieved: February 10, 2018