You need to be able to clearly describe how you make decisions, and ideally give examples of past decisions that worked out well for you. Managers want people they can trust and don’t have to keep an eye on every second. So this question is your chance to put their mind at ease.
- How would you mediate a dispute between two employees?
- Describe a time you made an unpopular decision (woops). …
- Would you describe yourself as a team player or a lone wolf? …
- On team projects do you step up to lead or step back and follow?
DECISION-MAKING Interview Questions & Answers! (How to ANSWER Competency-Based Interview Questions)
2. What decision-making process do you use when working with a team?
Employers may ask this question to determine your ability to collaborate. For many professions, its crucial to make decisions as a team. Show your ability to assess options and show consideration for those who the decision affects.
Example: “I feel that to make a group decision, its most effective to organize members in a meeting, identify the problem, brainstorm solutions, and discuss the benefits and risks of each option. At my previous school, we experienced weeks of regular school closures due to snow days. This made it difficult to prepare students for testing. The principal organized a staff meeting to discuss how we could address this issue. I suggested we extend school hours by an hour each day to provide additional time for our lesson plans.
After discussing the advantages and disadvantages, the staff agreed on this idea, and we wrote up a letter to propose this to parents. They agreed with my idea and determined this to be the best option to prepare students with everything they needed to know by the end of the school year.**”
Examples of Making Effective Decisions Without All of the Information You Needed (Interview Answers)
When asked about a time you had to make a decision without all of the necessary information, or any other situation where you had to make a tough decision, always provide a decision-making example that shows a positive outcome.
When possible, provide an example that relates to this employer’s job description, too. Describe a task or project where you used skills relevant to this employer’s job.
The more you can relate your answers to an employer’s needs in the job interview, the more excited they’ll be about hiring you onto their team.
It’s okay if your previous job isn’t exactly the same as this next job. Just find the overlaps and try to describe tasks that will seem relevant to this employer and team.
Why ask candidates decision-making interview questions
Employees are required to make work-related decisions about either regular tasks or unexpected situations on a daily basis. For example, designers might need to choose between two logos, developers may have to decide which feature to implement first and hiring managers might need to select between two or more qualified candidates.
Decisions – both good and bad – have an impact on the entire company. Good decision-makers:
Decision-making interview questions will help you identify potential hires with sound judgement. Test how candidates analyze data and predict the outcome of each option before making a decision. Also, keep in mind that in some cases a creative decision that breaks from the norm could prove to be innovative and more effective than a traditional approach.
