Is it better to make a bad decision in contrast to make no decision at all? In several cases yes it is. Companies need individuals who can show they solve issues. They need decision makers, because those that struggle to make decisions are prone to delays and need constant direction which impacts everyone around them. Potential employers may ask you to show them that you have:
- Made good decisions
- Made hard decisions
- Learnt from bad decisions
They need to know that you have been confronted with challenges and that you have been willing to make decisions and execute them. Basically, they are searching to see if you can perform the five key steps in the decision-making process. They are:
- Identifying the Issue
- Gathering Information
- Considering that Information
- Making a Decision
- Evaluating that Decision
If you’re asked a query about your capability to make decision then the 5 key steps above need to be in your answer. At no point should you make it sound like you depended on someone else to make the decision for you.
Behavioral Interview Query: What is the most difficult decision you have ever had to make at work? How did you arrive at your decision? What was the outcome?
Every individual has had different experiences, so it is not essentially possible to tell you how to answer this question directly. Let’s instead look at an instance answer so you can see how it should read:
“At COMPANY X we were confronted with a serious issue. We were on the verge of losing one of our best clients to a competitor unless we offered them an important discount on our services. I decided to observe the costs linked with losing and keeping the client, using the data we had on acquisition charges and the expenses that are associated with each client. This specific client had a history of inquiring for discounts, added assistance, and using our customer service staff, and while we were more than happy to give customer support, at the discount the client was asking for we would incur a significant loss. I had to make the difficult decision to lose the client, which is never a famous choice but financially it was the right thing to do.”
This is a difficult decision. Losing a customer is a nightmare for most businesses. But your bravery in making that decision and the explanation you gave as to why you did it is going to give you significant credibility with the employer. Any answer that indicates the five key steps to good decision making is one that will impress an interviewer.