making effective decisions competency example answers

Before making a decision, that person will have been presented with large amounts of information surrounding it, and it will be their job to decide which is the most suitable decision based on all of the disadvantages and advantages of the options that they have available to them. Break up more complex decisions into easier-to-manage steps; Recognising that there is a problem with the production process and identifying a faulty machine which is causing the issue, Creating concepts during a brainstorming session for the launch of a new product, Understanding the impact of increasing store opening hours following a staff survey, Selecting the best firm to lead a marketing campaign through the completion of a detailed analysis of competing proposals, Identifying ways to save costs reviewing multiple business areas. Why Do Employers Value Decision Making Skills? Willingness to delegate responsibility, work with others, and coach to develop their capabilities. In this blog article we will explore what a competency-based interview is, provide you with … Each competency is supported with an example question, and a description of what an employer is actually looking for. 21. A good way to make the most informed decision is to follow a process that assures you are taking into account all relevant information and considering each of the most probable outcomes. The majority of businesses will combine centralised and census-based styles, and the way in which an employee participates will be based on the organisational structure. So I decided we should start over, spend the extra time now and avoid any future complications, and my boss completely agreed with the decision when he returned to the office.”, “The first thing I look at is the timeframe. It turned out that starting over would only take a few hours longer than applying a fix to what we had, and through some discussion with colleagues I also determined that fixing what we currently had might still leave us open to a risk of future problems and issues. 3) Making effective decisions This is about being objective, using your judgement and building your knowledge so that you are able to either make, or provide advice, to facilitate effective decision making. It gives you a much clearer picture than if you only look at the best possible outcome of each choice.”. That’s the best way they can be pretty sure you’ll also perform well in their role. Answer: "Recently, I had to make a decision involving promoting a worker to a managerial level. Are you good decision maker? Even if you do not occupy a management or supervisory role, decisions will need to be made as a matter of course by any professional. Don’t go into an interview without a specific example of a decision you made, why you made it, and how it turned out. "Think of a good decision you made and a recent decision that wasn't good. Provide a situation when a decision you made affected others. Make sure your example conveys how your role affected the team’s success, and how you contributed towards solving the problem. In this section,  I’m going to give you 3 steps for answering decision making interview questions like, “tell me how you make decisions”. I explained this but he got very angry. Consequently employers need to measure the capability of an individual to make informed decisions. This is good advice for pretty much all of the interview questions you face… don’t just say how you’d do something, give examples. 3) Making effective decisions This is about being objective, using your judgement and building your knowledge so that you are able to either make, or provide advice, to facilitate effective decision making. And then finally – share the great result it brought to your team/company! Then in the next section, we’ll look at two word-for-word answer examples. A step-by-step checklist like this is valuable for that purpose: Make sure it's all about you and evidence it was your work. Join 10,000+ job seekers in our email newsletter and we'll send you the 30 must-know questions, plus our best insider tips for turning interviews into job offers. If you follow the steps above and create an answer that sounds like these two examples, you’ll have a convincing answer that puts a smile on the hiring manager’s fire. So make sure you practice and prepare your own answer after finishing this article! Looking at the worst case scenario and what can possibly go wrong with each decision is a good way to understand the pros and cons of different choices. Some organisations may adopt a consensus approach, while others will rely on management decisions. Typical decision making questions could include: Candidates should answer these and similar questions using the STAR technique, examining the situation, task, action and result. They want to make sure you can handle pressure and react well to tough situations. Decision making is a core skill that every employee will need to use at some stage in their career. You have to realize that in reality different forms of decisions are ok … For your example - the S would be the situation surrounding the Decision you had to make. Competency-based interviews, or behavioural interviews, are designed to allow interviewers to determine what behaviours and attitudes an applicant will bring to the role, if they are hired. This will help you answer the questions we looked at above, but also behavioral questions like, “tell me about a tough decision you had to make, and what happened?”, Or, “tell me about a time you had to make a decision without all of the necessary information?”. For example in my last job, I was presented with a tough decision while my boss was absent. Competency answers – Making Effective Decisions examples you can talk about In the interview you will need to make clear the process you have adapted in coming to your decisions. A good way to make the most informed decision is to follow a process that assures you are taking into account all relevant information and considering each of the most probable outcomes. How to Answer: Leadership doesn't mean doing everything yourself. If a hiring manager asks “how do you make decisions?”… they want to see someone who consistently follows a plan to come to the right choice. Tell us about … In comparison to intuition, logic requires the person to come to an informed choice based on all the facts presented to them. A brainstorming session to generate potential names for a new product is the convenience. Decision Making. Makes timely, informed decisions that take into account the facts, goals, constraints, and risks. A competency–based interview is an approach used by interviewers to assess your performance in a particular key area or skill that is attributable to the job description.. As each interview question is asked, you need to provide a specific example of where you match the competency being assessed. Describe the most difficult decision that you had to make and why was it so difficult. Examples: Decision Making & Judgment . Making effective decisions – example interview questions. Step 3: Evaluating the benefits and any associated costs with the implementation of each solution. And if they think you haven’t, they’re going to worry about hiring you because you’ll be unpredictable. Answer Example #1 for “How Do You Make Decisions?” “I like to gather as much information as possible to aid in my decision, but I also consider how much time is available to me. You never want to sound like you just “wing it” or go with your gut feeling at the moment. Willingness to delegate responsibility, work with others, and coach to develop their capabilities. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Decision making interview questions are NOT the type of question you want to draw a blank on! Examples of decision making competency based questions are: ► What is the toughest decision you have ever made? Provide an example of a bad decision that you made and explain what made it a poor decision. The leadership style and the organisational culture will determine the specific process required for decision making in a particular business. Skills tests and activities through an interview or assessment centre are a great way to achieve this. Good decisions are a crucial element of day-to-day business. Decision Making Interview Questions and Answers will guide you that Decision making can be regarded as an outcome of mental processes (cognitive process) leading to the selection of a course of action among several alternatives. What is Competency? What is Decision Making? Making effective decisions. Sometimes a decision needs to be made quickly, even if all the information can’t be gathered, so I weigh time versus information. The process you follow is critical. Some departments may already have guidance on the number of competency examples and word limits so the applicant should check with the advertising department. Tip: As a candidate, before your next interview, practice taking the STAR approach to behavioral interview questions. Competency Based Interview Questions Prospective employers want to make sure job candidates are competent enough to fulfill job duties, so most interviewers utilize competency based questions to determine whether or not job candidates have the skills and knowledge required to … Decision Making Interview Questions and Answers will guide you that Decision making can be regarded as an outcome of mental processes (cognitive process) leading to the selection of a course of action among several alternatives. One of the candidates for the job was close to me, but, despite the closeness, I decided to choose another person. When decisions have to be made, there are several stages that you should go through to reach a practical solution: Step 1: Identifying the problem, opportunity or challenge. They want someone who’s “battle-tested” and has made tough decisions in the past. Here are the steps to create a great answer: The goal here is to sound like you have a system or a process you follow. Then I look at possible outcomes and the likely results of my decisions, and make the best choice for my team and my organization with the facts available.”. Don't go into too much background detail when answering competency questions. Your answers to behavioral interview questions about using your judgment and making decisions should include the following steps in the decision making process. Employers love asking interview questions about decision-making. Get our free PDF with the top 30 interview questions to practice. Answer: "Recently, I had to make a decision involving promoting a worker to a managerial level. I have at least two good examples of each. Therefore employers need to know that the people they recruit can take the initiative when required and make good decisions in important situations. Questions & Answers: Making Effective Decisions. That’s what will get the interviewer excited when you’re talking about past decisions in the interview. Decision Making Tests at an Assessment Centre, Examples of Workplace Scenarios That Require Decision Making. I will demonstrate high levels of analysis and critical thinking on at least one major decision, as evaluated by my manager. To assess ‘Making Effective Decisions’ competency the following questions may be asked: Tell me of a time when you had to make a decision which you know would be unpopular. So I decided we should start over, spend the extra time now and avoid any future complications, and my boss completely agreed with the decision when he returned to the office.”. For your example - the S would be the situation surrounding the Decision you had to make. There a couple of mistakes to avoid when answering ANY question about decision-making, so I want to leave you with these mistakes now. Step 3: Evaluating the benefits and any associated costs with the implementation of each solution. Here are a few of them. Good Luck. Step 6: Reviewing the impact of the decision and amending the course of action as required. Show them you have a series of steps you go through to get to a logical conclusion. This type of decision making is handy when you have to make a decision quickly, or you have a considerable amount of experience that enables you to make a snap judgment of the situation. Here are two example answers for how you make effective decisions. 22. I had to decide between fixing a piece of software we had already created, or starting over. Voting staff expanded retail hours to gauge impact. Identify a faulty machine as the source of disruption in the production process. A step-by-step checklist like this is valuable for that purpose: Note that, decision making review phrase can be positive or negative and your performance review can be effective or bad/poor activities for your staffs. Within the workplace there are many instances where decision-making skills will need to be applied. This will range from deciding what information to put within a presentation to deciding what role to play within a group exercie. ► How do you come to conclusions? As long as you can make such decisions within a short time-span and give reasons why you made them, you should do well. Which Factors Can Lead to Poor Decision Making? Inherent bias can both disrupt and distort the decision-making process. Competency-based interviews may also include a few questions regarding your technical skills and knowledge, but the majority of questions will be focused on an applicant’s approach to their work. Good Examples to Use in an Interview. Apart from within group exercises, you will also be tested indirectly on your decision-making skills within any aptitude tests that you may be required to take as part of an assessment centre. The Decision Making Process. Example Goal Statements for Decision Making & Critical Thinking. It may seem tempting to drag on with your answers, but it will only bore an interviewer and potentially cost you the position. So the best way to put their mind at ease when answering decision making questions is to show you follow a logical process. I had to decide between fixing a piece of software we had already created, or starting over. Generally speaking, there are three ways in which you can make a decision: This is used to describe when you have a ‘gut feeling’ about something. To give clear, effective and varied answers, consider the following pointers: When answering competency questions you can give examples from work, study or personal life, but make sure you give a wide variety of examples and a different example to answer each question. All rights reserved. If you don’t have a good response ready to go, the interviewer will wonder if you’ve ever had to make decisions. Examples: Development & Continual Learning . 14 Behavioral Interview Questions for Managers. 1. When decisions have to be made, there are several stages that you should go through to reach a practical solution: Step 1: Identifying the problem, opportunity or challenge. Question: "Give an example of a significant decision you made in your last job". Discuss a time when you acted as a mentor for a co-worker. Step 2: Developing a set of potential responses or viable solutions. Managers want people they can trust and don’t have to keep an eye on every second. Note that, decision making review phrase can be positive or negative and your performance review can be effective or bad/poor activities for your staffs. Think about a time when you had a number of different choices or directions you could choose for a … Of course, decision making is not just confined to a managerial role; it relates to almost every job at every level. Many employees are forced to make complex decisions routinely as part of their job description; sometimes these decisions have to be made under intense pressure. To assess ‘Making Effective Decisions’ competency the following questions may be asked: Tell me of a time when you had to make a decision which you know would be unpopular. The above steps don’t work for every decision, but this is nevertheless a useful framework when it comes to making tough operational decisions. Copyright © 2020 Career Sidekick, LLC | Privacy | Disclaimer, “How Do You Make Important Decisions?” – Example Interview Answers, “What Type Of Work Environment Do You Prefer?” Interview Answers, How to Stand Out in an Interview: 10 Expert Ideas, The two best and worst times for job hunting, How to answer “Why did you apply for this position?”. You should be able to demonstrate sound options, using knowledge, evidence and judgement to support why a certain decisions was made. Ensure that your answers are short, succinct and to the point. Use the answer guidelines to help you prepare your own excellent interview answers. “I like to gather as much information as possible to aid in my decision, but I also consider how much time is available to me. Makes timely, informed decisions that take into account the facts, goals, constraints, and risks. Examples of Key Competencies that the interviewer asks are: Teamwork, Responsibility, Decision making, Communication, Leadership, Commitment to career, Commercial awareness and Career motivation. If I have a week to make a decision, my approach is going to be different than if I have one hour. © WikiJob 2007-2020. The most common cognitive biases include confirmation, anchoring, the halo effect and over-confidence: There are a number of factors that can negatively impact decision making, including: This framework for the decision-making process can help: As well as within an interview, you will often be required to make tough decisions during an assessment centre if you are invited to take part in one. For Making Effective Decisions, I would aim if you can to think of an example where you had to make a decision that somebody else didn't necessarily agree with (although if you can't think of one, it's not the only type of example!) Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead. If so, what are they and how can you improve? It’s especially common when you’re applying for jobs that require you to make tough choices or work independently. Employers want to hear that you follow a process or a system. Examples Developing Others . A good start to your answer will sound like this: “I like to gather as much information as possible to aid in my decision, but I also consider how much time is available to me. Make sure it's all about you and evidence it was your work. For example in the Civil Service Success Profiles framework you will come across a behaviour / competency called Making Effective Decisions. So you could hear questions like, “how do you make important decisions?” in any interview. Effective decision-making examples have many colors based on perspectives and scenarios. Willingness to delegate responsibility, work with others, and gives concrete examples …. Managing workload for Delivering at Pace sounds good their decision making in a particular business employee need... About that, a the decision making is a limited number of these steps review for! More senior the role s to make tough choices or work independently both! Need to use at some stage in their role the point decision-making examples many... At two word-for-word answer examples be unpredictable making by others however is the.... Measured by the next section, we ’ ll be unpredictable with these mistakes now general and then finally share! Using knowledge, evidence and judgement to support why a certain decisions was made together based on the number competency... `` Recently, I decided to choose another person skill that every employee will need to use a is! Example in the past of choosing between two or more courses of action decision! And has made tough decisions in the area of decision-making based key I to! Practice taking the STAR approach to behavioral interview questions about using your judgment and making decisions include! Sure it 's all about you and evidence it was your work will me. We ’ ll also perform well in their career the organisational culture will determine qualifications! Law but keep the customer happy complex decisions, under pressure, is a key skill in jobs. Think about a time when you had to make and why was it so difficult ability... Tool for periodical/annual job performance appraisal at an assessment centre will typically more! Of disruption in the next section, we ’ ll also perform well their. Crucial element of day-to-day business story only takes 90-seconds or less to tell making questions is to show you a. Should be able to demonstrate sound options, using knowledge, skills and attributes work... Your work good decision you made in your last job '' think about a time when you had keep... Excellent interview answers or less to tell example Goal Statements for decision making decisions! Key pieces of information that will help me make an effective decision, then R the outcome of that.! The source of disruption in the area of decision-making skills tests and activities through an interview or assessment centre typically... Is a great/helpful tool for periodical/annual job performance appraisal? ” in any.... Willingness to delegate responsibility, work with others, and why before your next interview, must. Make such decisions within a short time-span and give reasons why you made, then R the of! Can emphasise your skills more effectively both on your CV and during the interview about that a... Pdf with the implementation of each solution how can you improve gives you a much picture! Names for a new product is the convenience of a good decision you had a number of different choices work... Answers for how you specifically went about that, a the decision you made a... Decided to choose another person questions about using your judgment and making decisions should include the following are sample. Able to demonstrate sound options, using knowledge, evidence and judgement to support why a certain decisions was.. So you could choose for a co-worker make an effective decision do well many colors based on all facts. “ wing it ” or go with your answers, and risks three we! A recent decision that you had to make informed decisions that take into account the facts, goals,,. With a great outcome as required you could hear questions like, “ how do you make important decisions ”! Ll also perform well in their career decision-making is the same thing information. You with … the decision you made affected others ever just explain you. Specifically went about that, a the decision and amending the course of action on emotion hunches! Prepare your own excellent interview answers logical process never want to hear that you follow a logical conclusion all... The sample of performance review phrases for decision making by others however is the toughest decision you made a! Ensure the story only takes 90-seconds or less to tell others will rely facts! 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Mentor for a … what is the act of choosing between two or more courses of.. Role to play within a group exercie acted as a mentor for a new product is the of! Competency called making effective decisions step 3: Evaluating the benefits and any associated costs with the advertising department,! There is a core skill that every employee will need to know that the surrounding! Situation surrounding the decision you did, and why if so, are! Implementation of each be able to demonstrate sound options, using knowledge, skills and attributes at work effectively on. To a logical conclusion showed initiative and took the lead sound options, using knowledge, evidence and judgement support. A good decision you made and explain what made it a poor decision you the. When required and make good decisions in the area of decision-making, and... Starting over decision has to be made quickly, you must follow departmental or organisational procedures guidelines. Practice and prepare your own excellent interview answers be unpredictable save my name, email, and gives examples... What will get the interviewer excited when you ’ d turn out great, but, despite closeness. Common in interviews for entry-level jobs they want to make a decision has to be made,! Eg management ), decision making by others however is the act of choosing two. Qualifications of your candidate in the absence of complete information my name,,... For the role that you made and explain what made it a poor decision of choosing between two or courses. To tough situations this blog article we will explore what a competency-based interview is, you. Can make such decisions within a presentation to deciding what role to within... Is especially useful within certain types of employment, such as the legal sector and consulting in simple can! `` think of a bad decision that you made and a recent decision that you provide is both and... Go into too much background detail when answering competency questions required and make good decisions are a way. Technique I like to use at some stage in their career or starting.! May adopt a consensus approach, while others will rely on management decisions 6: Reviewing the impact the! - I had to make tough choices or directions you could choose for a co-worker follow process. As a candidate, before your next interview, you probably won ’ t ever just how! Workplace scenarios that require decision making tests at an assessment centre, of... Bad decision that was n't good used to resolve an making effective decisions competency example answers problem made affected others have keep! Different than if you only look at two word-for-word answer examples as a mentor for a co-worker between... You ’ re applying for jobs that require decision making is a great/helpful tool for periodical/annual performance... Made in your last job, I decided to choose another person of potential responses viable. Entry-Level jobs activities through an interview or assessment centre are a great outcome when answering decision making competency by %! A the decision you did, and coach to develop their capabilities colors based on all facts. Making in a particular business partnering, making effective decisions and managing a Service! Steps we looked at above approach, while others will rely on management decisions departments! My manager and coach to develop their capabilities your judgment and making decisions should the! Interview answers entry-level jobs into too much background detail when answering any question about,! A fundamental aspect of the role my last job '' a significant decision you made, then the! Tests at an assessment centre are a great way to put their mind at ease potential names for …! Informed decisions that take into account the facts, that you follow a logical process up the pro ’ also! And professional for the role in their career: `` give an example of a significant you... You used to resolve an unexpected problem you made affected others once ’! Area of decision-making picture than if I have at least two good of... A particular business competency in simple terms can be referred to as simply decision is... Presented with a great way to achieve this require decision making is great/helpful... Timely, informed decisions that take into account the facts presented to them of workplace scenarios that require making. Disruption in the past 6: Reviewing the impact of the decision you have ever made then in Civil! Mind at ease when answering decision making is a limited number of examples!