Tell Me About A Time When You Had To Make A Quick Decision

In this article, you how to answer the very difficult interview question, “Tell me about a time when you have to make a quick decision.”

This is really a challenging interview question to answer correctly. If you have a job in interview coming up for any role or any organization, make sure you read the post well because it will give you the perfect answer.

“Tell Me About A Time When You Had To Make A Quick Decision” Interview Question

To help you pass your interview, below are the things this article will cover:

• Reasons why the interviewer is asking you the question, “Tell me about a time when you have to make a quick decision. If you know why the interviewer is asking you the question, it allows you to give the perfect answer.
• How to structure your response to gain the highest scores possible.
• Brilliant top scoring example answer to the interview question, “Tell me about a time when you have to make a quick decision” that will help you pass your interview.

REASON WHY IS THE INTERVIEWER ASKING YOU THE BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW QUESTION, TELL ME ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOU HAD TO MAKE A QUICK DECISION?

The interviewer wants to hire someone who won’t shy away from making quick decisions, even when they don’t have all the information to hand. They also want to hear the process you follow whenever you make quick decisions.

Whenever you make a quick decision, always follow these four steps below:

1. Assess the situation and decide the outcome you want to achieve.
2. Consider the BEST and WORST outcomes from the choice of decisions you have available to you.
3. Discuss your proposed decision with other experienced co-workers to get a second opinion.
4. Choose the decision that most benefits the organization with limited risk and maximum returns.

HOW DO YOU STRUCTURE YOUR ANSWER TO THE INTERVIEW QUESTION, TELL ME ABOUT A TIME YOU HAD TO MAKE A QUICK DECISION?

When you answer this and any other behavioral interview question, always use the STAR technique to structure your answer and gain the highest scores possible.

STAR technique stands for SITUATION, TASK, ACTION, and RESULT.

• You start off your answer and you tell the interviewer the SITUATION you were faced with.
• You then move on and briefly outline the TASK that needed doing.
• You then give in depth details about the ACTION you took.
• Before finishing off and explaining the RESULTS following yours and others actions.

TELL ME ABOUT A TIME YOU HAD TO MAKE A QUICK DECISION BEST SAMPLE ANSWER

Question: Tell me about a time when you had to make a quick decision.

Top Scoring Answer:

SITUATION:

“In my last job, I had to make quick decisions. Often my manager was away on leave, and a situation came about where a long standing customer wanted to place a large bulk order with us but they wanted a 15% discount. This was a significant discount and my manager was the only person who could agree to it.

TASK:

However, because my manager was away and unavailable, it was my task to weigh up the pros and cons of the customer’s request and make a decision that was in the best interests of the organization.

ACTION:

So I weighed up the customer’s request carefully. They informed me they had another supplier ready and waiting who would agree to the discount and they would use them if we didn’t agree to it. I checked back over the customer’s previous orders and they had spent a significant amount with us over the years.

If I refuse their request, they would likely go to the new supplier moving forward which would impact negatively on our business from a financial perspective. After getting a second opinion from an experienced work colleague, I decided to agree to their request.

RESULT:

When my manager returned to work, I explained my decision and the thought process I had followed, and he praised me for my actions.”

There’s a brilliant top scoring answer to that really difficult behavioral interview question, “Tell me about a time when you have to make a quick decision.”

Thank you very much for reading and I wish you all the best for passing your job interview.