What is the hardest decision you have had to make recently?

Question

Rachelle Enns · Accepted Answer

"The hardest decision I made recently was related to budget cuts. Tasked with eliminating non-core expenses in the sales department, narrowing down which ones to cut was more challenging than I initially thought. After a day of deliberation, I presented two options to my boss. He is currently weighing the options I brought to him. The experience taught me a great deal about cost analysis, and I even strengthened my knowledge in Excel spreadsheets, a skill that I know will be very important in this new role."

Rachelle Enns · Answer

The interviewer wants to know more about your critical thinking and problem-solving skills in the workplace. They also want to gauge the level of decisions you are responsible for in your current or most recent position. The goal of your response is to show the interviewer that you are a decisive individual capable of choosing the right plan of action for the hiring company when faced with a difficult decision.

Rachelle Enns · Answer

Avoid discussing decisions that are not work-related. The interviewer doesn't want to hear that you had to make a tough choice in your personal life and, getting too personal with near-strangers usually makes them feel uncomfortable. Instead, they want to know about your critical-thinking process and decision-making methods when it comes to workplace scenarios.

Rachelle Enns · Answer

The example you use in this answer will help the interviewer determine the level of responsibility you have in your current position. For instance, if your hardest decision is what to have for lunch, you may not leave a fantastic impression on the interviewer. Instead, consider some of the weightier responsibilities and decisions assigned to you in your current or most recent role.

Rachelle Enns · Answer

Once you have chosen a work-related decision to discuss, be prepared to tell a brief story around the situation using the STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

Make sure to describe why the decision was difficult. You can achieve this by talking about competing priorities or potential risks you faced. Emphasize the method you used to reach your conclusion or plan of action. Be sure to highlight the critical-thinking skills you deployed while facing this difficult decision.

At the end of your response, remember to give a qualifying statement that addresses how your decision-making skills will contribute to your success in this new opportunity.

Rachelle Enns · Answer

"Last quarter, I had to decide which temporary associate to choose for our sales administrator's vacation coverage. I carefully chose a temp associate who I knew would catch onto the job quickly and fit in well with our clients and staff. This responsibility strengthened my skills in reading resumes and performing better pre-screen interviews. I understand that this role requires some HR administrative responsibilities, and I am glad to have gained even more exposure to these tasks."

Rachelle Enns · Answer

"Just yesterday, I faced a very challenging situation. I terminated two of our lowest sales performers. These terminations came after providing many coaching opportunities and performance plans with no marked improvement. It is never fun to let people go, but sometimes it needs to be done to keep productivity and reach corporate goals. I read a book last month called 'How to Fire an Employee.' It sounds basic, but there were some useful scripts that I ended up utilizing as a guideline for these terminations. Now, I bring increased confidence in my ability to have valuable exit interviews."

Rachelle Enns · Answer

"My agency owner asked me to fire a client last month. It was challenging because I do not enjoy conflict, however, it needed to happen. The client was not cooperating with the processes required to deliver our best product within their demanding timeline. I researched and learned how to have constructive conversations surrounding expectations. I discussed the broken communication and unrealistic demands while providing supporting examples. In the end, the client agreed, and we parted ways amicably. As tough as the situation was, I learned a lot about outlining expectations and leading difficult conversations."

Rachelle Enns · Answer

"The hardest decision I made recently was while creating the staff schedule for the next week. My manager usually does the team schedule, but I was in charge of this task when she took a holiday. Building a balanced staff schedule is harder than it looks! I wanted to make everyone happy while also being aware of not stacking the schedule or giving someone too many prime shifts. I believe that I did an excellent job, and I gained confidence in my scheduling abilities - a skill that I can bring to your company!"

Rachelle Enns · Answer

"Due to an imbalance of client numbers, I had to swap around the territories of our team last month. A few sales reps were not happy about the change, but they were also the ones who were underperforming. I explained the system and reminded them that the premium client accounts belong to the top performers. I never find it easy to disappoint someone; however, I also will not shy away from making tough decisions that benefit my employer."

Rachelle Enns · Answer

"I recently recommended the suspension of a student with severe behavioral issues. It was not an easy choice, however, I had to evacuate the classroom a few times over the past couple of months. This behavior was unfair to other students, and I needed to take action. I have completed training on de-escalation in the classroom, and this knowledge was beneficial in this particular situation."

Anonymous User · Answer

"The hardest decision that I had to make was to let go of employees due to budget cuts. The company no more could afford the extra burden of employees, so in that place, we had to let go of the employees who were not technology-friendly."

Anonymous User · Answer

"The hardest decision I had to make was to let go of a long term employee. I gave her adequate notice and helped with the hiring process. I made sure she found good employment. Because I was empathetic in the job process, I was able to retain her for future projects."

Anonymous User · Answer

"The hardest decision was moving from my country to America to live and work, but tough decisions must be made for the better. I get too comfortable that I don't want to leave my workmates and my country, but I have to adapt to my new country, new people, and new environment. The willingness for growth and new ideas is what keeps me going."

Anonymous User · Answer

"After the other design intern ended her time at the office, they tasked me with finding her replacement. It was hard to decide if it was my time to leave the job, to move onto the next stage in learning. As much as the job taught me and the rewarding outcome it provided, I chose to leave for new opportunities."

Anonymous User · Answer

"After working part-time for 1 year and a half, I realized that I needed a full-time job in order to advance my career and achieve my long-term goals. Although I enjoyed my part-time job and the flexibility it provided, I knew that I needed more stability and opportunities for growth. It was a difficult decision to quit my part-time job, especially since I had developed strong relationships with my coworkers and enjoyed the work I was doing. However, I knew that it was the right decision for my career."

Anonymous User · Answer

"NE9 UMD role STAR"

Anonymous User · Answer

"We had only two nurses in our labor and delivery unit. Staffing calls for at least three nurses. I had to either have the resident doctor ask the attending doctor if he could put the hospital in a status c, or I could call the attending myself. I chose to call the attending, even though he was upset. I professionally explained everything. I feel the attending physicians respect nurses who go through them first."

Anonymous User · Answer

"Deciding not to go back into the travel industry, Covid did a number on so many industries but travel was one of the ones that were hit the hardest and it showed me that the industry was not stable."

Anonymous User · Answer

"One of the hardest decisions I've had to make recently was re-evaluating our pricing guide for the new fiscal year. With heavy sales goals and high demand on the cost of foods & goods, I am set with a challenge of increasing prices to still have an ROI and not pricing ourselves too high where we lose volume of sales. This has been quite a daunting task and has taken a lot of time and research."

Anonymous User · Answer

"The hardest decision I had to make was choosing a monitoring tool for the NOC. I was given the ability to choose between several new monitoring tools which were highly priced vs a monitoring tool that we had subscription for, which didn't have a lot of new functionalities. When going down a list of attributes comparing different tools, the price factor played a major role when calculating it for a month-by-month basis and the total number of devices to monitor. I presented my findings to my manager and we decided to stick back to the old monitoring tool we had in place, I made a 30-day task checklist to configure the tools thoroughly and standardized alerts and functionality."

Anonymous User · Answer

"Recently my wife and I have been blessed by having a lot of opportunities, some of these have been in different locations. We decided to move back to our home town, this seems like an obvious choice for us, but it was a difficult choice since we loved Wichita. We weighed the pros and cons and decided that this is the best move for us, and we are confident in that."

Anonymous User · Answer

"I had to fire a long-term colleague and friend. That was really tough to do because we knew each other for years. But he made a big mistake several times and did not listen, and eventually, I had to fire him. Looking back, I consider it a good decision, because emotions have no place in effective management. But back then it was super difficult for me to make the decision."

Anonymous User · Answer

"The hardest decision I made recently was when I decided to close my catering business. My catering business was successful in the last six years, but because of the pandemic, all business and schools closed temporarily. From that point, I was not earning any profit for my business; instead, I just spent money to pay my rent and bills. So, my business suffered financial hardships and that's how I decided to close down my catering business."

Anonymous User · Answer

"Recently, I made a decision to stay at my job after being given a lucrative offer from another department. Initially I wanted to leave after making a request for dictation software and different work hours. I approached my boss and discussed these issues. He was able to accommodate me, and my work life has improved. As a result, I happily stayed in my position."

Anonymous User · Answer

"The hardest decision I had to make is to give feedback about several teammates with a recommendation on who should stay on the project and who should leave. At that time, I worked closely with our team lead, he trusted my opinion, and I knew everyone was pretty good. This made the decision much harder. But the client wanted to make cuts in the QA team, so I gave my recommendations. Later I found out that the team lead didn't want to make such a decision by himself, and as it turned out, our recommendations matched."

Anonymous User · Answer

"The toughest decision I've had to make recently is what to do in between law school and being admitted to the bar. I resolved to look for a position that would serve an ancillary role to the employer's legal team, as opposed to seeking employment within a law firm. My main goal is to become an in-house counsel for a major player in the industry, one whose ambitions are aligned with my own.The problem with that is I know how unusual of a career path it is to begin working in-house without at least a couple of years with a firm under my belt. My belief is that working while pursuing my law license might allow an opportunity for lateral movement within the company down the road."

Anonymous User · Answer

"The most difficult decision I had to make was leaving the last company I worked at. Being with the company for 20 years, I became a subject matter expert in quite a number of processes and was able to help so many customers with production issues. I also mentored a number of team members, including the offshore team. I made sure they knew they could call me any time if they ran into an issue and needed assistance."

Anonymous User · Answer

"I had to decide to push a supplier very hard in a negotiation. I was a bit worried it would push the supplier away, or the entire negotiation would backfire. Instead, the supplier and I went through 3 levels of negotiation, and it was a win/ win for both sides that was one of my best negotiations ever."

What is the hardest decision you have had to make recently?

How to Answer: What is the hardest decision you have had to make recently?

26. What is the hardest decision you have had to make recently?

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