Tell me about a time where you had to make a difficult decision that negatively impacted someone else.
"I had a member of the team ask if I would switch shifts with them. They wanted to tag an extra day on their holiday, and it would have benefitted me as well, and granted me a three-day weekend. But, there were other members of my team who I had offered to mentor on a project they were working on. I had agreed to help them, so my integrity was on the line, and I had to decline that inviting shift change. Had this other team member who was requesting the shift change been more experienced, I would have asked them to help mentor them, but they were less experienced than them, so as I saw it, I had no choice but to disappoint."
"When I worked in grocery, I was responsible for handling donations and for donating our spoils to local food banks. One local charitable organisation was on a wait list to receive our written off goods. But there was another organisation whom we donated to every Thursday. I heard rumors that they were using the homeless who were seeking shelter with them to cook meals with the written off goods and were charging those who were seeking free meals. So I went in to investigate and learned this was, in fact, the case. So, I stopped donating to them, and switched Thursday's deliveries to the other organisation that was on the wait list."
This is a tricky question that requires a delicate approach. How you answer could reveal a lot about you in how you interpret this question, and your general attitude and world view. Avoid offering any examples that would frame you in a poor light. Focus on optimism, on your sense of ethics and integrity, and your emotional intelligence.
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
When living overseas a young lady working for us put our adored family dog at risk whilst we were away. The terrapins were also dead when we arrived home. Her only duty whilst we were away was to look after the pets. I had to let her go, but because we had formed a bond I found the situation difficult, I knew she’d be devastated, but knew I could never trust her when I was not there. I arranged for a couple I knew with no pets or children to hire her and let her stay with us until her start date.
Jaymie's Feedback
That would have been a very tough thing to do, but you handled it with grace, kindness, and professionalism. You really went above and beyond to help her find new employment, despite her missteps.
Unlock all 30 DWP Work Coach questions
Prepare for competency-based questions that DWP interviewers use to assess candidates.
Get Started