Tell me about a time you had to make an informed decision with incomplete information.
"I was filling out a report that I had to turn in at the end of the day. A customer had tripped over an obstruction in our car lot and injured themselves. We called out an ambulance, and for insurance concerns, we had to fill out an accident injury report. I unfortunately did not have all the information necessary to completely fill out the form, but I made a few phone calls and was able to deduce the rest of the information with the information I had on hand."
"There was an employee who was having a crisis and wanted permission to take a mental health day. I took a look at the schedule and felt that it would be better for the store to let them make up the time on a day where we were slightly understaffed. Our manager normally was the one we would have to check in with for such things, and it was the normal affair of asking for their approval first. But I felt I was pretty good at anticipating the needs of my manager, and rather than calling them at home, rather than potentially waking them from sleep, I approved the shift change. When my manager came in towards the tail end of my shift, I informed them of my decision and apologised for overstepping my bounds. They, however, agreed with my judgement call, and thanked me for making an informed decision."
A work coach often may be required to navigate difficult territory, and will have to take a certain degree of calculated risk. This question aims to help the interviewer determine your approach to problem solving, how resourceful you are, and how sound your judgement is, and how informed your decision making is, despite not having all the information at your disposal. The DWP offers guidance on their website for using the STAR approach (Situation/Task/Action/Result) and the WHO model (What/How/Outcome) for when answering questions such as these. So put either model into action here while formulating and delivering your answer.
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
The customer lost his bank card which prevented him from paying for his ticket to get out of the car park. This was causing an issue for other customers as the queue was building up. My manager was a in meeting. So I let the customer out of the car park and took his reg so he could pay next time. Later I informed my manager what I did and apologized to him. He said I did the right thing.
Jaymie's Feedback
Great job! Your response shows the interviewer that you can think critically while under pressure to resolve a situation, even when you don't have all of the desired information.
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