Interview Question: "What Are the Most Difficult Decisions to Make?"

There are no right or wrong answers to interview questions like, “What are the most difficult decisions you have to make in your position?” or, “Have you ever had to make a really tough decision at work?"

The best way to prepare for these types of questions is to have examples ready to share with the interviewer. You'll be able to show the hiring manager how you successfully handled challenges at work.

What the Interviewer Wants to Know

Employers ask these questions in job and promotion interviews simply because they want to see that when you face a difficult decision or situation you’re able to handle it. They also want to see what kind of decisions you consider difficult.

These are behavioral interview questions designed to discover how you have managed certain situations. The logic behind these types of questions is that how you behaved in the past is a predictor of what you’ll do in the future.

The Best Ways to Respond 

Essentially the interviewer is assessing your decision-making skills. When answering these questions, give one or two concrete examples of difficult situations you have actually faced at work. Then discuss what decisions you had to make to remedy the situations. Here are some of the most challenging decisions that people in mid-management and senior management have to make:

• Deciding who to terminate if layoffs become economically necessary
• Terminating well-meaning, but incompetent, team members
• Deciding who to promote when you have several great candidates
• Deciding whether you have to cut benefits that employees are used to receiving (like holiday bonuses) to help stabilize company finances

You want to come across as confident and capable of making big decisions calmly and rationally. Avoid examples that make you seem indecisive or uncertain.

Also, keep your answers positive. For example, "Even though it was a difficult decision to lay off that particular employee, I did so in an extremely professional manner, and this decision ultimately led to improvements in efficiency and productivity throughout our department.”

The best way to prepare for questions where you will need to recall events and actions is to refresh your memory. Skim through your resume and reflect on some special situations you have dealt with or projects you have worked on. You can use them to help frame responses. Prepare stories that illustrate times when you have successfully solved a difficult situation.

Examples of the Best Answers

Take a look at these examples and think about how you could come up with similar responses:

Why It Works: This is a good example of how to use the STAR interview response technique, where you reflect upon a past situation, describe an assigned task, explain the action you took, and conclude with an analysis of the result of your action. Responding in this way not only answers the question, but also shows that you have reflected on past approaches and their outcomes.

Why It Works: This is an honest answer in which the candidate takes ownership of their actions in “making the hard calls.” They explain the approach they take in making weighty decisions, acknowledge their necessity, and conclude that their actions were made for the greater good.

Why It Works: The interviewee demonstrates that they are able to be objective in basing their decisions not upon their personal preferences, but upon what they know will result in the most positive outcome for her company. Their tone demonstrates their maturity, solid analytical process, and willingness to make difficult decisions.

Take Some Time to Prepare

Forewarned is forearmed: anticipating the questions you might be asked during a job interview is a wise strategy. If you test yourself using the examples above and these common interview questions and answers, you’ll be more confident during your actual interview.

Also, prepare some questions of your own. Your interviewer will expect you to have some questions about the job or the company. If you feel like you need a little help, review this guide to interview questions for you to ask the interviewer.

Possible Follow-Up Questions

• Why are you the best person for the job? - Best Answers
• How do you manage stress? - Best Answers
• What is your greatest strength/weakness? - Best Answers