15 Decision Making Interview Questions and Answers

Decision making is a critical skill for any job, and interviewers often ask questions designed to gauge your ability to make decisions. If you’re interviewing for a job that requires decision making, it’s important to be prepared to answer questions about your decision-making process.

In this guide, we’ll provide some sample questions and answers about decision making so you can be prepared for your next interview.

1. What are the different types of decision making?

This question is a great way to show your knowledge of the different types of decision making and how they can be used in business. You can answer this question by defining each type of decision making, giving an example of when you’ve used it and what its benefits are.

Example: “There are three main types of decision making—analytical, intuitive and political. Analytical decision making involves gathering as much information as possible about a situation before making a choice. I use analytical decision making when I need to make sure that my decisions are well-informed and based on facts. Intuitive decision making is when you rely on your gut feelings or intuition to make a choice. This method is useful for situations where there isn’t enough data to support one option over another. Finally, political decision making is when you consider the opinions of others when making a choice.”

2. Why do you think it’s important to understand the process of decision making?

This question can help the interviewer understand your perspective on decision making and how you approach it. It can also show them that you have a strong understanding of what goes into making good decisions. In your answer, try to explain why you think this is important and give an example of when you’ve used effective decision-making skills in the past.

Example: “I believe it’s important to understand the process of decision making because it helps me make better choices about my life. I always take time to consider all of the information available to me before making any big decisions. For instance, when I was deciding whether or not to go back to school for my master’s degree, I took some time to reflect on my current situation and what I wanted out of my career. This helped me decide that going back to school would be beneficial to my future.”

3. Can you explain what a rational decision-making model is? How does it work?

This question is a great way to test your knowledge of decision-making models. It also allows you to show the interviewer that you can apply what you know about these models in real life.

Example: “Rational decision-making models are frameworks that help us make decisions by using data and information. There are many types of rational decision-making models, but I have found the AHP model to be one of the most useful because it helps me evaluate all aspects of a problem before making a final decision. For example, when I was working as an assistant manager at my previous job, we had to decide whether or not to hire more employees for our team. We used the AHP model to analyze the pros and cons of hiring new employees and decided that it would be best to wait until after the busy season ended.”

4. Can you describe some factors that affect the quality of our decisions?

This question is a great way to assess your critical thinking skills and how you apply them in the workplace. When answering this question, it can be helpful to mention some of the factors that affect decision making and how they relate to your own experience.

Example: “There are many factors that affect the quality of our decisions at work. One factor is time pressure, which can lead to rushed or uninformed decisions. Another factor is information overload, where we have too much information to process effectively. A third factor is groupthink, when everyone in a group agrees with each other’s ideas without considering alternatives.”

5. What are some common mistakes people make while making decisions?

This question can help an interviewer understand your decision-making process and how you avoid common mistakes. It can also show them that you’re aware of the challenges people face when making decisions. When answering this question, it can be helpful to mention a mistake you’ve made in the past and what you learned from it.

Example: “One common mistake I see is not gathering enough information before making a decision. This can lead to poor choices or missed opportunities. Another common mistake is letting emotions influence our decisions too much. While emotions are important, they shouldn’t be the only factor we consider when making a choice. Finally, another mistake I see is assuming one method works for everyone. There are many factors that go into every decision, so it’s important to take those into account.”

6. Can you give me an example of a time when you made a bad decision and how you dealt with it?

This question is a great way to show your ability to learn from mistakes and how you can improve. When answering this question, it’s important to be honest about the mistake you made and explain what steps you took to correct it.

Example: “In my last position as an assistant manager at a restaurant, I was responsible for scheduling employees. One day, one of our servers called in sick, so I had to find someone to cover their shift. Unfortunately, I scheduled two people to work that same shift, which left us short-staffed for the evening rush. After realizing my error, I immediately contacted all three employees and offered them overtime to make up for the lost hours.”

7. Can you explain what an intuition-based decision-making model is?

This question is a great way to test your knowledge of different decision-making models. It’s important to show that you understand the various approaches and can apply them in real-world situations.

Example: “Intuition-based decision making is when you make decisions based on your gut feeling or intuition. This model is often used by people who have years of experience in their field, as they’ve developed an understanding of what works best for them. I find this approach useful because it allows me to use my past experiences to inform my current decisions. However, I also know that there are times when I need to rely on other models.”

8. Have you ever had to deal with groupthink and how did you handle it?

Groupthink is a phenomenon that occurs when a group of people make poor decisions because they want to fit in with the rest of their team. This question helps employers understand how you handle situations where your opinion differs from others and whether you’re willing to voice your thoughts even if it means going against the majority. In your answer, explain what led to the decision and how you helped solve the problem.

Example: “In my last position as an assistant manager at a restaurant, I noticed our servers were having trouble remembering some of the more complicated dishes on our menu. When I brought this up to the head chef, he said we didn’t have time to add any new dishes to the menu. However, I knew that adding one or two additional dishes would help our servers remember all the other ones. So, I suggested we create a separate section of the menu for specials. The chef agreed, and we ended up adding three new dishes each week.”

9. What can you tell me about bounded rationality in context of decision making?

This question is a great way to test your knowledge of decision making and how it relates to the field. Bounded rationality is an important concept in economics, so you should be able to answer this question with ease if you are applying for a position that requires economic expertise.

Example: “Bounded rationality is a theory developed by Herbert Simon that explains why people make decisions based on limited information. In his book ‘The Sciences of the Artificial,’ he describes three types of bounded rationality:

Limited rationality: People have limited cognitive abilities, which means they can only process a small amount of information at once.

People have limited cognitive abilities, which means they can only process a small amount of information at once. Limited willpower: People also have limited willpower, which means they cannot focus on every detail when making a decision.

People also have limited willpower, which means they cannot focus on every detail when making a decision. Limited time: People often don’t have enough time to gather all the information they need before making a decision.”

10. What is the significance of Bayes’ theorem in decision making?

This question is a great way to test your knowledge of decision-making processes. It also allows you to show the interviewer that you can apply what you know about Bayes’ theorem in real life.

Example: “Bayes’ theorem is an important tool for making decisions because it helps us calculate the probability of something happening based on previous experiences. For example, if I have used a certain brand of printer before and it worked well, then I can use Bayes’ theorem to determine how likely it is that this same printer will work again when I need it.”

11. Can you explain what satisficing means in relation to decision making?

This question is a great way to test your knowledge of decision making and how it relates to the workplace. When answering this question, you can define satisficing and explain why it’s important in relation to business decisions.

Example: “Satisficing means that you’re satisfied with the first option you find that meets all the requirements for a situation. This method of decision making is often used when there are many options available but only limited time to make a choice. In my experience, I’ve found that satisficing is an effective strategy because it helps me narrow down my choices quickly so I can focus on more important tasks.”

12. What are some tools available for helping us make better decisions?

This question can help the interviewer understand your knowledge of decision-making tools and how you apply them to your work. You can answer this question by naming a few tools that you use in your own decision-making process, or you can name some tools that you’ve heard of but haven’t used yourself.

Example: “I find it helpful to have all the information I need before making a decision. For example, if I’m trying to decide which restaurant to go to for lunch, I’ll check online reviews, look at menus and compare prices. Another tool I use is the Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule. This means that 20% of my efforts will result in 80% of my desired outcome. In my last job, I noticed that many employees were struggling with their workloads, so we started using the Pareto principle to prioritize our tasks.”

13. Is it possible for multiple agents to reach consensus on a specific issue using distributed computing systems?

This question is a continuation of the previous one, and it tests your knowledge about distributed computing systems. In your answer, you should explain how multiple agents can reach consensus on an issue using a distributed computing system.

Example: “Yes, it’s possible for multiple agents to reach consensus on a specific issue using distributed computing systems. The key is that all agents must agree on the same decision before they can move forward with any action. For example, if I’m working in a team environment where we’re trying to decide which software to use for our project, everyone needs to agree on the software before we can start implementing it.”

14. How does game theory help us make better decisions?

Game theory is a mathematical approach to decision making that helps us understand how people make decisions in competitive situations. This question can help the interviewer assess your knowledge of game theory and its applications. In your answer, try to explain what game theory is and why it’s important for decision makers.

Example: “Game theory is an analytical method used to predict human behavior in competitive situations. It uses mathematics to determine optimal strategies for players who are trying to win or maximize their gains while minimizing losses. Game theory has many practical applications in business because it allows us to anticipate our competitors’ actions and develop effective countermeasures.”

15. Do you think there are times when we shouldn’t trust our instincts or intuitions and go by the book instead?

This question is a great way to see how you apply your decision-making skills in the workplace. It’s important to show that you can use your intuition and instincts when it comes to making decisions, but also know when to rely on more traditional methods of problem solving.

Example: “I think there are times when we should trust our instincts and intuitions, but I also believe there are times when we need to go by the book. For example, if I’m working with a client who has specific needs or requirements, I would want to make sure I was following their guidelines as closely as possible. If I were designing a website for a client, I would want to make sure I was using best practices for usability testing and user experience.”