How to Answer Behavioral Interview Questions About Prioritization and Decision Making

Behavioral interview questions about prioritization and decision-making are designed to assess how well you handle competing tasks, make thoughtful decisions, and manage your time and resources. The key to answering these questions effectively is to use specific examples that demonstrate your skills in these areas. Here’s how to approach these questions:

1. Understand the Core of the Question

Before diving into an answer, it’s important to break down the question. Behavioral interview questions typically focus on how you’ve handled situations in the past, as this is often the best predictor of future performance. In the case of prioritization and decision-making, interviewers are interested in:

• How you assess the urgency and importance of different tasks.

• How you make decisions under pressure or with limited resources.

• How you manage competing priorities.

• Whether you involve others in decision-making, and how you communicate your choices.

2. Use the STAR Method

A great way to structure your answer to behavioral questions is by using the STAR method:

• Situation: Describe the context or background of the situation where you had to make a decision or prioritize tasks.

• Task: Explain what your responsibilities or objectives were in this scenario.

• Action: Detail the steps you took to handle the situation. This is the most critical part—be specific about how you made decisions or set priorities.

• Result: Highlight the outcome of your actions. Be sure to quantify the results if possible (e.g., completed the project ahead of schedule, improved efficiency, etc.).

By breaking your answer down into these four components, you ensure that your response is clear, comprehensive, and structured.

3. Focus on Your Thought Process

When answering, it’s crucial to demonstrate your decision-making process. Walk the interviewer through how you evaluate tasks and decide what to prioritize. For example:

• Evaluate urgency and importance: Explain how you assess which tasks are most pressing, which can be delegated, and which can be postponed. You might consider factors such as deadlines, impact on other team members, or customer needs.

• Use of tools or methods: If you use tools like to-do lists, project management software, or techniques such as the Eisenhower Matrix (distinguishing between urgent and important tasks), mention these to show your organized approach.

• Consulting with others: Sometimes prioritization involves collaborating with team members or managers. Highlight any situations where you sought input or balanced various stakeholders’ needs.

4. Demonstrate Your Ability to Adapt

In many workplace scenarios, priorities can shift quickly, and decisions may need to be revisited. Be prepared to discuss how you’ve adapted when plans change unexpectedly. Show that you are flexible and able to remain calm under pressure while making adjustments as needed.

5. Provide Examples of Both Good and Bad Decisions (If Relevant)

While focusing on positive examples is essential, if appropriate, mentioning a time when a decision didn’t work out as planned can show self-awareness and growth. If you mention a less successful decision, focus on what you learned and how you applied those lessons in future situations.

Example Answers

Here are a few example questions and how you could apply the STAR method:

Question 1: “Can you tell me about a time when you had to prioritize multiple tasks with similar deadlines?”

Answer:

• Situation: In my previous role as a marketing coordinator, I was managing several campaigns that had similar launch dates. One involved preparing digital content, and the other was a print advertisement campaign that required coordination with external vendors.

• Task: I needed to ensure that both campaigns were ready on time, without compromising quality.

• Action: I first assessed the complexity of each task. I used a prioritization matrix to evaluate which tasks had the greatest impact on the campaigns’ success and which ones were most time-sensitive. I delegated the less critical tasks, like scheduling social media posts, to a junior team member. For the print campaign, I reached out to vendors early to secure their availability and finalize materials. I also set up daily check-ins with the team to stay on track.

• Result: Both campaigns launched on time, and the print campaign exceeded the expected return on investment by 15%. The digital campaign generated a 20% increase in engagement compared to previous campaigns.

Question 2: “Tell me about a decision you made that impacted your team or project significantly.”

Answer:

• Situation: As a project manager for a software development company, I had to decide whether to delay a product launch due to a bug found in the final stages of testing.

• Task: The decision had to balance the impact of the bug versus the risks of delaying the launch, including customer dissatisfaction and additional development costs.

• Action: I consulted with the development team to understand the severity of the bug and whether it could be fixed within a reasonable time frame. I also considered feedback from the sales and customer support teams about how a delay would affect customer expectations. After weighing the pros and cons, I decided to delay the launch by two weeks to ensure the bug was resolved.

• Result: The delay was well-received by customers, who appreciated our commitment to quality. The product launched successfully and received positive reviews, which led to a 30% increase in sales in the first quarter after the launch.

Final Thoughts

When answering prioritization and decision-making questions, it’s essential to provide clear, structured responses that showcase your ability to make thoughtful choices under pressure. Always link your decision-making process to tangible outcomes, and if appropriate, highlight both successes and areas for growth. This shows that you are not only capable of managing tasks effectively but also continuously improving your approach.