Question: Describe the time you had to take a great risk at work. What happened and how did you handle it?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

What is the biggest risk that you’ve taken? How did you handle the process?

Follow-up questions:

Why do you think this decision was risky?
Do you feel you handled the experience in the best way possible?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Basic – Critical Thinking,Systems – Judgment and Decision Making

Abilities:

Cognitive – Deductive Reasoning,Cognitive – Problem Sensitivity (Problem Recognition),Cognitive – Visualisation

Other Factors:

Big 5 – Neuroticism (Emotion Regulation),Big 5 – Openness to Experience (Open Mindedness),Direct Job Experience,Personality-Job Fit,Personality-Organization Fit,Self-Awareness

Work Activity (Task):

Information Input – Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events,Mental Processes – Judging the Value of Things, Services, or People,Mental Processes – Making Decisions and Solving Problems,Mental Processes – Thinking Creatively (Creativity)

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Assertiveness/Courage,Handling Ambiguity,Risk Tolerance,Self Control,Stress Tolerance

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

You are looking for candidate’s ability to handle making risky decisions.
Does the candidate know how to calculate risk in their industry.
If the candidate’s decision paid them off in the end.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the candidate takes decisions without properly considering the risks and not having a proper back up plan.
If the candidate’s decision did not pay them off and landed them into troubles.

Sample Answer:

N/A

Question Source: https://www.totaljobs.com/advice/most-common-competency-based-interview-questions