Question: Describe a time when you made a professional decision that you regretted later on. What happened and why?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

Give me an example of a business decision you made that you ultimately regretted. What happened?
Tell us about a time when you made a major decision that you wish you hadn’t made. What was the context and the decision?

Follow-up questions:

Given another chance, what would you have done different?
What happened in the end?
What were the negative consequences?
What did you learn form this experience?
Why did you think your decision was right at the time?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Basic – Critical Thinking,Basic – Monitoring (Making observations of self and environment),Systems Evaluation

Abilities:

Cognitive – Problem Sensitivity (Problem Recognition)

Other Factors:

Motivation/Ambition/Aspiration,Personal Improvement (Growth),Self-Awareness

Work Activity (Task):

Mental Processes – Analyzing Data or Information,Mental Processes – Judging the Value of Things, Services, or People,Mental Processes – Making Decisions and Solving Problems,Mental Processes – Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

Work Context (Person-Job/Team/Org Fit):

Job Structure – Consequence of Error,Job Structure – Freedom to Make Decisions

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Adaptability/Flexibility,Humility

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

Other than decision-making ability, you are looking for the ability to recognize one’s mistakes, accountability, and responsibility in the interviewee.

Red Flags to Watch For:

A red flag is if the interviewee did not own up to their faults or denies ever having made a regretable or mistaken decision.

Sample Answer:

N/A

Question Source: https://www.zippia.com/employer/behavioural-interview-questions/