Inclusive decision making is a vital competency in today's workplace, defined as the process of actively involving diverse perspectives and considering the needs of all stakeholders when making decisions. This approach goes beyond simple diversity to ensure that decisions reflect a wide range of inputs and that all voices have a meaningful opportunity to influence outcomes.

In an organizational setting, inclusive decision making manifests in several key ways. Leaders who excel at this competency actively seek out perspectives from people with different backgrounds, experiences, and thinking styles. They create psychologically safe environments where team members feel comfortable sharing dissenting opinions. They're also skilled at recognizing and mitigating their own biases, balancing diverse inputs with decisive action, and implementing decisions in ways that consider various stakeholder impacts.

When evaluating candidates for inclusive decision making, interviewers should listen for concrete examples that demonstrate their ability to gather diverse perspectives, facilitate inclusive discussions, manage conflicting viewpoints constructively, and make decisions that balance multiple considerations. The most effective candidates will show awareness of how inclusion impacts decision quality and organizational culture, rather than just treating it as a checkbox exercise.

To effectively assess this competency, focus on truly behavioral questions that explore past experiences. Use follow-up questions to understand the specific actions the candidate took, their reasoning, and the outcomes they achieved. Look for patterns that reveal whether the candidate consistently approaches decisions with inclusivity in mind, or if they only consider diverse perspectives in certain situations.

For more guidance on evaluating candidates effectively, check out our resources on conducting structured interviews and using interview scorecards to enhance your hiring decisions.

Interview Questions

Tell me about a time when you had to make an important decision that would affect diverse stakeholders. How did you ensure you considered multiple perspectives?

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the decision and why it was important
• How the candidate identified the various stakeholders
• Specific methods used to gather diverse perspectives
• Challenges faced in the process and how they were overcome
• How the candidate incorporated different viewpoints into the final decision
• The outcome of the decision and any feedback received
• Lessons learned about inclusive decision making

Follow-Up Questions:

• Was there a specific perspective or stakeholder group that was particularly difficult to include? How did you address this?
• How did you handle disagreements or conflicting viewpoints during this process?
• Looking back, was there anyone else whose perspective you wish you had included?
• How did this experience influence your approach to decision making in later situations?

Describe a situation where you noticed a team or organization making decisions that weren't inclusive. What did you do about it?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific signs that indicated the decision-making process wasn't inclusive
• The candidate's initial reaction and thought process
• Actions taken to address the situation
• Any resistance encountered and how it was managed
• The outcome of the candidate's intervention
• Impact on future decision-making processes
• Personal growth as a result of this experience

Follow-Up Questions:

• What risks did you consider before deciding to speak up about this issue?
• How did you approach the conversation with the decision-makers?
• What was the response from others when you raised this concern?
• What systems or processes were eventually put in place to ensure more inclusive decision making?

Tell me about a time when you had to facilitate a meeting or discussion where you wanted to ensure everyone's voice was heard. What specific techniques did you use?

Areas to Cover:

• The context and purpose of the meeting
• The diversity of the participants (backgrounds, roles, personalities)
• Specific techniques used to encourage participation from everyone
• How the candidate handled dominant voices or personalities
• Methods used to draw out quieter participants
• How the candidate ensured psychological safety in the discussion
• The outcome of the meeting and how inclusive participation affected results

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you prepare for this meeting knowing that you wanted inclusive participation?
• Was there anyone who was particularly difficult to engage? How did you address this?
• How did you know your facilitation was successful in creating an inclusive environment?
• What feedback did you receive, and how has this influenced your facilitation style since?

Share an example of when you had to change your mind or approach based on input from someone with a different perspective than yours.

Areas to Cover:

• The initial decision or approach the candidate was considering
• How they became aware of the different perspective
• Details about how this perspective differed from their own
• The candidate's thought process in evaluating the new information
• How they incorporated the new perspective
• The outcome of the revised decision or approach
• What the candidate learned from this experience

Follow-Up Questions:

• What was challenging about incorporating this different perspective?
• How did you acknowledge the value of this input to the person who provided it?
• Has this experience changed how you seek out perspectives different from your own?
• Can you think of a time when you should have been more open to a different perspective but weren't?

Describe a time when you had to make a decision that some team members disagreed with. How did you handle their concerns while moving forward?

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the decision and why it was necessary
• The specific concerns or objections raised by team members
• How the candidate responded to these concerns
• Steps taken to address valid points while still moving forward
• How the candidate communicated the final decision
• Follow-up actions to monitor the impact and address ongoing concerns
• Reflection on balancing decisiveness with inclusivity

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you know when it was time to move from gathering input to making a decision?
• What specific steps did you take to make those who disagreed feel heard, even if their view didn't prevail?
• How did you maintain relationships with those who strongly disagreed?
• Looking back, would you handle anything differently about managing the dissenting opinions?

Tell me about a time when you recognized a bias (your own or others') affecting a decision-making process. What did you do?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific decision situation and the bias identified
• How the candidate became aware of the bias
• The potential impact this bias could have had on the decision
• Actions taken to address and mitigate the bias
• How the candidate approached discussing the bias with others
• The outcome of the intervention
• Systems or processes put in place to prevent similar biases in the future

Follow-Up Questions:

• What made it difficult to recognize or address this bias?
• How did others respond when you raised awareness about the bias?
• What techniques or frameworks do you now use to check for biases in your decision making?
• Can you share another example of a different type of bias you've encountered in decision making?

Share an experience where you had to implement a decision in a way that respected diverse needs and circumstances.

Areas to Cover:

• The decision that needed to be implemented
• The diverse needs or circumstances that required consideration
• How the candidate identified these different needs
• Specific adaptations or accommodations made in the implementation
• Challenges faced during implementation and how they were addressed
• The outcome and feedback from different stakeholders
• Lessons learned about inclusive implementation

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you balance consistency with flexibility in your implementation approach?
• Were there any competing needs that were difficult to reconcile? How did you handle that?
• What specific feedback did you receive about your implementation approach?
• How has this experience influenced how you implement decisions now?

Describe a situation where you had to build consensus among people with different priorities or viewpoints.

Areas to Cover:

• The context and what needed consensus
• The nature of the different priorities or viewpoints involved
• Specific techniques used to find common ground
• How the candidate managed strong emotions or conflicts
• Steps taken to ensure all perspectives were understood by the group
• The consensus-building process and its outcome
• Reflection on the effectiveness of their approach

Follow-Up Questions:

• What was the most challenging aspect of building this consensus?
• How did you know when true consensus was reached versus reluctant agreement?
• Were there any breakthrough moments that helped move the group toward consensus?
• What would you do differently if you faced a similar situation in the future?

Tell me about a time when you advocated for including someone in a decision-making process who wouldn't normally have been included.

Areas to Cover:

• The decision situation and normal decision-making process
• Why the candidate felt additional perspective(s) should be included
• How they identified who should be included
• The approach taken to advocate for this inclusion
• Any resistance encountered and how it was addressed
• The impact of including this additional perspective
• Organizational or procedural changes that resulted

Follow-Up Questions:

• What risks did you consider before advocating for this inclusion?
• How did you make the case to others about why this perspective was valuable?
• How was your suggestion received by the person you advocated to include?
• Has this experience changed how your team or organization approaches decision making?

Share an example of when you received feedback that a decision you made didn't adequately consider certain perspectives. How did you respond?

Areas to Cover:

• The original decision and the process used to make it
• The nature of the feedback received and from whom
• The candidate's initial reaction to the feedback
• Steps taken to understand the overlooked perspectives
• Actions to address or rectify the situation
• Changes made to the decision or its implementation
• How this experience changed the candidate's approach to future decisions

Follow-Up Questions:

• What made it difficult to see the perspectives that were initially missed?
• How did you acknowledge the feedback and communicate your response?
• What systems or checks have you put in place to ensure you don't miss similar perspectives in the future?
• How has this experience influenced your leadership style or decision-making approach?

Tell me about a time when you had to balance making a timely decision with ensuring an inclusive process.

Areas to Cover:

• The decision context and time constraints
• The inclusive considerations that were important
• How the candidate structured the decision process given the constraints
• Specific techniques used to gather diverse input efficiently
• Trade-offs made and the reasoning behind them
• The outcome of the decision
• Reflection on the balance achieved between timeliness and inclusivity

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you determine which stakeholders were most critical to include given the time constraints?
• What techniques did you use to streamline the input-gathering process?
• How did you communicate about the process to those involved and affected?
• What would you do differently if faced with similar time pressures in the future?

Describe a situation where considering diverse perspectives led to a better decision or outcome than would otherwise have been achieved.

Areas to Cover:

• The decision situation and initial approach being considered
• How diverse perspectives were brought into the process
• Specific insights gained from different viewpoints
• How these perspectives changed the direction or approach
• The improved outcome that resulted
• How the candidate measured or recognized the improvement
• Lessons learned about the value of inclusive decision making

Follow-Up Questions:

• What might have been the outcome if you hadn't included these diverse perspectives?
• Were there any perspectives that provided particularly unexpected or valuable insights?
• How have you applied what you learned from this experience to other situations?
• What would you tell others about the business case for inclusive decision making based on this experience?

Tell me about a time when you had to revisit a decision because certain stakeholders or perspectives weren't adequately considered initially.

Areas to Cover:

• The original decision and the process used
• How it became apparent that perspectives were missing
• The impact or consequences of the incomplete initial decision
• Steps taken to gather the missing perspectives
• How the decision was revised or reimplemented
• Reactions from stakeholders to the revised approach
• Preventive measures implemented for future decision processes

Follow-Up Questions:

• What signals or feedback indicated that the original decision needed to be revisited?
• How did you approach stakeholders who were initially overlooked?
• What was most challenging about revising a decision that had already been made?
• How did this experience change your approach to stakeholder analysis in subsequent decisions?

Share an example of how you've helped create a culture or environment where people feel comfortable expressing diverse viewpoints.

Areas to Cover:

• The initial culture or environment and its challenges
• Specific actions taken to create psychological safety
• How the candidate modeled inclusive behaviors
• Systems or processes implemented to support inclusive culture
• Challenges encountered and how they were overcome
• Evidence of culture change and improved inclusion
• Ongoing efforts to maintain and strengthen the inclusive environment

Follow-Up Questions:

• What resistance did you face when trying to create this inclusive environment?
• How did you address situations where someone's contribution wasn't respected?
• What feedback have you received about the environment you helped create?
• What techniques have been most effective in drawing out diverse perspectives?

Describe a time when you had to navigate cultural differences in a decision-making process.

Areas to Cover:

• The context and the cultural differences involved
• How these differences affected approaches to decision making
• Steps taken to understand the cultural perspectives
• Adaptations made to the decision process to accommodate differences
• Challenges encountered and how they were addressed
• The outcome of the decision and how cultural considerations affected it
• Learning and growth from this cross-cultural experience

Follow-Up Questions:

• What research or preparation did you do to understand the cultural differences?
• Were there any misunderstandings or tensions that arose, and how did you handle them?
• How did you balance respecting cultural differences with moving toward a decision?
• How has this experience influenced your approach to cross-cultural decision making?

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is inclusive decision making important in today's workplace?

Inclusive decision making leads to better business outcomes by incorporating diverse perspectives that can identify blind spots, generate more innovative solutions, and consider a wider range of impacts. Organizations with inclusive decision-making processes typically see higher employee engagement, stronger team performance, better risk management, and improved ability to serve diverse customers and markets. Additionally, it helps build a culture where all employees feel valued and can contribute their full potential.

How can I tell if a candidate truly values inclusive decision making versus just giving the "right" answers?

Look for specificity and depth in their examples. Candidates who genuinely value inclusion will provide detailed accounts of how they've sought out diverse perspectives, can describe specific techniques they've used, and will talk about both successes and challenges they've faced. They'll also demonstrate self-awareness about their own biases and growth areas. Pay attention to whether they mention inclusive decision making only in diversity-focused situations or apply these principles across all their work.

What's the balance between being inclusive in decision making and being efficient?

This is a common challenge, and strong candidates will demonstrate how they've navigated this tension. Inclusive decision making doesn't mean everyone decides everything or that processes become endlessly drawn out. Look for candidates who can describe how they've scoped appropriate stakeholder involvement based on the decision's impact, used efficient methods to gather diverse input, and been transparent about constraints. The best candidates will show how inclusion actually improved efficiency by preventing rework or implementation problems.

How many of these questions should I include in an interview?

Focus on quality over quantity. We recommend selecting 3-4 questions that are most relevant to your specific role and organizational needs, then using follow-up questions to probe deeply. This approach will yield more valuable insights than rushing through more questions. For senior leadership roles where inclusive decision making is critical, you might devote more of the interview to this competency, while for junior roles, fewer questions may be appropriate.

Can inclusive decision making be developed, or is it an innate trait?

Inclusive decision making is definitely a skill that can be developed. Look for candidates who show growth in this area over time, have sought out learning opportunities, or can describe how they've improved their approach based on feedback. Even candidates without formal leadership experience may demonstrate inclusive decision making in team projects, volunteer work, or academic settings. Focus on their awareness, willingness to learn, and demonstrated improvement rather than expecting perfection.

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