Your capacity to decide when given confusing instructions is tested by ambiguity-related questions. These are possible interview questions so that hiring managers can gauge how you respond to situations when there are multiple options. Finding out more about ambiguity-related questions can help you prepare for a job interview. This article includes four sample interview questions about ambiguity, along with advice on how to respond to them and model responses to assist you in developing your own.
Tell us about the last time you faced ambiguity in work. How did you handle the situation?
This is probably the most typical interview question about facing ambiguity, and it is a very open one. You can talk about a variety of things and situations, such as:
- Having to make a decision without possessing all important information. You had to decide but could not assess the possible outcome of various options you had on your table.
- Leading a project with unclear variables and goals, or one that was impacted by many external factors which you had no control over.
- Hearing or receiving some message from your boss, or even from your subordinate, message that wasn’t clear and offered more than one interpretation.
- Any other situation when you had to deal with something inexact, and bore the responsibility.
Now, regardless of the situation you choose to narrate, you should demonstrate the right attitude to ambiguity. It is crucial to:
- Show them that you can make a decision, even when things aren’t entirely clear. Management is about making decisions, and unless you make a move your competitors will get ahead of you.
- Demonstrate that you can deduce things, and find your way around, and do not rely only on information given to you by your superior or client or anyone else.
- Ensure them that you aren’t afraid of a changing environment, and can work in a fast paced team, where things can change from day to day (think agile project management as a good example).
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What does ambiguity mean?
The first thing my client asked me was “what does ambiguity” mean? Good question, because it’s not a word you hear every day. Ambiguity means something that can be understood in two or more possible ways; being open to more than one interpretation; inexact. When I think of something ambiguous, I think of something that is unclear, or where the path forward isn’t clear, or a situation where there are choices to be made.
Why ambiguity is a popular topic for interviews
If you think about the business world – whether it be tech or many other industries – things move fast. Often the best way forward isn’t clear. There may be uncertainty in an industry or there may even be chaos. Some companies have more stable and unchanging cultures than others but all companies these days are operating in an external environment that has some chaos.
Therefore if you’re going to work in the corporate world – on the business side or on the tech side – you’ll need to have some tolerance for and ability to deal with chaos and that’s the type of person the companies are looking for.
Why ambiguity is an especially popular topic for tech interviews
If chaos is common in the business world in general, imagine how much more chaos there must be in an industry based on technology. After all, the one thing you can say for sure about technology is that it will continue to advance. There’s no chance that you can continue to do the same thing year after year for your entire career if you work in tech. And there’s no one making the rules. The only rule is constant innovation.
If something is constantly changing there is little certainty, and a lot of ambiguity. That’s why the best candidates for tech jobs need to be comfortable with ambiguity.
How to show your tolerance for ambiguity in an interview
What do you need to show in your interview answers to prove you can handle an ambiguous work situation?
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I can make decisions in unclear situations
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I don’t panic when something unexpected happen
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I don’t need fixed guidelines
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I can handle a loose organizational structure/an unclear chain of command
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I can function well with competing priorities and moving deadlines
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I can handle a disorganized project
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I appreciate the opportunities related to ambiguity
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I feel positive about ambiguity, not negative
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I like to take risks I understand how my risk taking can help the company
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I’m okay with change
Interview questions that address ambiguity
Describe an ambiguous situation you faced. What actions did you take? What results did you achieve?
Tell me about a time when you had to work on a project with unclear responsibilities.
Describe a time when you found it difficult to focus and stay productive due to uncontrollable external factors or changes to your job. What actions did you take? What resulted from your actions?
Tell me about a situation where you had to make a decision without enough data. What did you do? How did it turn out?
Walk me through a time that you chose to keep moving forward in a risky or ambiguous situation. How did you cope? Please describe your results.
Decision-making in the face of uncertainty can be difficult. What, if anything, are you doing to increase your tolerance for ambiguity?
Tell me about a situation where you persuaded your team to move forward instead of waiting for more data.
Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision without all information you needed
You have been probably confronted with this situation many times, whether in work or in personal life. We never know all we need to know–if we knew it, we would never make a mistake. But life is full of mistakes, and we learn from them, and that’s probably how we grow.
Interview Questions About Dealing With Ambiguity (With Answers)
1. Can you tell me what ambiguity is?
This is a more open-ended question about ambiguity the hiring manager may ask. Depending on the position and industry, they may want to ensure you understand ambiguity before asking further questions about the topic. Though there is a dictionary definition for ambiguity, you can address ambiguity in the workplace when you answer.
Example: “Ambiguity is a problem or task a person can solve by more than one method or action. Ambiguity is a natural and necessary quality for life, as without it, we wouldn’t be individuals, because it’s through our choices that we develop ourselves. In the workplace, ambiguity can create interesting and challenging situations for developing communication and critical thinking skills.”
2. How do you approach ambiguity in the workplace?
The hiring manager may ask you this question to assess if you have a strategy for making decisions and approaching challenging situations. This question allows you to emphasize the skills you have that allow you to problem-solve and collaborate with your colleagues. To answer, describe the situations in which you may face ambiguity and describe your strategy for addressing it, as well as the skills that can support you in doing so.
Example: “As a salesperson, I approach ambiguity by centering my actions in my primary goal, which is to provide value to the client. Preferences and trends constantly evolve, which requires me to commit to researching new products and developing an understanding so I can communicate details to the client. The biggest source of ambiguity for me at work is communicating with clients and guiding them toward a purchase. There are many methods for doing this, but I maintain a reliable sales strategy, and it allows me to confidently address ambiguous sales.”
Why Does the Employer Ask Ambiguity Questions?
Employers tend to ask questions that relate to ambiguity as it is one of the most popular topics for interviews and we live in a fast-paced world and all the industries in this fast-paced world are dynamic in nature. The way in which these industries operate can be uncertain.
There are some industries in which the companies which work under are stable and constant but that is not the case with all the industries and in such industries, ambiguity can present many challenges and obstacles, so,
- The interviewer looks for a candidate who has the ability to deal with uncertainty and chaos.
- He wants to see your tolerance and patience level for ambiguity at work.
- They want to see how you can work in a dynamic cultural environment.
- To see how you can make decisions in uncertain situations.
- To see how you handle the situations when something unexpected happens.
- To see how well you can embrace the change and communicate effectively.
How to Deal with Ambiguity Interview Questions
The hiring manager looks for candidates who take challenges as a medium to achieve success, a candidate who can appreciate challenges and opportunities that are ambiguous in nature. So, show the hiring manager that you are an effective leader and that you appreciate the challenges and responsibilities associated with those challenges.
