Situational Judgement

What is situational judgment?

Situational judgment refers to assessing and responding effectively to real-world situations, particularly in workplace settings. Situational judgment assessments (SJA) are a type of behavioral assessment used to evaluate how individuals approach and handle various work-related challenges. These assessments present candidates with hypothetical scenarios they might encounter on the job and ask them to choose the best course of action from multiple options. The aim is to measure soft skills like decision-making, problem-solving, teamwork, and interpersonal communication, which are crucial for workplace success.

Situational judgment examples

An example of a situational judgment question might involve a scenario where a team member consistently misses deadlines, causing delays in the project. The candidate might be asked how they would handle this, with options ranging from speaking privately with the team member, reporting the issue to a supervisor, or adjusting the project timeline. Another example is resolving a conflict between colleagues, where the candidate needs to choose the most effective way to mediate the situation and maintain team harmony.

Since situational judgment assessments focus on real-life work behaviors, they provide insight into a person’s natural tendencies in problem-solving and interpersonal situations. As a type of behavioral assessment, SJAs help employers predict how candidates are likely to behave in various workplace scenarios, making them valuable tools in hiring, training, and employee development processes.