In a job interview, you’ll likely hear interview questions like “Tell me a time when you failed.” But few people like to think, let alone talk, about the failures they’ve had in life.
Drawing from my experience in recruitment, I’m going to walk you through why interviewers ask this question, the best way to answer, and how to avoid the traps and mistakes that can cost you the job offer. Then I’ll share word-for-word sample answers you can take inspiration from.
There are three key things employers look for in every answer to this question, so let’s start with that…
Highlights
- Pick a manageable situation where you can demonstrate your strengths and resilience, not a major disaster.
- Structure your answer using STAR: Provide context (Situation), explain your task (Task), detail your actions (Action), and emphasize the outcome and learnings (Result).
- Highlight what you learned from a past mistake or setback, showcasing your ability to adapt and improve.
Why Do Interviewers Ask About a Time You Failed?
There are three key traits that employers are looking for when they ask this interview question, and your answer needs to address all three areas if you want to “wow” the hiring manager or recruiter.
1. Show That You’re Accountable
Employers don’t want to hire someone who makes excuses and always blames others for their mistakes. This type of person doesn’t usually learn from their failures and is difficult to work with overall.
So, when the employer asks about a time you failed or made a mistake, show them you take responsibility for mistakes instead of putting the blame on others. Own up to it, acknowledge that you could have done something better/differently, and be clear and direct when explaining.
2. Assess Your Resilience and Growth Mindset
Everyone makes mistakes, but no hiring manager wants to hire somebody who’s going to keep repeating the same errors over and over again. Interviewers want to see how you handle setbacks. Do you crumble under pressure, or do you bounce back and learn from the experience?
So make sure you show them what you learned from the experience and how you used it to grow and improve.
Instead of worrying about your failures, concentrate on how you overcame them. Share stories that highlight your creativity in finding solutions, your determination in tough situations, and the valuable insights you gained along the way.
3. Evaluate Your Communication Skills
Any time the interviewer asks a question that requires a story (which definitely includes a question like, “Tell me about a time when you failed”), they’re looking to see whether you can tell a clear story and get from point A to point B without getting sidetracked.
If you can’t communicate clearly in a job interview, the interviewer will be concerned about your future communication skills on the job. So don’t let your interview answers ramble on for four minutes or go in a bunch of different directions. Keep it brief.
How to Answer “Tell Me About a Time When You Failed”
1. Choose a Suitable Failure
Interviewers are not looking to punish you when they ask you this question. Instead, focus on finding a situation that showcases your strengths. Ideally, it should be relevant to the job you’re applying for.
Pick an experience where you used a skill important to the position, but where things didn’t go exactly according to plan. The key here is to demonstrate that it was a manageable setback, not a major collapse.
Think about mistakes that didn’t have severe financial or personal repercussions. Think of these mistakes as miscalculations, not failures. Miscalculations are common in the workplace. They’re everyday occurrences, and people learn a lot from them that they can apply in the future.
Perhaps you were tasked with leading a team project that didn’t meet the initial deadline. Or maybe you presented a complex idea to a client and their feedback revealed a misunderstanding.
2. Structure Your Response using the STAR Method
From years of evaluating candidate responses, I’ve seen firsthand how well-thought-out and structured answers make a lasting impression. The STAR method provides a clear and compelling framework to tell your story:
- Situation: Briefly describe the context of the situation. What project were you working on? What was your role?
- Task: Explain what you were responsible for in this scenario. What were you trying to achieve?
- Action: Detail the steps you took and the approach you used to tackle the task.
- Result: Be honest about the outcome. Did things go as planned? Didn’t they quite meet expectations? What did you learn from this experience?
3. Emphasize Learning and Growth
After you have spoken about the outcome and why things didn’t go to plan, you should take the opportunity to explain what you learned from the experience and how you would approach a similar situation differently in the future. This is where you can demonstrate your ability to learn from mistakes.
When you finish telling the interviewer about a time you failed… don’t just talk about what you learned from it… show them a real example. It’s one thing to say you learned a lot from a failure, but an example or story is more powerful in demonstrating that you truly improved.
EXPERT ADVICE
Dr. Kyle Elliott, MPA, CHES
Tech & Interview Career Coach
caffeinatedkyle.com
How do I choose an appropriate failure to discuss that shows learning and resilience?
So long as the failure wasn’t detrimental to the business, or illegal, most missteps are okay to share during an interview. That said, you want your interview answer to primarily focus on the lessons you learned, rather than the failure itself, as this is where you can demonstrate your humility, resilience, and grit.
Types of Failures You Can Mention
- Missed Deadline
- Unclear Communication
- Low Team Morale
- Misdelegated Tasks
- Complex Presentation
- Missed Client Requirements
- Faulty Solution
- Unsuccessful Client Pitch
- Didn’t Meet Sales Quota
- Didn’t Speak Up About Workload
“Tell Me About a Time You Failed” Sample Answers
Throughout my recruiting career, I’ve seen that candidates who provide thoughtful answers to “Tell me about a time you failed” tend to leave a favorable impression.
Here are eight examples of what responses to this interview question should look like based on different failures and structured using the STAR method.
1. Technical Failure
“I was presenting a crucial live product demo to potential investors. During the demonstration, a critical software bug caused the product to malfunction.
Panic surged, but I quickly regained composure and apologized for the technical difficulty. Thinking on my feet, I transitioned to a manual backup demonstration, showcasing the product’s core functionalities. I also emphasized the bug’s rarity and assured them of our commitment to resolving it promptly.
The investors were initially disappointed but appreciated my quick thinking and focus on the product’s potential. We secured their investment and used the feedback to prioritize the bug fix, strengthening our product in the long run.”
2. Bad Communication
“As a project manager, I miscommunicated a crucial deadline to my team. This resulted in a missed deadline and a critical deliverable being incomplete, delaying the entire project.
I took full responsibility for the miscommunication and apologized to my team and stakeholders. We implemented a new communication protocol with clear deadlines documented and confirmed with every team member. I also initiated weekly progress check-ins to ensure everyone was aligned.
The project was ultimately completed but with a delay due to the initial setback. However, the new communication system streamlined future projects.”
3. Challenging Teamwork
“In my previous role, there were some sales performance expectations that unfortunately weren’t a good fit for my skill set. It was a difficult situation, but I took it as a learning experience. I reflected on areas where I could improve and used the time to seek sales training and mentorship.
This experience helped me identify how I could better communicate in a work environment. I’m confident that with my skills and the clear communication style I’ve developed, I can be a valuable asset to your team.”
4. Losing a Client
“In my previous role as a marketing manager, we had a long-standing client in the retail industry. However, a new competitor entered the market, offering a more aggressive pricing strategy.
I was tasked with retaining the client and presented a proposal that matched the competitor’s pricing while highlighting our established track record and proven results. Unfortunately, the client prioritized the lower price point of our competitor.
In hindsight, I should have focused more on the value proposition beyond just price. I could have explored a tiered pricing structure that offered different levels of service based on their needs. Additionally, I would have emphasized the potential risks of going with an unproven competitor.”
5. Project Overextension
“I was eager to prove myself and volunteered to lead two major projects simultaneously. I underestimated the workload and time commitment involved. I attempted to manage both projects by multitasking and delegating heavily.
Unfortunately, this resulted in missed deadlines and quality control issues on both projects.
Moving forward, I would prioritize effective project management. I would have accurately assessed the workload and communicated it clearly. I would have delegated tasks thoughtfully, ensuring team members had the necessary support. If necessary, I would have advocated for additional resources or adjusted project timelines proactively.”
6. Adaptation to Change
“Our company underwent a major restructuring, transitioning to a completely new project management system. I was resistant to the change and clung to the old methods. My responsibility was to lead a team through the implementation of the new system.
However, my resistance hindered the team’s progress. Our department fell behind schedule on several projects, causing delays for other departments as well. My resistance fostered a negative attitude towards change within the team.
Moving forward, I would actively embrace change and champion new initiatives. I would prioritize seeking out training opportunities and actively participate in change management processes. I would also take the initiative to educate and involve my team in the adaptation process, fostering a culture of continuous learning.”
7. Resource Misallocation
“I was tasked with managing a marketing campaign for a new product launch. I misinterpreted market research data and misallocated resources towards a demographic that wasn’t the target audience and I directed most of the marketing budget towards traditional media channels.
The campaign failed to reach the intended audience. Product awareness remained low, leading to poor sales figures at launch. We had to scramble to reallocate resources and adjust strategies mid-campaign.
In the future, I would involve relevant stakeholders in the resource allocation process and prioritize a data-driven approach, analyzing market research and customer insights more rigorously before allocating resources.”
8. Ineffective Feedback
“I provided feedback to a team member in a harsh and overly critical manner. This discouraged them and ultimately led to them taking some time off. I acknowledged the severity of my mistake and apologized to the team member.
I recognized my poor communication and researched and practiced providing constructive feedback that focused on specific improvement areas and positive reinforcement. I also participated in workshops on effective communication.
Next time, I will frame my feedback as an opportunity for growth and offer actionable suggestions for improvement.”
Mistakes to Avoid When Talking About a Time You Failed
Now let’s look at some traps, mistakes, and errors that can get you rejected in an interview when answering “Tell Me About a Time You Failed”. These mistakes are based on the responses I’ve listened to throughout my recruiting career. I’ve listed the errors here, so you don’t make the same mistakes!
A Rambling or Unstructured Response
Interviewers don’t have a ton of time, and a long, rambling answer can make it hard for them to see what you learned from the experience. Prepare an example and be ready to talk about it. I recommend keeping your response to around 30-60 seconds.
The STAR method is a great way to keep your answer focused and highlight your growth.
Picking a Huge Mistake
If you made a massive mistake that cost a past company $2 million, I’d keep quiet and find a “less scary” failure. So it’s a bit of a balancing act. Pick a real failure but don’t talk about a disaster that severely hurt your company.
Lack of Reflection
Don’t make it sound like you learned nothing from the experience, and don’t blame others. Show the interviewer that you genuinely reflected on the experience and learned from it. Explain what you took away from the situation and how you’d approach a similar challenge in the future.
Very helpful, thanks!