How to Answer “Tell Me About a Time You Failed”?

An interview is a place where the candidate has to show his ability and skills so that he can show his proficiency in the given role. However, there will be times when one can fall, make mistakes and fail bizarrely. Said that an interviewer can be keen to know about your failure story as equally as your success story. 

Such a situation can be a little tricky and you can be perplexed. How to answer a such question without affecting your other answers? How your past failures can help in attaining your potential job? 

In this article, we are going to discuss ” How to Answer “Tell Me About A Time You Failed”?” with some useful tips followed by sample answers.

What are Interviewers Looking For?

Behavioral questions give details about you that are not mentioned in the resume. These are critical in analyzing your personality and help the interviewer generate an opinion. Here are some important points an interviewer is looking in you when answering about failure:

The Definition of Failure

Mistakes are natural. There are many examples in history where years of experience become volatile. What is important in such situations is the skill to define such failure. You have to show that failure is always an experience to learn and grow. The attitude of welcoming a failure and making notes from it can keep you apart from other candidates. 

Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking

The subtle question in this question is your ability to adapt and solve the ongoing situation. A company always wants a brain that can analyze the problem and a person behind it who can tackle the situation. 

Accountability

It is a good trait for an employee to own and take responsibility for the problem rather than blaming others and making excuses. A humble employee would always make an effort when there is a chance of failure.

Steps to Answer- “Tell Me About A Time You Failed”

Giving a good answer to this question can make a huge impact on overall interview performance. Here are some steps you can follow when answering the failure story:

1. Understanding the Impact and Choosing a Relevant Answer 

An answer to this need not be a major mistake that caused huge damage to the company. Also, there cannot be an answer that states that there is no mistake committed in your whole career. Rather, an answer should be such that it has the potential to make an impact but you are successful in handling it and making changes to it. 

2. Structure the Answer

It can be useful to make a defined answer before the interview. Structure your answer using the STAR (Situation – Task – Assessment – Result ) method so that you can elevate the chances of a good answer and avoid a clumsy answer. 

Choose a relevant task. Define how you have managed to cope with the situation and give meaningful insights on the lessons you have learned through it. Focus on the later part and also explain how you have improved over time. 

3. Explain the Learning

You must emphasize the details regarding your inputs through the defined failure. Give enough time and care to tell about the steps you have taken to minimize the effects. Also, you can give additional details about how you have become productive in due time. 

4. Be Humble and Honest 

Let the recruiter understand that you are upfront and made enough effort with your defined answer. Sound confident and thankful while answering about the lessons you have learned.

Sample Answers 

Here are some sample answers to “Tell Me About A Time You Failed?”: 

Example 1

When I was doing my certificate course in XYZ from ABC University, I fell back in submitting the given assignments which were important in gaining a good score. Due to this, I was given no score for that week. I realized that I was postponing work and making it at the last moment. 

I understood that I need to change my plans and make them effective to avoid last-minute tension. I prepared a schedule and made it my routine since then. 

This made me work to my full potential. I was able to complete all my work before the deadline. In the next weeks, I submitted my work a little earlier, allocated enough time and practice to the course subject, and attained A+ Grade at the end of the course.

Example 2

During my initial days as an intern at XYZ company, I was given a task to check for the authenticity of data that was crucial for the project we were working on. I was to check for a few criteria before submitting them to a further level of the project. As I was working on it, I realized that I was not checking the criteria for the data. 

I quickly informed my Project Lead regarding the issue and apologized for my mistake. I asked him for help to tackle this situation. My Team Lead was super supportive and gave me enough time, support, and motivation to tackle the situation. I took enough measures and checked every detail without fail. In the end, I was able to find false data which would have caused trouble to our project. 

During this experience, I learned to pay attention to every detail and ask for help when needed. I was able to indulge these qualities in my later works.

Example 3

To me, failure is a learning step and an opportunity to develop myself as a person and a professional. When our team was working to build UI/UX for our client’s website, there was an error that made it difficult for customers to log in. We received feedback about the situation from the clients. 

We realized the problem and asked for a week time to sort it out. The code written was not tested well before giving to the client. We made enough effort and worked as a team to tackle the situation. 

This made me realize the efforts to put in as a team. Also, I learned about the importance of checking every element before making final results.

Example 4 

During my days as a manager at XYZ company, I organized an orientation program for my team regarding a new product. During my presentation, one of my team members pointed out a flaw in the product. I paid less attention to that information as I was fully confident about the product. 
But later on, as we started to work with the product, we started to face many errors. I realized this was the same mistake my teammate was addressing. 

I quickly made a team meeting and I apologized to my teammate for not hearing and appreciated her for pointing out the error. I worked along with my team to analyze the situation and tackle them. 

As a result, our end product was 50% more efficient than the previous one. This made me realize the need to listen and communicate effectively with my team for better understanding.

Tips to Answer “Tell Me About a Time You Failed”

Here are a few basic tips to Answer “Tell Me About a Time You Failed” :

• Don’t try to defend the failure, rather accept it in its true sense and answer how you have managed to overcome it. 
• Concise your answer and don’t brag about the failure. Focus mainly on the steps you have taken to overcome it. 
• Avoid playing the blame game. If your teammate makes a mistake, try to make it a group mistake.
• Prepare yourself before answering and make rehearsals. Don’t try to memorize the answer. 
• After you made your answers, ask your co-workers or take any expert advice.

Conclusion

Understanding behavioral questions and giving relevant answers play a key role in your selection process. It shows your ability and your potential as a stand-out person. Answering about failure and taking accountability for your actions, can make you an ethical person every company wants. 

FAQs on How to Answer “Tell Me About a Time You Failed”? 

Q1. How long should I answer this question?

There is no specific rule regarding the time to answer a behavioral question. However, it can be ideal to answer in 1-2 minutes for such questions.

Q2. Does speaking about my failure affect my job selection?

No, it will not affect your selection process and it becomes a bonus point when you acknowledge your mistakes and show the interviewer that you learned through your mistakes.

Q3. What skills I should include in my answer when answering about failure?

You can include personal skills such as Willingness to Improve, Determination, and Self-Awareness in this question. Make sure to support your skills with enough backstory.

Q4. How many examples should I give as part of my backstory?

A single example that supports your definition of failure can be great. Make sure your failure is not obvious but rather a story that helped to build your skills.