In an Interview, everyone likes to show his/her good side. But, an interviewer is also interested in your bad side; therefore, he asks you some tricky questions like tell me about a time you failed. It’s a kind of question everyone feels uncomfortable with.

 But, you should be ready to get out of your comfort zone from time to time in an interview. Because it’s not the only question that will be challenging, many other will also be the same type. There are tons of others who will follow up. Such as, what’s your Greatest weakness.

We don’t like to talk about weaknesses and failures. However, it’s not an optional question that you can skip.

So, what to do? Prepare for it.

You know, what would be the worst-case scenario? It is doing no preparation. Trust me; it is a real deal-break question whose answer can make or break a deal for you. So, you better be prepared. 

The best preparation for this question includes:

1. Knowing what your hiring manager wants to get from it.
2. Careful Preparation of a story
3. And What not to say

So, let’s get started.

What your Hiring Manager wants to Know from Interview Question : Describe a time you failed.

No matter what kind of behavioral interview questions a hiring manager asks, he must have to know something about you through that question.

So, when he asks you to tell me/us about a time you failed, then he wants to know:

Do you hold yourself accountable?

Do you blame others or accept your mistakes?

Are you good enough to take responsibility for your mistakes or failure?

Do you learn from your mistakes?

How do you handle failure in your life?

No one is perfect. To err is human, not just in reality but also in the professional world. We all make mistakes, learn from it, and don’t repeat it. 

What Not to Say in your Answer?

As you know, what your hiring manager is interested in, therefore, you get an idea of what you should add in the answer. Now next is what not to add in your answer.

I’m Careless- Your story doesn’t make you a care-free person at your job. 

Poor-Decision Maker- You don’t have to show your hiring manager that you made a decision that was so bad. 

Blaming Others -Never blame your company or colleague in any manner. You don’t have a bad mouth about any person or thing in your interview. Recruiters don’t like to hire this sort of candidate who talks ill about others.

Highlighting a Major Blunder - If you have made a mistake and it cost your company a lot, then it’s not a kind of story you are going to share. Some people are 

very honest and think that sharing any story is okay, but it is not. 

Preparation of a Story for an Interview Question: Tell me About a Time you Failed

You are going to prepare your failure story, whether you like it or not. By doing preparation, you get a chance to tight all the loose screws of a story. As the answer to this question tells a hiring manager a lot about you, it’s better to practice it a little.

Stand in front of the mirror and look at yourself while sharing the story. See, how do you look? Pay attention to your gestures and facial expressions. You should sound humble while sharing the story. 

Another idea is to do role-playing, it means asking your friend or family member to turn into a recruiter and then judge you. Sometimes, another perspective and opinion help you fine-tune a story.

Keep your story simple, short, and engaging. You can opt for the STAR technique while answering that question.

Tell me about a Time you Failed interview Questions Sample Answers

Here are some examples that let you create your own story.

While I was working for a project manager for my company, I had to determine the timeline for a project. A few years ago, I told my client that the project would be delivered to him within two weeks. However, that timeline wasn’t doable. I was unable to deliver the project on the stated timescale. My failure shook my mind a lot. I decided never to give a short deadline to a client. I learned to give a time-frame by considering all the factors. Project delivery matters a lot in any business. Now I carefully estimate a timeline and then share it with my client, so I don’t have to make any excuse. Customer’s satisfaction and his trust in our word are detrimental for every business, indeed.

I worked as a manager for a shoe company for quite some time. Once, my boss asked me to hire a sale-person. It was my first time to hire anyone. When I checked the resume of a candidate and asked some general sales questions, then he impressed me a lot. I decided to go with him; however, later, he wasn’t a suitable candidate for the job as he lacked team-player skills. He couldn’t fit well with our company’s culture. And he left the job after two months. That time, I decided not to repeat the same thing again. In the next two years, I carefully selected more than nine sale-person for my company, and they are still doing jobs in the company. From that situation, I realized the importance of careful recruitment in a company as it saves money and also reduces employee turnover rate.