“Tell me about a time you failed”

Discover how to answer the difficult interview question, “tell me about a time you failed.”

No one likes failure. For some it’s a horrible word that raises their anxiety levels. It’s therefore not always easy to answer the interview question, “tell me about a time you failed.”

Failure is an inevitable part of working life, and your interviewer knows that. Whilst they will want to know about the successes you have achieved, the interviewer will also want to know how you deal with failure. Do you step back and assess where you went wrong, or do you sweep it under the carpet and act like it never happened?

Hiring managers will look for the former type of candidate. Failures are forgivable, inevitable in fact. But not knowing how to identify where you went wrong and learn for next time, will put you on the back foot.

Keep reading to find out how to prepare and deliver your answer to that dreaded interview question, “Tell me about a time you failed.”

Question preparation at a glance

It’s important to pick the right example when answering the question, “Tell me about a time you failed.” This blog will help you choose the one that will help you succeed in the interview.

There are then steps you need to take to show the interviewer that you learned from the mistake and dealt with the situation appropriately. No one wants to hire a person who doesn’t take responsibility, or blames others when the going gets tough.

Knowing the story you want to tell, as well as the lessons you learned, are an important part of preparing for this interview question.

“Tell me about a time you failed.” How to prepare

This is a fine balancing act. You don’t want to pick a thinly veiled success story that isn’t really a failure at all, such as “I exceeded my monthly sales target by 120 per cent, but I really wanted it to be by 130 per cent, so I was disappointed.” Rest assured, the interviewer will see straight through this. At the same time, avoid talking about a huge mistake or failure which cost a monumental amount of time, money or even jobs.

Think of a genuine example of where you made an oversight or error in judgement that caused a slight ripple in the ocean, as opposed to a complete tidal wave. This could be something like missing a deadline, not closing a deal, or failing to meet one of your KPIs one month.

However, ensure the example you select is not one of the key requirements of the job you’re interviewing for. Once you have your anecdote in mind, practice telling your story ahead of the interview and remember the below points.

Explain how it happened

Upon telling your story, make sure you can clearly indicate that you know exactly where you went wrong. Try to recall the situation as it happened and pinpoint the obstacles which prevented you from achieving what you wanted to. To me, this says that you know the root cause of the problem and can prevent it from happening again. Having said that, your reasons can’t sound like excuses, which brings me onto my next two points.

Don’t make excuses

Be careful not to attribute why you failed to things beyond your control, for instance, market fluctuations or a shortage of staff. In business, there will always be uncontrollable elements which can hinder your goals. Take ownership and responsibility for the times that you fail to take control. Doing otherwise will make you come across as defensive and unaccountable during the interview.

Don’t blame others

In a similar vein to the above, don’t blame other people as you talk about the situation. This is one of the worst things you can do in my book. An employee who always looks for the nearest person to blame, will always be a threat to the team dynamic, morale and productivity. Talk about what you could have done to prevent the failure from happening and show the humble self-awareness that all managers respect.

Don’t be too hard on yourself

There’s being humble and self-aware, and there’s going completely overboard and being self-deprecating. As you recall your story, don’t insult yourself or make any sweeping generalisations about who you are as an employee. Instead, stick to the facts and tell the story objectively. This will show that you can take these situations on the chin, rather than choosing to dwell on them.

Show that you have learned from the situation

As Henry Ford once said, “The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” Be sure to outline which lessons you have taken from your story, and how you have since applied them to similar situations. As I said at the beginning of this blog, mistakes and disappointments are inevitable in your career, so there’s no need to dread talking about them during an interview. Just be sure to choose your story wisely and tell it in a way which depicts you as an accountable, self-aware candidate, who will strive to learn from your mistakes in order to improve future performance.

Things to remember when answering “Tell me about a time you failed.”

There are a few things to remember when preparing for this question. Firstly, be sure to think of an example that shows you have learned from the experience and remember to come across as sincere. Interviewers can see-through examples that don’t highlight actual failure. At the same time, make sure you take responsibility and highlight how you’ve put your learned experience into practise.

Most of all, remember failure is a normal part of working life. “Tell me about a time youfailed” should not be a question that candidates fear.