By Mike Simpson

Tell me about a time you failed; it’s one of the scariest interview questions around. After all, no one likes to talk about times they made mistakes or where things went wrong. It just isn’t a good time.

The thing is, that doesn’t mean you can avoid it. “Tell me about a time you failed” is a job interview staple, so you need to be ready for it.

But how do you prepare for such a tricky question? By having a great strategy. If you want to make sure you’re ready, come with us as we explore how to answer “tell me about a time you failed” like a pro.

What Is Failure?

Before we dig into how to answer “Tell me about a time you failed,” let’s talk about what “failed” means in this context.

According to Merriam-Webster, “failure” can simply mean a “lack of success.”

Why does that matter? Because the outcome doesn’t have to be catastrophic to qualify, which is actually good news for candidates.

Usually, when job seekers reflect on their failures, they focus on the biggest examples. However, something smaller could still fit the bill for the question, allowing you to steer clear of discussing situations that may genuinely hurt your chances of getting a job.

What kind of failures are your best options? Well, that depends. Hiring managers are going to want to hear about a real situation that had a genuine impact. Remember, something isn’t a failure unless there was a lack of success, so a misstep with no consequences doesn’t count.

But that doesn’t mean you don’t want to be strategic about what you choose. Ideally, you need an example that had consequences, but you were able to overcome the fallout. That way, you can highlight your resilience instead of just the mistake.

However, discussing the right kind of example isn’t the only important part of answering this question. You also need to be able to articulate your failures like a pro. Being able to remain calm, fact-oriented, and honest are all crucial to the broader equation. So is staying concise without being vague.

If you can do that, you can craft an excellent answer to the question, increasing the odds that you’ll impress the hiring manager.

Why Does the Hiring Manager Ask This Question?

So, why on earth would a hiring manager ask, “Tell me about a time you failed”? In most cases, their goal isn’t to learn about the misstep. Instead, they want to see how you deal with poor outcomes, as well as what you do after a failure to recover.

Plus, they want to see if you’re honest, accountable, and self-aware. Being able to own up to your mistakes is a big deal. If you can do that well, the odds are better that you learn from the poor outcomes, making them less likely to happen again in the future.

Ultimately, while this question asks about failures, it really isn’t about the incident itself. Instead, it’s about how you manage adversity, as well as whether you recognize the part you played and are willing to own it and found a way to move forward.

Just remember, this is just one question the hiring manager could ask you in your interview! That’s why we created an amazing free cheat sheet that will give you word-for-word answers for some of the toughest interview questions you are going to face in your upcoming interview.

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Common Mistakes When Answering This Question

Before we dig into how to answer this interview question, let’s take a second to discuss common mistakes people make when responding to this prompt.

First, claiming you’ve never failed is a big no-no. If you do that, the hiring manager is going to question your mentality and self-awareness. And considering that 89 percent of new hires that fail in a position within their first 18 months because of a poor attitude, bad temperament, or similar issues, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on the job.

Second, mistakes that cost companies a ton of money aren’t ideal. While it’s okay if there is some cost, you don’t want it to be budget-derailing. If it is, the hiring manager isn’t going to feel confident about hiring you.

Third, skip failures that involved compliance or legal issues. If a hiring manager hears that your mistake caused a regulatory body, attorney’s office, or similar organization to descend upon a workplace, they won’t be too keen about bringing you on board.

Similarly, anything where the failure was incredibly high profile isn’t a great example. So, if the fallout was substantial, harming the company’s reputation, choose something else.

Tips for Answering This Question

Coming up with a great answer doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are three tips that can help you head in the right direction.

1. Take Ownership of Your Part

In some cases, candidates try to mitigate the damage by using “we” instead of “I” in their answers. While it’s fine to mention if a team was involved, make sure to take ownership of your part of the equation by saying “I” when appropriate. That way, it doesn’t look like you’re hiding your role in the situation behind other people, making your answer more genuine.

2. Quantify the Details

Quantifying the details makes your answer feel more real. You’re giving the hiring manager context they don’t have otherwise, adding depth to your response. Plus, you can use the numbers to show that the failure did have an impact, ensuring you are sharing an example that works for the question.

3. Focus on How You Moved Forward

While you do need to outline what went wrong, spend a decent amount of time talking about what went right after the failure. Talk about how you recovered or made an effort to learn from the incident to make sure it was never repeated. That way, the hiring manager can see your growth, making it less likely that they’ll worry about you repeating the mistake down the line.

How to Answer the Interview Question “Tell Me About a Time You Failed”

Here’s the moment you’ve been waiting for: a look at how to answer the interview question “Tell me about a time you failed.”

So, how do you tackle it? By first recognizing that this is a behavioral interview question.

The hiring manager wants to hear the story behind what happened, as well as the outcome. Since that’s what you need to do, using the STAR Method is a must, ensuring your answer isn’t just a humdrum list of facts but a compelling narrative.

However, you don’t want to stop there. The Tailoring Method is an important part of the equation. That way, you can pick an example that’s appropriate based on the situation, ensuring you are taking the hiring manager’s needs into account.

Want to see how you bring a fantastic answer together? Great! Here’s a step-by-step guide and some example responses that can help.

Step-by-Step Guide

Putting your answer together one piece at a time is often the easiest approach to use. Here’s a step-by-step guide for answering “Tell me about a time you failed.”

1. Identify the Failure You Want to Discuss

First, reflect on your career to identify an appropriate failure to include in your answer. Ideally, it needs to be significant enough that there were consequences, but not catastrophic.

2. Define Why It’s a Failure (Optional)

In some cases, it pays off to take a second and define failure in the context of the situation. By letting the hiring manager know why you viewed an incident as a failure, you can give them context before sharing the details.

2. Summarize What Happened Concisely

When you’re answering this question, you want to keep your answer focused. Summarize the entire event in just a handful of sentences, give or take, covering what the situation was, what unfolded, and the outcome efficiently.

3. Talk About the Positives

After you outline the event, pivot toward something more positive. Talk about how you worked to recover or the lessons learned along the way. That way, you can end on a high note.

Example Answers

When push comes to shove, it’s hard to beat a good example. Here are three sample responses to “Tell me about a time you failed,” each focused on a slightly different target.

1. Missed Deadline

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

“In my first position, I was still getting a feel for my workload. When I was given my first major solo project, I quoted the client a completion deadline of just four weeks.

While it was true that it would take three weeks of work, that was based on me handling no other tasks during my workday. I neglected to factor in the time I needed for the rest of my responsibilities, and the project was two weeks late.

The client wasn’t thrilled about the delay. This harmed the company’s reputation, as well as made the client reluctant initially to use us for future needs.

I took full responsibility for the missed deadline, and the incident was ultimately a powerful lesson for me. I learned to better assess my full workload, allowing me to set reasonable deadlines moving forward. Since that project, I’ve remained on target consistently. Additionally, I was able to work with that client again, finishing that project not just on time, but a few days early.”

2. Poor Delegation

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

“As a manager, I believe that letting down my team is a major failure. When I was initially promoted into a management role, I struggled with setting aside my individual contributor hat. I tried to take control of everything instead of trusting my team to do what they do well.

The lack of delegation was harmful to the team dynamic and made them feel undervalued. As a result, I lost an incredibly skilled employee, as they sought had out an opportunity elsewhere.

When they handed in their notice, I asked if they would let me know why they were leaving. Luckily, there were very honest, telling me that their engagement had fallen since I stopped handing out meaningful work and that they believed I didn’t trust them.

That moment served as a wake-up call and, while I wasn’t able to get that employee to stay, it made me focus more on engagement and trust. In the end, that made me a better manager, ensuring I kept the right priorities to support my team.”

3. Skipping Steps

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

“A few years ago, I was given a project with an incredibly tight deadline. I had to make several changes to the client’s system within just a couple of hours, which left me feeling a bit frantic.

As I worked, I decided to forgo tests between each major change in an attempt to make the process go faster. I believed that the risk was minimal, as I had made similar changes to other client systems in the past.

However, when I applied the changes, it was clear that something was wrong. Since I didn’t test between each step, I had no way of knowing when the problem arose. As a result, I had to roll everything back and schedule a new time window to attempt the changes again, which wasn’t ideal for the client.

Ultimately, this was a critical lesson. Since then, I always follow testing best practices even if I’m pressed for time. That way, issues are identified at the right moment, increasing the odds that they can be corrected and the project can finish on time.”

Putting It All Together

Ultimately, you should now have a pretty solid idea of how to answer “Tell me about a time you failed” during your next interview. Use the tips and examples above to your advantage. That way, you’ll be ready with a winning answer the next time you meet with a hiring manager.

Good luck!