What the Interviewer Really Wants to Know
An employer will ask this question (and other questions about failure) for a number of reasons. Firstly, she or he may want to test your ability to cope with failure. Secondly, she or he may want to see whether or not you are willing to push yourself (through failure) to become a better employee. When answering this question, you want to acknowledge that failure does happen, but emphasize that when you fail, you always learn from your mistakes, and become a better employee as a result. You also want to be clear that you do not fail too often.
How to Answer, “Are You Willing to Fail?”
It’s important to acknowledge that failure can be a good thing—it can provide you with a lesson that helps you grow as a person or employee. A person who answers the question by saying, “No, I’m not willing to fail” will appear unwilling to push him or herself to be better. The best way to answer this question is to provide an example of a time you failed in the past, and then explain what you learned from it. Ideally, it will be a time you learned, in fact, to be a better employee. When providing an example, explain what the situation was, and what you tried (and failed) to achieve. Then—and this is the most important part—explain what you learned from the experience. Perhaps you tried and failed to solve a problem using one technique, but then quickly learned to use another method. You might also state what steps you took to make sure you never made the same mistake again. Emphasize how you grew as a result of this failure. You might also provide an example of a time that you did not fail, but thought that you might (or perhaps your colleagues or boss believed you would). For example, you might mention a time when you took on a new, challenging assignment that you were not sure you could finish, and then you did complete it. In your interview answer, explain the steps you took to push yourself while avoiding failure.
Examples of the Best Answers
Here are some examples of how to answer the question, “Are you willing to fail?” These responses all use the STAR interview response technique, in which you recall a Situation, explain the Task involved, describe the Action you took, and close with the Results of this action. Why It Works: This candidate puts a positive spin on the question by redefining “potential failure” as “calculated risk.” She then recalls the steps she took to successfully avert failure, demonstrating that she has the ability to proactively problem-solve when obstacles arise. Why It Works: Here the interviewee illustrates how failure can be valuable when it leads to improvement. Pointing out the advantages of “trial and error” is probably the safest, most strategic way to answer this question. Why It Works: This candidate demonstrates his willingness to learn from his failures – always an excellent trait in an employee. He shows maturity in owning the fact that he at first failed in a work task, and then personal initiative in explaining how he made sure this wouldn’t happen again.
Tips for Giving the Best Answer
Emphasize the Learning Process. Your interviewer wants to know if you can learn and grow from the mistakes you make. Turn the question to your advantage. Use your answer to “sell” the soft skills you possess that enable you to deal with pending failure. These might include competencies such as strategic planning, process analysis, time management, flexibility, and active problem-solving. Practice, practice, practice. Use the STAR interview response technique to come up with your good anecdotes that you could use should this question arise. Practice your response aloud, either in front of a mirror or – better yet – with a friend willing to role-play the part of an interviewer.
What Not to Say
Don’t mention a recent failure. While you want to acknowledge that failure can be a good thing, you also don’t want to imply that you will fail at job tasks all the time. Try to pick an example from the somewhat distant past, to show you have learned and improved from your past mistakes. Don’t blame others. When explaining your failure, do not point fingers at others. Take full responsibility, even if someone else was involved. You do not want to appear to be the kind of employee who blames a boss or coworkers for your own problems. Don’t mention a failure related to the job requirements. You do not want to give the employer any concern that you are not up to the requirements of the job. Therefore, don’t mention an example of a failure related to an important part of the job you’re applying for. For example, if you are applying for a job in coding, and you once made a big coding error that had horrible consequences, don’t mention this. Pick an example that is less directly related to the job. Don’t mention drastic failures. Did you ever make a mistake that resulted in a financial loss for a company, or led to your firing? Don’t mention any of these big mistakes. Focus on a small mistake that you were able to fix relatively easily. Don’t say “No.” When asked, “Are you willing to fail?” don’t answer with “No.” This makes you seem scared to push yourself to achieve bigger things. Also, don’t answer with, “I have never failed.” This will come across as insincere—everyone has failed in some small way at work.
Possible Follow-Up Questions
What did you like or dislike about your previous job? - Best Answers What is your greatest strength? - Best Answers What are the most difficult decisions to make? - Best Answers
TELL A STORY: Use the STAR interview response technique to provide a good example of a previous time when you were able to turn failure into a positive learning experience. KEEP IT MINOR: Don’t discuss a major failure you made or contributed to that had heavy consequences for your employer. Instead, talk about a common mistake that often occurs in your industry (such as the challenges of learning a new technology or a missed deadline caused by unanticipated understaffing or last-minute client demands).
