Talk about a time you received critical feedback from a leader or peer. Describe the situation, how you felt about it, and your response.
This question is aimed at assessing your emotional intelligence, experience level, and drive to further your professional development. How you answer will help them determine your fit for their company. As Boeing states on their careers site, "As we strive for continuous improvement in ourselves and our company, we will seek insights from one another. These best practices will empower us to solve our most difficult problems." Boeing also states online, "When our environment encourages everyone to voice their perspective, bring issues to light, seek and receive feedback, and feel heard by their leadership, we improve not only the employee experience but also product quality and stability. Issues get identified and fixed early, our products are better and we're smarter about serving our customers. The habits are simple acts of caring, so our people can be their best at work and in life. We will continue to embed the habits into our daily work, processes, systems and communications to hold ourselves accountable."
Someone who takes charge of their professional development is someone who proactively seeks out feedback, whereas someone who is inexperienced or prefers performing at the bare minimum and thrives in the status quo is someone who views no news as good news, and is more likely to take feedback more personally. HireVue classifies someone with an intermediate skill level as someone who can identify and admit to their limitations, needed adjustments, and mistakes. They can hold themself accountable for their setbacks while identifying and admitting to their weaknesses, limitations needing adjustments, and mistakes. Whereas they describe an expert as someone who considers areas where there is room for improvement as a growth opportunity rather than a weakness or debilitation. They also describe them as someone who takes ownership of a growth opportunity and isn't afraid to share it, which in itself is a show of strength.
Recall an instance where you actively sought or welcomed feedback. Maintain a positive outlook, expressing gratitude for every chance to develop personally and professionally. Conveying your eagerness to embrace opportunities for career advancement can go a long way here. Aim to strike a balance of objectivity, appreciation, and humility.
"Not long ago, I noticed a teammate's attitude toward me was more negative than usual from the moment they walked through the door that morning. I thought it was curious and I was empathetic and took none of it personally. Then, about halfway through the day, they snapped at me over something they expressed had been bothering them for some time. They had some good points, and I immediately recognized that this suggestion, regardless of its delivery, was worth taking to heart, I thanked them and promised to work on implementing a new habit for this issue. I then asked them if there were any other concerns they'd like to express, and they said no. So I then went to lunch, and that was when I realized I'd inadvertently parked in their parking space. I quickly moved my car and later apologized to them for making this mistake. After I apologized for that, their demeanor instantly softened."
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