How well do you take criticism?
Interviewers often ask candidates how they handle criticism in the workplace to assess how well they handle challenging situations and determine whether they can accept and apply constructive criticism. By evaluating your ability to accept criticism, they can learn more about you as an employee and how you would perform in a new workplace. They want to understand how well you can adapt and perform in challenging situations and unstructured environments.
When preparing for your interview, choose a compelling and honest story that can articulate a real-life experience where you received constructive feedback from your manager or peer at your workplace. During the interview, describe the situation and explain what feedback you received and from whom. Elaborate on how you reacted when you received the feedback. Show that you maintained a calm and composed attitude and were not defensive to the person who gave you the feedback.
"I have been working in leadership positions in marketing for the past ten years. I always encouraged my peers and subordinates to share their feedback and tell me if they thought I could do something better. I encouraged my team to complete peer reviews and created a safe space to provide constructive criticism and feedback. For example, a few individuals said that I did not explain my expectations clearly in the team meetings and that I left a team under-staffed. I always tried to respond positively to their criticism, taking into account what they said and finding ways to make changes that positively addressed their concerns. In my opinion, leaders and managers see things from a different perspective than employees, and we may miss something that matters to the team. I think it's important to stay humble, avoid getting defensive, listen carefully to any criticism from our subordinates and colleagues, and encourage them to share their feedback with us when they see a problem. I've been following this philosophy for years and plan to continue to do so if I'm hired in this role with Facebook."
