Tell us about a time you suffered a setback and didn't meet expectations.
"It was early on in my last job. I was eager to prove myself and anxious to go above and beyond. But my intentions backfired, and I took on too much work. I figured if I just worked harder, I could get it all done. But I waited too long to delegate some of my work to others on my team, and everyone else had a lot of work to accomplish and couldn't help. So I had to inform my supervisors. They were understanding, but I was hard on myself. I promised them I wouldn't make the same mistake again and asked for their help developing my time management skills to ensure I kept my word. They did, and I've improved drastically with my time management since then. I am just grateful I was able to learn from it."
This question is a character test designed to evaluate your attitude when faced with disappointment. The interviewers will assess your emotional intelligence, your ability to take responsibility for your actions, whether you own your mistakes and what you learn from them.
Focus on how the event made you stronger, what you learned about your limitations, and how it increased your self-awareness. Detail what you would've done differently and how you avoided repeating the mistake. Living, learning, and letting go are the attitude you want to convey.
Keep your tone positive. Avoid examples of compromising workplace safety, not protecting the company's assets, and examples resulting in disciplinary action. Don't offer excuses, present yourself as a victim, deflect blame, or point fingers at others on your team.
From their core values, "OWNERSHIP & MERITOCRACY: We own it. We are accountable. We act as owners each day, showing commitment and belief in our cause, making decisions, and treating this business as if it were our own. We take responsibility for our actions and results, in pursuit of building something together far bigger than ourselves."
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