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Microsoft Marketing Mock Interview

Question 2 of 30 for our Microsoft Marketing Mock Interview

Microsoft was written by on June 22nd, 2022. Learn more here.

Question 2 of 30

Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it.

"In my previous job, I was responsible for supervising the creative team. We had one employee who was often late to work and continuously missed deadlines. It never caused any major problems, and he contributed some of the most creative ideas, so I didn't address it, at first. I think he thought that I didn't care or didn't notice, and he started really dropping the ball on important projects. We ended up losing one of our most important clients based on some of his actions, and the marketing director let him go. If I had intervened and communicated my concerns sooner, we could have gotten his tardiness under control and continued to benefit from his ideas. We also could have avoided losing one of our biggest clients. The experience taught me to have uncomfortable conversations with employees as soon as an issue comes up - you can't just ignore issues and expect them to get better. When the employee feels that their poor behavior goes unnoticed, the behavior often becomes worse. The next person that we hired would spend too much time walking around the office talking to coworkers. We had a respectful and positive conversation about it, and the problem stopped. He's still one of the most successful and productive employees there."

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How to Answer: Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it.

Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Microsoft job interview.

  • 2. Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it.

      Why the Interviewer Asks This Question

      A great deal of marketing is experimentation, so there are bound to be a few failures on the road to success. Interviewers are looking for candidates who take responsibility, rather than making excuses or blaming others.

      Written by Sue Oberliesen on June 22nd, 2022

      How to Answer

      In general, when answering any behavioral interview question, describe the situation you were in, the choice you made, and the outcome. In answering this question, talk about a real failure you've had. Demonstrate that you are someone who takes responsibility for your mistakes instead of putting the blame on others. Focus your answer on solutions, not problems; and describe what you learned from your failure - that you view failures as opportunities to optimize future marketing campaigns. Keep your example brief and tell the story in chronological order.

      Written by Sue Oberliesen on June 22nd, 2022

      Answer Example

      "In my previous job, I was responsible for supervising the creative team. We had one employee who was often late to work and continuously missed deadlines. It never caused any major problems, and he contributed some of the most creative ideas, so I didn't address it, at first. I think he thought that I didn't care or didn't notice, and he started really dropping the ball on important projects. We ended up losing one of our most important clients based on some of his actions, and the marketing director let him go. If I had intervened and communicated my concerns sooner, we could have gotten his tardiness under control and continued to benefit from his ideas. We also could have avoided losing one of our biggest clients. The experience taught me to have uncomfortable conversations with employees as soon as an issue comes up - you can't just ignore issues and expect them to get better. When the employee feels that their poor behavior goes unnoticed, the behavior often becomes worse. The next person that we hired would spend too much time walking around the office talking to coworkers. We had a respectful and positive conversation about it, and the problem stopped. He's still one of the most successful and productive employees there."

      Written by Sue Oberliesen on June 22nd, 2022

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