TIAA Mock Interview
Practice 28 TIAA interview questions covering financial services, retirement planning, and client-focused values.
Question 18 of 28
Tell me about an error or mistake you made because of a breakdown in communication from you or one of your team members.
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Example Answer
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Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
On occasion, mistakes will happen and communication will be broken. Talk to the interviewer about a time that this occurred in the workplace. How did you resolve the situation?
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"I recall one instance where I misread an email from one of my subordinates. The punctuation was incorrect and I read it in a dire tone rather than in a positive one, as it was intended. After a tense conversation, the employee clarified her intention and it seems I was mistaken. She and I agreed to exercise verbal communication on a regular basis to avoid a similar situation from happening again."
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"I had a manager text me one time about a client who was not happy with the results of my work. I was really upset, because I try my best at all times, and felt that the conversation would have been better delivered to me in-person. The next day, I approached the manager and requested that future communication of that nature be conducted in person, versus text message. I did apologize for my initially defensive reaction."
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Anonymous Answer
I remember an error in a timeline I made with a client. I called them told them my mistake and offered a couple of different solutions. They appreciated the call and were open to rescheduling.
Marcie's Feedback
Was the error a result of a breakdown in communication between you and the client? If not, replace this example with one that describes this scenario. Talk about the lessons you learned from the situation and how nowadays you avoid these kinds of communication breakdowns.
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