Behavioral Interview Questions
Master 31 behavioral interview questions covering past experiences, conflict resolution, and decision-making.
Question 29 of 31
How do you react when you are dissatisfied with the quality of your work or the outcome of your work?
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How to Answer
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Community Answers
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.
The interviewer would like to know how you respond to failure in the workplace. There will always be a time when you are not happy with your work environment, but your reaction will determine whether or not you can recover from the disappointment. The goal of your response is to show the interviewer that you have the maturity to respond productively in the face of dissatisfaction.
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 am rarely dissatisfied with my work because I keep very high standards for myself and what I deliver. With that said, should I be dissatisfied with the quality of my work, I would own up to it and try again until I was proud of the work I delivered."
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.
"The last time I was dissatisfied with my work, I asked my boss if there was time for me to re-do the components with which I was not happy. The deadline was tight, but I did not believe that it should affect the quality of what I delivered. She agreed and gave me the time to revisit the aspects that I felt were not up to my usual standard."
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.
"When I am dissatisfied with my work, I will not submit it. There is no room in my line of work to hand in work that is not up to standard. I would not say that I am a perfectionist; however, I know what I am capable of achieving, and as a manager - I have to set a great example at all times."
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.
"In marketing, there is often room to play around with our work and bounce back from mistakes. I allow myself to make mistakes, tweak my work, and play around with different designs, for instance. A creative mind is always seeking improvements."
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 like to make a great first impression, so I will rarely be disappointed in the work that I deliver. If I do not deliver to my standard or encounter an unforeseen issue that railroads me, I am quick to assess what I could have done differently and recovered from there."
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.
"If I am dissatisfied with the quality of my work, I work harder! I believe that the only thing standing between failure and greatness is me. I always put in 100% in everything that I do."
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 expect a lot from my students, and they expect a lot from me in return. I fully believe in being accountable for my work. So, for that reason, if I am dissatisfied with the work that I produce, I will go back to it and re-do until I am proud of the final product."
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.
Think about a time in the past when you were unsuccessful in your work. Briefly discuss the situation with your interviewer and describe how you reacted. Be sure to include the action steps you took to recover from the situation. Discuss what you learned from the situation at the end of your response. Then, explain how you have applied that lesson to improve the quality of your work.
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.
Since this question begins with 'How do you...' it is acceptable to use a hypothetical story example, giving a general overview of how you would react in this situation. However, if you want to use a real-life example, try forming a response using the STAR method. STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result. Organizing your response using this framework will ensure that you provide the interviewer with the right amount of information and detail to form a compelling answer.
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.
Avoid giving a response that implies you're always 100% satisfied with your work. For instance, saying something like 'I put everything I have into my work, so I am never dissatisfied' can sound overconfident. We all have room to grow, and most interviewers will interpret a reply like that to mean you are not a coachable individual.
Anonymous Answer
I am rarely dissatisfied with my work because I keep very high standards for myself and what I deliver. There is no room in my line of work to hand in work that is not up to standard. I would not say that I am a perfectionist; however, I know that I am capable of achieving a good quality of my work and I don't stop until I am proud of the work I delivered.
Rachelle's Feedback
If you have ever been disappointed with the outcome of your work, be sure to mention this experience. Otherwise, your answer is thorough and helpful.
Anonymous Answer
I put my all into my work so I cannot think of a time I have been dissatisfied with the quality of my work.
Rachelle's Feedback
'Or the outcome of your work'...Everyone has had a disappointing outcome (despite perfect performance) and the interviewer wants to gauge how you react to situations where things don't go your way. As awesome as it is to sound confident in your responses, it's important to avoid sounding like you have it all together all the time - nobody does :) It's actually the opposite of what an interviewer wants to hear in this situation.
Anonymous Answer
When I submit work that is below my quality standards, I feel disappointed in myself. You are only as good as the last piece of work you do so I feel it reflects badly on me.
Even if I'm the only one who feels that way, I try to learn from the situation, and if I feel there are steps I can make to improve next time, I make a note to take those steps either by asking for help or doing some research myself.
Rachelle's Feedback
Asking for help or researching to prevent a repeat are all excellent ways to approach this type of dissatisfaction. Nicely done :)
Anonymous Answer
I want my work to reflect my attention to detail and if it doesn't meet my expectations then I want a chance to atone for my felt shortfall.
Rachelle's Feedback
It's good that you mentioned you want your work to reflect your attention to detail. This is a solid response.
I want my work to reflect my attention to detail. If the results don't meet my expectations, then I want a chance to atone for my shortfall.
Anonymous Answer
Legal matters are sensitive. I never send out work if I am not satisfied or not sure of the quality. I correct anything that would lessen the quality of my work or research further than I send it out when I'm sure. I have set this example with the Legal officer who reports to me
Rachelle's Feedback
Excellent! It's a nice addition that you mention how you have influenced others who report to you.
Anonymous Answer
I have enough life experience to know that I could not perform at peak proficiency every day. I know that little nuances will creep into my work product. I also know that these days are few and far between. I never let myself get down or worry about my performance because I know that the next day shall bring better results than the day before.
Kristine's Feedback
Good answer! You reassure the interviewer that it's rare when you are dissatisfied with the quality of your work. You show maturity and confidence by stating you know you will spring back the next day. To take your answer to the next level, explain any actions you do to improve the quality of your work in those situations or learn from and improve from those experiences.
Anonymous Answer
I have very high expectations for my work, so I always try to do it right the first time. If I am dissatisfied with the quality of my work, I would own up to the issue and work as quickly as I can to redo the work.
Kristine's Feedback
Excellent response! You will convince the interviewer you care about maintaining high standards when it comes to the quality of your work.
Anonymous Answer
If I am dissatisfied with the quality of my work, I, at times, may reference other similar material to see how I can improve myself or go to a mentor for their experience and advice on how I can improve my quality of work.
Rachelle's Feedback
Excellent solutions! Your response shows a willingness to learn, grow, and find the answers that you need. Well done.
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