How to Answer: Have you ever taken the fall for a situation, where it was really not your fault, in order to protect a coworker?
11. Have you ever taken the fall for a situation, where it was really not your fault, in order to protect a coworker?
How to Answer
The interviewer would like to know if you would falsely take the fall for a coworker. Taking the fall for a situation, to protect a co-worker, is a tricky situation. It can show teamwork, but it may not be the most honest thing to do. Talk to the interviewer about your thoughts on taking the fall for something you did not do.
Answer Example
"I do not believe in 'taking the fall' for people based on protecting them. Transparency is always a good idea, and if something went wrong, then it needs to be addressed to prevent it from happening again. When it comes to clients, I will apologize on behalf of the company for errors. In that case, I will do what it takes to protect the company's reputation."
Admin
"As an executive assistant, I often take the fall for the executive whom I support. If she is running late for a meeting, for instance, I will call the client and apologize for overbooking her schedule. Whether I did that or not is not the point. It is my job to ensure her reputation remains intact so that the business is successful."
Manager
"As a supervisor, I have taken the fall many times. I did not "take the fall" though. As a leader, I am responsible for the successes and failures of my staff."
Marketing
"I take the fall all the time! As the marketing director, I am the face of all of our projects. I will always take the brunt of poor feedback or a client dispute. It's part of my job, and I have no qualms surrounding this fact."
Retail
"I have taken the heat for a situation that was not my fault. Honestly, it wasn't anyone's fault, and I understand that sometimes the blame needs to land somewhere when corporate is looking for answers."
Sales
"As a sales leader, I have taken responsibility for the results of my team because I hold myself to that standard. If in a situation where blame is falsely placed on me, I will utilize my communication skills to resolve the matter."
Teacher
"I once had a substitute teacher take over my class for the week. She sent home WAY too much homework, and it wasn't necessarily appropriate to the grade or age of the students. I received many upset emails from parents that week! I apologized to all of them for the miscommunication and assured them their child only need to complete what they were capable of doing without being stressed."
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