How to Answer: Tell me about the last time you didn't meet your goals when leading a team.
Advice and answer examples written specifically for an Entry-Level Manager job interview.
38. Tell me about the last time you didn't meet your goals when leading a team.
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
This question has to do with how you handle failure and how you reduce the impact of that failure. The interviewer wants to see that you can hold yourself responsible for your failures and what you learn from them. How you answer will help them see how you react in the face of adversity.
Written by Kevin Downey on February 27th, 2024
Answer Example
"It happens on occasion. And when it does, I accept what is beyond my control, and take pride in what I am able to accomplish. I always try to plan for contingencies, and always count on something, somewhere, not going according to plan. So, when that happens, I am in a good position to succeed. But, recently I led a team project and had a handful of employees who went out drinking mid-week and contracted Covid. They were all out for the next ten days. So, I swiftly surveyed their work and leaned on several other teams to recruit help from wherever I could. But everyone was already stretched thin. So, I informed my leaders and our client that this project would be delayed, and gave them a delayed deadline, allowing for a little extra room in case something else came up. Then I coordinated the rest of the team to work on other, more detailed aspects of the project, to hasten the final sprint for when our missing team members would return to work. In the end, we beat our second deadline, but missed our first."
Written by Kevin Downey on February 27th, 2024