Question: What is your greatest failure, and what did you learn from it?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

What is your biggest failure, and what did you learn from it?
Describe your biggest setback.

Follow-up questions:

What happened in the end?
Did you manage to recover from this failure?

Question Details:

Question Type:

Traditional

Skills:

Basic – Active Learning,Basic – Critical Thinking,Systems Evaluation

Other Factors:

Big 5 – Conscientiousness (Work Ethic),Personal Improvement (Growth),Rapport Building Question,Self-Awareness

Work Activity (Task):

Information Input – Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events,Information Input – Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (for Problem Identification),Information Input – Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings

Work Context (Person-Job/Team/Org Fit):

Job Structure – Consequence of Error

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Humility

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

The interviewee’s ability to learn and improve.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the interviewee avoids admitting errors and mistakes.

Sample Answer:

N/A

Question Source: Unknown