Critical feedback is necessary for our professional growth. And while you tin sometimes be your harshest critic–possibly existence as well critical of yourself, it is always skillful to come across things from someone else'south perspective, through someone else's eyes… And that'southward exactly what the hiring managers try to sympathise while asking yous this question: How you react when you receive a difficult feedback from someone. Is counter attack your reaction, criticizing the person who dared to share a negative feedback with you? Or exercise you actually embrace constructive criticism, and look at it as at an eye opener, the first pace towards doing things better in your chore?

Let's have a look at 7 sample answers to the question. I tried to include answers for variety of interview scenarios and professions, but, except of two unconventional answers, they ever demonstrate the right attitude to critical feedback. Once y'all go through the answers (and hopefully choice one for your interview), do non forget to read likewise the notes below, for some additional explanations and hints.

7 sample answers to "What is the near difficult feedback you have received?"

  1. The most difficult ane was from a customer I really cared virtually. I understood the value they had for the business, the amount of money they spent each month on our services. And I honestly thought I was doing my best for them. But apparently I wasn't the only ane trying. Several competitors were trying to get in with lower price and longer warranties. On one rainy 24-hour interval, the customer called me and simply said that they were ending our business relationship, and were changing suppliers, because I wasn't giving them a fair price and a skilful offering. It was a tough pill to swallow, especially because they did not tell me anything earlier, they kept ordering from us and then just i twenty-four hour period the call came. Having said that, I tried to remedy the situation, offering comparable weather of the bargain. Simply information technology was too tardily, they've already made their mind. I had to accept it, and learned my lesson–I need to exist more proactive in the advice with the customers, and non get complacent with receiving payments and sending appurtenances over every week or month…
  2. I got a hard one from my manager in my final task. You know, I was a new force in the visitor. The training wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. They expected me to piece of work with SAP and prepare an awful lot of documents each day. And I tried my all-time, stayed an hour overtime almost daily, sacrificed something for the visitor. But I did not manage the workload, and quickly fell behind with my schedule. One day the manager called me in her function. Without asking for any explanations, she scolded me. She said I was working besides boring, wasting time on my laptop, and not really doing the work. I must admit it was extremely difficult to hear that, simply considering it wasn't true. My first instinct told me to shout on her, or punch her confront with my fist, but I held it back. I explained her, in a at-home voice, that the training wasn't sufficient and I needed more time to go my head around SAP and manage the heavy workload. Seeing my calm reaction, she too calmed downward, and we turned the meeting into a constructive discussion. I am proud that I managed to control my emotions, and the entire situation ended well.

* Other tricky question you may face: Tell us about a time when you had to give someone a difficult feedback.

  1. This is my first job application, only I tin can talk about an example from school. My English teacher gave me a pretty crude feedback on my essay. She pointed our several mistakes I fabricated, and she said I was no good and had no chance getting to law school. I must acknowledge it was hard to hear such words. Only I as well realized information technology was the style of communication of the instructor–it wasn't anything personal. So instead of dwelling on her emotions, I tried to take the good out of the situation. She was right with my essay, and with the mistakes I made. When applying with police force schools, I tried to apply what I learned from her feedback on my new essay. I received two interview invitations, somewhen got in, and here I am today, few years after, applying for this astonishing job with y'all with a degree from police force.
  2. The nigh difficult one wasn't at work. It was a feedback I got from my onetime girlfriend. You know, I've worked 2 jobs to make good money, and so we could have a decent lifestyle. I did it for her, working my ass off, trying to save coin to buy nice things for u.s.. But one evening she was simply standing in the door with her suitcases packed. She told me I did not care for her, spent likewise little time with her, and hence she constitute another boyfriend. I felt as if someone only punched me in the face up. I tried to explicate, that I did it for her, for our future, but she had already made up her mind. Information technology was a difficult feedback, and information technology took me weeks to procedure it. Merely eventually I did, and in my present relationship I prefer to earn less coin, merely spend more quality time together with my partner.
  3. The most difficult 1 was really in my last task interview. As you can imagine–since I am here today, I did not get the chore. But trying to learn and get ameliorate in interviewing, I wrote an e-mail to the recruiter asking them what I did incorrect, why they did not choose me for the chore. She replied that I was not talking to the point at all, oftentimes answering something else than the question they really asked me. She said I had no gamble getting whatsoever decent job with such  answers. Being unemployed for six months already, information technology was really the concluding nail to the coffin. I was in a midst of writing a superbly harsh answer, calling her incompetent, and her interviewing skills poor. That was my ego speaking. A hurt ego… Luckily I came to my sense and somewhen did non send the e-mail. And, reflecting on my past interviews, I realized she had a point in what she was proverb. Preparing for the interview with yous, I practiced my answers to various questions. I recorded them, then listened to them, making sure that I am talking to the signal. At the cease of the day, the negative feedback I received from that recruiter may help me finally become a job, a great offer with you…
  1. I am actually fortunate, or maybe unfortunate, but I accept never actually received a negative feedback. I've been always a hard-worker, and perhaps gifted with a scrap of talent likewise. In my terminal chore I ever did more than my colleagues, took intendance of my duties in the shortest possible fourth dimension, and typically exceeded the expectations of my managers. Thinking about it now, mayhap it would exist ameliorate if they criticized me for something, be it but a detail. Because I practice not desire to be complacent with the quality of my piece of work. I want to go along improving, and I am definitely gear up to accept any criticism or negative feedback in my new job.
  2. Speaking honestly, I am my own harshest critic. Working as a freelance designer, I was never quite satisfied with my piece of work. Even when clients liked it, I all the same felt that I could ameliorate on this or that item, play on this or that emotion of the customer, to improve conversions. And it is perhaps i of the reasons why I could not make it as a self-employed designer out there. It simply took me too much fourth dimension to complete the piece of work, and I could not take enough gigs to cover my living expenses each month. I decided to change my career, and I am at present looking for a corporate job.

* Exercise not forget to check also: Answers to 15 near common interview questions.

Embrace the feedback and larn your lesson

The about important thing is to demonstrate that you can accept effective criticism, merely practice not take it personally, or do not start antisocial the person who gave you lot negative feedback, even if information technology was undeserved.

You've heard them out, y'all thought about their words, tried to understand why they gave you such a difficult feedback (you lot neglected something in your piece of work, or it was just a communication problem, or they were simply in a bad mood and would criticize everything and anybody), and learned your lesson. Equally long as you demonstrate this attitude with the situation you narrate, hiring managers volition exist satisfied with your answer.

* Special Tip: This isn't the but difficult question you lot will face while interviewing for any decent job. You will face questions about prioritization, dealing with pressure, dealing with ambiguity, and other catchy scenarios that happen in the workplace. If you lot desire to make sure that you stand up out with your answers and outclass your competitors, have a wait at our Interview Success Package. Up to 10 premium answers to 31 tricky scenario based questions (+ more) will brand your life much easier in the interviews. Thanks for checking it out!

Do not exist afraid to narrate situations from your personal life

Negative feedback, conflict, stressful situation, struggling to run into a deadline–nosotros exercise non face such situations but at work. Maybe you are only starting your professional career, or you find a more fitting instance in your personal life--a difficult feedback you got from your partner, your kid, or your parent. Exercise not hesitate to bring it up in the interviews.

Near other job candidates will talk about work, then you can hands stand up out with your answer, talking about some criticism y'all received in personal life. Needless to say, the principles of a swell respond remain the same–you heard them out, didn't get emotional, tried to understand, learned your lesson, did it amend the next time…

Gear up to answer this one? I hope so! Check likewise 7 sample answers to other tricky interview questions:

  • What kind of people do y'all savour working with?
  • Tell me nigh a time you had to deal with a difficult customer.
  • Why should nosotros hire you?
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Matthew Chulaw

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