Tell me about a time you received critical feedback. How did you respond?

behavioral · Intern level · general

What the interviewer is really asking

Determine whether the candidate receives feedback openly and acts on it constructively.

What to say

• Describe what the feedback was and who gave it — be specific about the concern they raised.
• Explain your immediate reaction (even if it stung) and how you processed it before responding.
• Detail the concrete change you made and the measurable improvement that followed.

What to avoid

• Don't become defensive or imply the feedback was unfair without strong context.
• Avoid saying you simply thanked them and moved on with no visible change.
• Don't pick feedback so mild it signals you've never been seriously challenged.

Example answers

Strong: My manager told me my status updates were too sparse — the team kept getting surprised by where my work stood. It stung at first, but the concern was fair. I started posting a short written summary at the end of each week: what I shipped, what was blocked, and what was next. Within a couple of weeks my manager said the surprises had stopped and the team trusted my timelines more.

Weak: I thanked them but I didn't really agree with the feedback.