Interview Question: Tell me about a time you missed a deadline. How did you handle it?
Deadlines get missed—it happens. Interviewers want to see how you communicate, take responsibility, and recover. The worst thing is a surprise miss; the best thing is proactive communication and a clear recovery plan.
What Interviewers Are Looking For
- Early Communication: Did you flag the risk early?
- Ownership: Did you take responsibility?
- Recovery Plan: Did you present a path forward?
- Learning: Did you prevent future misses?
STAR Framework
S - Situation
What was the deadline? Why was it at risk?
A - Action
- Communicate early when you see the risk
- Present options (scope cut, timeline extension, resource ask)
- Own the miss—no blame, no excuses
- Create and execute recovery plan
R - Result
Successful recovery and process improvements.
✓ Strong Answer
"I realized a week out that we'd miss our deadline due to an underestimated integration. I immediately scheduled a meeting with stakeholders, presented options (cut scope vs. delay 1 week), and recommended the delay with a detailed catch-up plan. They appreciated the early warning and chose the delay. I delivered on the new date and added buffer time estimation to my future projects."