Nothing turns off hiring managers more than a candidate with a negative attitude. Satisfied, productive employees give positive reasons for instigating a job search. But I resist the temptation and tell the truth because it's in the customer's best interest that my team understand exactly what happened so others may learn from my mistake. Most humans are tempted to lie when they make a mistake or are accused of doing so, hiring managers say. The question is worded carefully so attentive listeners can address the issue of temptation.
Recruiters look for a candidate who admits being tempted but states a commitment to the truth.
Candidates who protest that they never lie are probably insincere and didn't listen to the question. We wanted to make sure everyone saw the application in the context of the business, so that once we started working on the individual modules everyone understood how it all fit together. Here's a blank sheet of paper. Describe an important technical project, the participants, your role, and the outcome. Hiring managers did not recite a single, specific ideal response.