It seems meeting expectations isn’t enough in a typical workplace of the 21st century (often it is actually too much for an employee, burnout arrives or depression kicks in, as many of us know from first-hand experience). Hiring managers look for job candidates who are ready to go above and beyond--for their colleagues, their boss, and obviously for their customer. That’s why you may often face questions such as “Tell us about a time you went above and beyond“, or “Describe a situation when you did more than what was expected of you“. Let me analyze the questions, explain the reasoning of the interviewers, and tell you what you should focus on when dealing with them.
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The Basics
- Most common interview questions belonging to this area: Tell us about a time when you went above and beyond. Describe a situation when you did more than was expected from you.
- Less common questions belonging to the area: Tell us about a time when you went an extra mile for someone. Would you mind working overtime? Tell us about a time you went out of your way to make a difference to someone that improved their day.
- Out of 10 random jobs, in how many cases will this area be tested during the hiring process: 5/10. You will face one of these questions in about every second interview. Going above and beyond matters for every corporation and small business, yet they sometimes test your willingness (or even eagerness) to do so with other questions, such as questions about your motivation, questions about showing initiative, and so on.
- Difficulty: 2/5. Relatively easy again, for two reasons. First of all, it is obvious what they want to hear from you, what attitude you should show: that you do not mind going above and beyond, or even outright enjoy doing so. For your employer, colleagues, customers. And secondly, because it is close to impossible to verify the authenticity of your words. When you prepare some good answer in advance, and follow the instructions I will outline in this post, you will simply score good points for your answer.
- Main goals of the hiring managers with questions belonging to this area: Understanding your attitude to going an extra mile for someone. Assessing whether they can count on you in difficult times, for example when working overtime is necessary.
- Your main goals with answers to questions belonging to this area: Convincing them that you do not mind doing something outside of your standard working duties, at least from time to time. Showing positive attitude to trying your best for every customer and colleague. Showing willingness to work overtime when necessary (which is basically a norm in many corporations nowadays).
7 sample answers
Sample answer no. 1: Doing something extra for a guest in a restaurant, regardless of excessive workload:
I recall such an experience from my last job in a restaurant. It was on a hot and busy day, and the place was brimming with people. I had my hands full, and really had to keep my focus on my regular duties. But I still noticed one guy who looked extremely sad. Had no idea what happened to him, but he just sat there, lonely with this broken look in his eyes. And so I decided to bring him some desert we had left from last day, that we could not sell anymore. Just came there, smiled on him, and said him it was a present from the restaurant. He raised his head, smiled back at me, and I really felt this little gesture made his hard day at least a bit sweeter. Needless to say, it gave me good emotions too, and I no doubt hope to repeat such a gesture another time, when there is an opportunity.
- Quick thing to notice about this one: Such a short story that’s easy to imagine for the hiring managers always makes for an excellent answer. The details the applicant added (“…broken look in his eyes… desert we had left from the last day…he raised his head and smiled back…”) add authenticity to the story. 99 out of 100 hiring managers will believe the story, regardless of whether it really happened.
Sample answer no. 2: A busy manager talking about going above and beyond for their colleague, in spite of a heavy workload:
A busy manager in my last corporate role, with deadlines looming all the time, I honestly didn’t have many opportunities to go above and beyond for my colleagues, unless I wanted to neglect my own job. But I recall one specific situation. I was passing by a conference room and saw one manager giving a hard talk to one of the employees. I knew that guy personally, because before he was a part of my team. And I knew he wasn’t a person one should talk to in the way the other manager did. Hence I went out of my way, entered the conference room, intervened a bit, and shared a nice word for the guy. I think it made his day at least a bit better, though of course I could not prevent his current manager from telling him the things he had told him.
- Quick thing to notice about this one: Another great simple story with details that make it easier for the hiring managers to imagine and also to believe. Notice that you do not have to talk about some great things, in order to show the right attitude. Sometimes a smile, a handshake, or a short talk you spare for someone is enough to go above and beyond.
Sample answer no. 3: Improving a day of a homeless person (situation from outside of work):
I just did that today in the morning. Walked around one of those guys living on the street, like I do on many mornings. But this time I decided to stop, even though I was in rush, just like one almost always is in this strange world… I stopped, greeted the guy and started to talk to him. Which surprised him a lot–guy like me talking to a guy like him. But once I broke the ice we had a nice conversation about life and his story, problems that brought him to the streets of Chicago. And in that moment I realized that such things can happen to anyone, including myself… Eventually I even gave him a bit of money, but I think that what really made a difference to his day was the talk we had. I am proud of my attitude, and hope it wasn’t the last time that I actually stopped in my rush and did something good for another person.
- Quick thing to notice here: Going out of your way for someone isn’t limited only to work. When you lack previous working experience, share a story from your personal life, from school, or even from the streets.
Sample answer no. 4: Going above and beyond almost constantly as a teacher:
I almost feel I’m doing that constantly as a teacher. Just always trying to go above and beyond, staying extremely attentive to the needs and feelings of the children in the classroom, trying to make their day better. Because I realize many of them don’t have it easy in their families, and that a teacher can sometimes make a difference in the life of a child, or at least make their day better. As I said, I always try to do it, and it doesn’t matter when I have to go out of my way because of it. I simply will do it, because I consider it my personal mission.
- Quick thing to notice about this one: Calling your job a “personal mission” is a powerful attitude to show in any interview. With such an attitude, it is obvious that you are ready to go above and beyond anytime necessary, because the boundaries between your job and your life blur, with such a mindset. To make the answer even better, I would add that I make sure to not overdo it, because one may experience a burnout if they don’t set any limits here.
Sample answer no. 5: Saying that you’ve never done that, but the question has opened your eyes to new possibilities:
To be completely honest with you, I cannot recall such a situation. Maybe until now I’ve been always too busy, lost in thoughts, occupied by my own duties and problems. Having said that, I realize that life is too short and can perish at any moment, and we should perhaps think a bit more about other people we meet and interact with, including the strangers on the street. With your question you really motivated me to give this a thought, and while I cannot recall any situation right now, I will walk with my eyes open from now on, and hope to have an example ready for you once we talk to each other again–perhaps in my new job.
- Quick thing to notice about this answer: Your attitude is the key. Even if you never went out of your way for someone, the key is to assert that you want to do so, at least from now on.
Sample answer no. 6: When going out of your way actually saved a life of someone:
Well, it not only improved their day–it saved their life. I was walking down a busy street, and saw a guy who looked really strange. His face totally white, he was breathing heavily, clutching a railing with his hand. As you can imagine, everyone just passed by, staring at their smartphone, or listening to music. But I immediately realized something was very wrong with this guy. And though I was already late to a meeting, I went out of my way and approached him. I quickly realized he wasn’t drunk or high or something similar. He was sick in some way. After judging the situation, I called an ambulance, and the doctors who came said that I actually saved his life, because he suffered a strange type of a heart attack. If the ambulance arrived just ten minutes later, there wouldn’t be a chance to save him anymore. Hence I am extremely glad that I went out of my way, and made many of his days better, since hopefully now he still has at least some years left in front of him.
- Quick thing to notice here: A powerful story, but a rather extreme one. I would opt for a similar situation only if it really happened to you, or at least you experienced it as a witness and simply imagine yourself in the shoes of the life saver.
Sample answer no. 7: A corporate employee going above and beyond in their job:
To be honest, going above and beyond was almost a daily norm in my last job. The FP&A department was understaffed, and we had to work overtime frequently to meet our deadlines. Ten hours a week was nothing unheard of. And while I am definitely ready to work hard and sacrifice something for my employer, I also believe it is important to set certain limits. Because life’s not only work and a burnout isn’t good for anybody, including my employer. The situation eventually became almost unbearable and I had to quit the job. That’s why I am applying with you now.
- Quick thing to notice about this answer: It is good setting limits, and all interviewers will understand this attitude. However, to make their answer even better, the applicant should say that they talked to the mangers, and suggested options to solve the situation (hiring new staff members, organizing the day differently). It is also good saying that they did not quit immediately. That’s the way to show the right attitude and secure good points for your answer.
Advanced information
Mistakes people make while answering questions about going above and beyond
- Lack of details or things not making sense. It is hard to verify the authenticity of your story. We have to rely on our gut feeling, and some clear red flags. One of them is lack of details and numbers. Another one is your story not making sense, or you contradicting yourself in your talk. Be aware of this mistake. Tell us a story of you going above and beyond for someone, but a story that actually makes sense, and is believable.
- Talking about something that’s actually a norm, and has nothing to do with going an extra mile. Some people consider working 3-5 hours overtime each month as something special. But that’s a norm in today’s world, or even the low end of a norm of today’s corporate world. The same is true with many other examples. When you want to convince us that you are willing to go above and beyond in your job, it is crucial to talk about a situation when you really did so. Talking merely about taking care of your duties, regardless of how difficult they are, won’t do the trick here.
Few points from the perspective of the hiring managers/interviewers
- We do not expect you to sacrifice everything for your job. You do not need to overdo it here. Be realistic. We do not like to hire people who actually sacrifice everything for their jobs, and go above and beyond all the time. Such people have no life outside of work, and sooner or later, health problems creep in. They are always just one step away from a burnout. If we hire them maybe they do an excellent job for a few months, but then they end up in a hospital and we have to start the hiring again. What I try to say here is that you should show your willingness to go above and beyond, but at the same time we should get an impression that you have at least a decent life-work balance.
7 keywords to remember when answering questions belonging to this area
- Tell us a story, add details and number, going above and beyond is important but life-work balance is crucial, working overtime one-two hours a week isn’t going an extra mile anymore, calling your job a personal mission is powerful, show empathy and attention to your colleagues, you can go an extra mile for anyone–colleague or customer or schoolmate or complete stranger.
So that’s it! You’ve just covered area no. 16 out of 25 areas that cover 99% of questions you may ever get in the interviews. Just 9 areas left! Check the next one: Inspiration, or go back to homepage for the full list of 25 areas and pick one you want to learn about and practice right now.
