Page 105 - Boost Your Hiring

The Manager’s Hiring IQ Test 91

INTERVIEWER’S QUESTION
42. Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond
what the job required.
Which response actually answers the question? Which answer
should you be wary of? Are there any red flags?

(A) “I have always been taught that ‘time is money’ and to value it
as such. I plan my day so that I know how much time each task
will require. Because my time is so well organized, sometimes
I have extra time in a day and will ask coworkers if they need
help, or I work on something proactive. I know how to use my
time so that I am not caught off guard. I go out of my way to
do whatever it takes to get the job done. My last boss was a
last-minute type of person, and there were many times when I
had to get him out of tough situations.”
(B) “I am a person who believes in planning ahead. I always have
a good handle on my work and my priorities. I go out of my
way if coworkers need assistance. In fact, I think I go above and
beyond almost every day. I am very responsive to customers’
needs and problems and make sure that I have satisfied their
expectations. I always get excellent performance reviews. I
think I am a very dedicated support person who can be de-
pended on to do the job and give it my all.”

(C) “When I worked for an insurance company I had to process
claims. This was a fairly routine job that was more time con-
suming than anything else. One day I decided to think of a way
to use the Internet to process the claims, thereby cutting out
hours of moving paper around. I took the time to organize a
system that could be used as a prototype. I showed it to my
boss, and she thought it was a great idea. She immediately
showed it to her boss and he encouraged me to take it to the
next step. This turned out to save the company hundreds of
dollars and the processors, like myself, about two hours each
day. I was rewarded for my original thinking and efforts above
and beyond my normal job.”

I think the strongest answer is _____.