I need help answering these "Give an example when you went above and beyond"

*Kat*

your duty...

ugh, I hate these questions so much.

Linda32

Hi, Good luck with the interview.

This might not be the sort of thing you are looking for, but I once trotted out to the car to go to work, the thing wouldn't start. Which by now was to late to get a the bus (car drove fine the day before) so I got a Taxi at the cost of £12.00 in order to get to work on time.

Taxi man thought I was barmy

iamana1ias

Linda32 wrote: »

Hi, Good luck with the interview.

This might not be the sort of thing you are looking for, but I once trotted out to the car to go to work, the thing wouldn't start. Which by now was to late to get a the bus (car drove fine the day before) so I got a Taxi at the cost of £12.00 in order to get to work on time.

Taxi man thought I was barmy

In what way is getting to work on time "above and beyond"?

Linda32

lol, I didn't mean it like that, oh dear, these no tone in type is there. What can I say to make it sound better.

I meant I made extra effort, rather than finally turning up 2 hours late announcing that the car wouldn't start.

GothicStirling

I think they are referring to customer service.

The one my sister usually trots out was when she worked with Debenhams, one lady was having problems with her store card. Instead of just telling her to phone Santander herself, she sat the lady down with a cup of tea in the cafe while the floor manager made the phone call for her.

MrsManda

This really depends on what jobs you've had before. Think about your previous job descriptions and think of where you've done things which though not strictly in your job description you've stepped in to help. Often you'll have done things simply because it seemed to be the right thing to do at the time and you don't think about it again. It's these things you need to drag out of your memory as if you think about it in terms of your contract/job description you will find many things which you did because it seemed to be the right thing to do, aren't necessarily an expected part of your role.

I think it's easier to answer these questions when you've got a lower paid job as most jobs you come across which are better paid/more senior are better paid because you are expected to 'go above and beyond'

For example, I once spent half an hour waiting outside a concert venue with a couple of kids whilst they waited for their parent to pick them up after a national band event. I was a basic venues steward so my job was just to ensure the safety of people inside the venue. However I felt that it was unreasonable to allow two children, with expensive instruments to wait alone outside the venue, in a dodgy area at 11:30pm so I escorted them until their parents turned up despite this taking me into unpaid overtime.

I've also stepped in on occassion to cover someone else's work when they were unable to complete due to illness despite it being way above my pay grade.

Strider590

Linda32 wrote: »

Hi, Good luck with the interview.

This might not be the sort of thing you are looking for, but I once trotted out to the car to go to work, the thing wouldn't start. Which by now was to late to get a the bus (car drove fine the day before) so I got a Taxi at the cost of £12.00 in order to get to work on time.

Taxi man thought I was barmy

Done this..... Cost me £20 to get in for a 6am shift, it would have been far easier to not go in to work for one day.

Also rented a hire car at my own expense to get to work for 3 days whilst waiting on the courtesy car from the insurance company. Even my boss thought I was mad.

I flew out to customer locations in Europe at my own expense (it took 3 months to reclaim my expenses each time), this was costing me more than £400 a shot.

Several times I drove around the UK doing more than double my daily hours for no more than a days pay.

But..... That company decided to !!!!!! all over me because I'd rolled in a few mins late during some really bad weather (snow and frost is not good on uncleared roads at 4:30am) and once got blocked in at the end of my street by a parked truck (again at 4:30am), so me and the "going the extra mile" came to an abrupt halt.

Savvy_Sue

I broke my arm late at night but the first batch of emails I sent (typing one handed and full of painkillers) included one to work saying what needed to happen for payroll to go through ...

*Kat*

what about when this little old lady had dementia and she forgot where she was and didnt know how to get home, so I actually walked her back to her house? (Her address was in her wallet so we were able to tell from there)...? And then I knocked on her neighbour's door to see if she knew the lady and whether this was her house etc?

Wellery82

I would think about using the following format in your answer -

What was the situation, what did you do (make sure you aren't saying "we", what was the end result and how did it leave you and the other party feeling.

Generally these types of questions are looking for either your work ethic - eg when you realised a colleague was off, volunteered to take over their work in their absence, planned your schedule to make sure you could fit this in and worked a few extra hours to get everything done

Or your customer service, eg when someone called your company and was not happy, you realised that how they had been treated was not acceptable so you firstly listened and understood their problem, you gave them your direct contact details so they could call you and explained how you would look to resolve their problem and in what timescale. You then went off and did whatever before calling them back. They were left really happy etc

Thats the kind of answers i would guess

telboyo

I seriously do not like the questions surely an efficient organsiation would onlty do what is required and nothing more and nothing less. Almost the very definition of efficiency.

Imagine if you took your car in to a tyre place and asked for 2 tyres- would you be happy if they broke the contract and put 4 tyres on and charged you for it?
Do you think the tyre fitter's boss would be happy if you got 2 extra tyres for no extra cost?

Imagine if you are at work and they paid you 10% less than the contract states so your manager could meet his monthly targets. you would in effect going above and beyond. The examples given above regarding taxis and broken down cars are not above and beyond because the OP contract states certain timekeeping riules and people should go to work at those times and it is the op responsibility. Going to work when sick and accepting a full days pay is tantamount to fraud as you are not working at your normal capacity-

Why oh why do people think they need to ask these questions at an interview.

How it should work.
1. Employer Explains what the job is .

2.Employee says he will do it.

3 both agree metrics

4 Either side not meeting metrics penalties are paid. e.g reduced pay extra pay termination of contract.

Simple definition of Quality.

Say what you are going to do.
Say how you are going to do it.
Do what you said you were going to do.

Result: Everyone happy!!