How to Answer: When have you stretched yourself in your current role and done more than what was expected of you?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for an UnitedHealth Group job interview.
2. When have you stretched yourself in your current role and done more than what was expected of you?
How to Answer
Going above and beyond and exceeding the expectations of others is vital to success at UnitedHealth Group to be innovative and to satisfy its members. In asking this question, your interviewer wants to know that you have the drive to be scalable within the organization and can grow to a higher-level role in the future. Discuss a time when you solved a problem before your manager knew it existed or when you anticipated a need within the business. Make sure your interviewer walks away knowing that you are willing and ready to go above and beyond the call of duty in this role at UnitedHealth Group.
Written by Michelle Krebs
1st Entry Level Example
"My first job out of school was in fast food. I was hired to work the front register, but we were often short-staffed, so I would have to learn another station quickly and sometimes cover multiple stations throughout a shift. I always felt it was important to be a team player and be flexible and willing to do what was needed to serve the customers. In my last performance review, I earned an exceeds expectations rating because of this."
Written by Jaymie Payne on March 16th, 2023
1st Answer Example
"I noticed that our department was utilizing Excel spreadsheets for complex reports. The process was very manual and took about one hour out of everybody's day. I noticed we had a new database tool after a recent software upgrade, so I researched it, tested it, and then brought the idea to my manager as an alternative. She loved the idea and has now asked me to train the whole team on how to use it."
Written by Michelle Krebs
2nd Answer Example
"I'm really excited for this opportunity to learn and grow at UnitedHealth Group. In my current position, I noticed that our team was tracking customer conversations slightly differently and this was making reporting very difficult. I developed a key so that everybody knew exactly how to code and created consistency amongst the team. The data in the reports were much better and more accurate after that."
Written by Michelle Krebs
User-Submitted Answer
"My company has moved over to a new system and we all still have questions. I asked my manager if we can get a board to hang up and whatever new questions someone has answered already or found an easier way to research something we can write it on a piece of paper and place it on the board. My manager thought it was a great idea. This will save time and it will help us in the case we forget."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
This is a great example of taking initiative! You had a good idea, and you shared it with others so it could benefit everyone. Nice job! You might, however, want to see if you can think of another example that shows you going above and beyond more so than just sharing a smart idea. Have you ever worked extra hours to meet a tight deadline? Have you ever done something outside of the ordinary to exceed a customer's expectations? Your example is a good one and you can definitely include it here, but if you are able to supplement with another example like mentioned it will really strengthen your answer.
User-Submitted Answer
"I am a retail sales & customer service associate in my current role, but I've been known to take on an unofficial "IT Support" role within the store. When the POS system glitches, usually during a transaction, or the sound system stops working, I'm the person my co-workers and employer calls on to walk them through the situation and resolve the issue, and I'm good at it."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Rachelle Enns Reviewed the Above Answer
A wonderful example of going beyond the basic function of your role. I enjoy your approach to storytelling because you're clear, to the point, and engaging. Well done :)
User-Submitted Answer
"Our system allowed employees to make notations that didn't follow a systematic pattern. As a result, information in the system was hard to understand and often vague. I was able to create a template with all of the necessary information so that when the next person accessed the account or there was someone new working with that particular insurance, they knew exactly how to enter information. I began using this template and brought the issue and the solution to my manager. The process was implemented with and anyone could utilize the program."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Cindy Ramsey Reviewed the Above Answer
Great solution. Can you also explain the outcome? Was it easier to understand notes after the template was implemented?
User-Submitted Answer
"Having been in my previous role for a long time; I was familiar with the ebbs and flows of the business. In some instances, I had to work longer to finish certain tasks, if they were pushed back to the next day, we would be facing problems and complications, or simply lose a customer and their business.
It was never expected of me to go above and beyond to stay longer, but I decided to do that so the company won't be losing business."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
Nice. It sounds like you were willing to work hard and even stay late sometimes to benefit the company and your team, which the interviewer will be happy to hear. Good job! This is a great example to provide in your response.
User-Submitted Answer
"At a previous job working in a lab, we had a lot of no-shows for physical appointments. I came up with a better workflow idea and offered to make the callbacks and reminders for lab appointments instead of another department. I was given a week to see how it worked out, and we went from having 10-15 no-shows a day to having 0-1."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Amanda Knight Reviewed the Above Answer
You've done a good job using a specific example from a previous role to show how you went above and beyond to solve a problem and shared a positive outcome. However, this question is asking how you've stretched in your current role rather than a past position. Consider improving your answer by sharing a similar experience in your current position.
User-Submitted Answer
"I pride myself on going above and beyond the expectations of my role. One example is when a client had data that needed to be analyzed but was struggling to get the project completed. Having excellent MS Excel skills, I did a training session with her and helped her pull the data together in a format that she could report on."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
Great! This is a good example of a time when you went above and beyond for a client. Can you give more details about the type of data and exactly what the project was? Was it outside of your job responsibilities to provide a training session? How did your help impact the end result of the project and was the client happy? The more details you can provide, the better!
User-Submitted Answer
"In my current position, I saw that our staff was manually recording insurance payments in Excel, which was making P&L reporting extremely tough. I prepared an entire excel page utilizing the formulas so that everyone on the team understood exactly how to insert a number and there was uniformity. After that, the data in the reports was considerably better and more accurate."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Amanda Knight Reviewed the Above Answer
Well done! This is a good example of your ability to identify a problem, create a solution, and implement it. You've also shared the positive result. You can enhance this answer further by sharing how your coworkers or supervisor responded to your solution. Did they comment on how easy it was to use or appreciate how it streamlined reporting?
User-Submitted Answer
"As a founding member of a Financial Planning and Analysis team, your role has no boundaries. The real focus is on the "customer" needs. Customers can be senior management, who are responsible for shareholders and investors. Customers can be business partners, who need to drive business performance and manage operations. Customers can be your peers across different business functions, who need to understand how to contribute to the success of the business. I see my role as a linchpin, always stretching, going out of my way to make sure the business needs are met, and always anticipating the requirement and standards I set for myself. It is challenging, but ultimately extremely fulfilling."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
Nice! You have done a great job here of explaining what your role is and who you serve. It sounds like it's a job that requires you to be very adaptable. Can you give a specific example of something that you did that was beyond your regular responsibilities? More specific details will make your response even more meaningful. Good job!
User-Submitted Answer
"We had a person leave the company, and we were in a situation where we really didn't have the budget to backfill. My boss asked if interested in taking on a dual role. I looked at it as a tremendous opportunity for growth - we discussed my experience and how I could manage this role while coming into it with basically no experience, and I feel I managed it successfully."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
Nice! It definitely sounds like you went above and beyond in this instance. Can you talk more about what the end result was? Is there a way you can provide measurable results that show you were ultimately successful in this dual role? Also, what exactly was the new role? Additional details will make your answer more meaningful and memorable. Good job!
User-Submitted Answer
"We are short staff where I currently work so we don't have enough staff to cover the calls schedule. I am only supposed to work one weekend day in a month but to cover some of the open shifts, I volunteer to pick extra shifts. It is difficult because weekends are the time that I have with my family but I sacrifice that to keep my unit running smoothly."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Jaymie Payne Reviewed the Above Answer
This is a great example to share with the interviewer. It shows you're a team player and you're committed to making sure patients are cared for.