Tell me about a deadline that was heading for trouble until you put in effort nobody had asked of you. Why was that one worth it?
Why this works
"Above and beyond" invites a highlight reel; anchoring the extra effort to a deadline at risk keeps the story checkable. The worth-it clause tests judgment — someone who rescues everything is describing a planning problem, not a virtue.
Follow-up probes
- What did you set aside to make room, and what happened to it?
- Who found out the deadline had been at risk, and when?
- What would have happened if you'd done only your part?
What good looks like
A concrete slipping signal, a deliberate trade-off they can name, and the risk surfaced afterwards so the process could improve — effort plus disclosure, not a quiet rescue kept for credit.
Red flags
An hours-worked story with no judgment in it, pride in the rescue with no curiosity about why it was needed, or the same deadline saved heroically again and again.
Build the interview around it
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