Grant Thornton 'Above and Beyond' Question 2027: Answer Example
"Tell us about a time you went above and beyond" is one of the most frequently reported Grant Thornton video interview questions — and one of the worst answered. Most candidates describe simply doing their job properly. Going above and beyond means doing significantly more than was required or expected, voluntarily, with a measurable impact. Here is how to build an answer that actually qualifies.
What the Question Is Really Testing
This is a strengths question disguised as a competency question. The assessor wants evidence of drive, initiative, and genuine care about outcomes — traits that predict how you will treat clients. They are also watching for authenticity: in a strengths-based process, follow-up probes will test whether your story holds together. A real story survives probing; an inflated one does not.
Answer Example: Grant Thornton 'Above and Beyond' Question
"In my final year, our four-person group project lost a member two weeks before the deadline. Rather than redistribute the work equally, I volunteered to take on the financial modelling section — the part nobody wanted — on top of my own research section. I spent three evenings learning the modelling techniques from online tutorials, rebuilt the model from scratch, and then ran a review session so the whole group understood the numbers before submission. We scored 78%, the highest in our seminar group, and the tutor specifically praised the analysis. What I enjoyed most was that moment when the model finally worked — I stayed late because I wanted it to be right, not because anyone asked me to."
Why this works: it shows voluntary extra effort (taking the unwanted section), initiative (learning new skills independently), impact (highest mark, tutor praise), and ends with genuine motivation — the strengths signal assessors want.
How to Build Your Own Answer
Pick a real example with three ingredients: (1) you chose to do more than required — nobody assigned it; (2) it cost you real effort or time; (3) there was a concrete positive outcome for someone else. Structure it as situation, your voluntary action, result, then one line on what you enjoyed. Keep it under 90 seconds.
Do not walk into the 2027 video interview hoping to invent this story on the spot. Candidates who improvise either describe routine work as "above and beyond" — which insults the assessor's intelligence — or visibly fabricate, which the strengths follow-ups will expose. Prepare two genuine stories now, rehearse them on camera, and this question becomes free marks.
FAQ
Can I use a part-time job example? Absolutely. Retail, hospitality, and customer service examples often make the best "above and beyond" stories because the discretionary effort is obvious.
What if I cannot think of a good example? Think smaller. Helping a struggling coursemate, improving a society process nobody asked you to fix, or staying late to solve a customer's problem all qualify if the effort was voluntary.
How long should the answer be? 60-90 seconds. One clear story beats two rushed ones.
Is this question guaranteed to appear? It is among the most reported questions but not guaranteed. Prepare it anyway — the story works for several strengths questions.
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