Interview Question: How Did You Impact the Bottom Line?

When employers hire new employees, they're looking for candidates whom they know will make a difference. In order to gauge your potential to add value to the company, an employer might ask, "How did you impact the bottom line in your last job?"

The "bottom line" traditionally refers to an increase in revenue, and/or a reduction of costs or expenses. However, you need to think more broadly about the bottom line for your field. The bottom line has different meanings for different fields.

Examples of Best Answers

For a recruiter, the bottom line might be the relative productivity of new hires or the longevity of their hires.

For an admissions representative, it might be the quality of candidates, as defined by grades and test scores, who end up applying to their institution.

For a quality control specialist, it might be a reduction in waste as part of the manufacturing process. 

For a clinical director at a hospital, it might be a lower rate of misdiagnoses, malpractice claims or administrations of the wrong medicines. 

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