Few topics are more divisive in the financial advice community than the use of alternative investments. It is right up there with active versus passive investing and buy-and-hold versus market timing.

But while some advisers will staunchly deny or ignore any potential benefits of alternatives, often using arguments related to fees, those who are open to the notion of alternative investments still frequently get stuck when it comes to deciding how and how much.

The University of Chicago’s endowment finished fiscal year 2014 with a market value of $7.55 billion, including $1 billion of Medical Center endowment and $81 million of Marine Biological Laboratory endowment. Ninety-six percent of the endowment is invested in the Total Return Investment Pool (TRIP). TRIP’s return, net of outside management fees, was +12.7 percent for the fiscal year. Investment returns generated $893 million to the endowment during fiscal year 2014.

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Lucas loves this question because it’s a covert way to get a glimpse into whether a company’s core values, like innovation or creativity, are aligned with yours. "Most jobs can be done 100 different ways, but a company’s culture—or even a specific department’s culture—often dictates what’s important," she says.

So what should you hear? Answers that involve working well with others, being a great communicator and being an effective leader.