What is one tip you have for candidates when they are asked “Why do you want to work here?” in a job interview?
To help candidates answer “Why do you want to work here?”, we asked recruiters and hiring professionals this question for their best insights. From reaffirming the company is the industry standard to being honest about your reasons for joining, there are several recommendations that may help you land your desired position.
Here are ten ways to answer “Why Do You Want to Work Here?”:
- Reaffirm That Their Company is the Industry Standard
- Answer with Information on Their Recruiting Efforts
- Talk about What the Company Can Do for You
- Do Your Research and Answer Passionately
- Emphasize Mutual Reliance
- Demonstrate You Have Goals in Your Field
- Keep It Subjective
- Research the Company
- Explain How the Job Supports Your Core Values
- Be Honest and Specific about Your Reasons
Reaffirm That Their Company is the Industry Standard
Management likes to believe that their company is on the cutting edge or represents a standard to strive for, and by alluding to this in your answer you can validate that belief. Anyone who is serious about their career has the desire to work with the best people, and by stating how you believe they represent those qualities and how that attracted you to them, you are affirming your desire and fit for the position.
By responding in this manner you are complimenting the company, while at the same time putting your values of hard work and reaching for the best at the forefront. In addition, this answer implies your dedication and work ethic. By reaffirming their own belief in the quality of their business as the motivation for you to want to work there, you will set yourself apart by showing how you are best suited to their values and company culture.
Adelle Archer, Eterneva
Answer with Information on Their Recruiting Efforts
Businesses want to know the impact of their candidate outreach programs, and tying a job listing into your motivation to apply is a great way to answer why you want to work there. Businesses try many tactics in trying to attract candidates, whether it is community outreach efforts or honing their company image, and referencing those in your answer to this question can be useful to both you and the business.
Referencing the company’s mission, talking about their community involvement and tying that into your own values, not only puts you in sync with the business, but provides them valuable data on their own efforts to increase their candidate pool. By mentioning a business’s specific outreach efforts, you will put your own attention to detail on display, while at the same time helping the very business in which you hope to be employed.
Matt Miller, Embroker
Talk about What the Company Can Do for You
In a job interview, most candidates spend the entire time talking about how they can be a valuable asset to the company. Truly impress your potential employer by also telling them how they can be a valuable asset to you.
When they ask why you want to work at their company, tell them that you see this position as a challenge that you’re willing to take on for your own professional development. Tell them you want to experience new ways of tackling issues you may have not encountered before, and you’re excited to see what you can learn. This shows eagerness to be involved and illustrates you as a motivated individual that won’t back down when workloads are difficult.
Roy Morejon, Enventys Partners
Do Your Research and Answer Passionately
No one wants to hire someone who is just looking for a job—we want to see candidates who are genuinely excited and passionate about the place they are applying for.
So, do your research on the company beforehand—like actually do research.
What are the company values? Who is the CEO? What has he said in interviews, press pieces and on LinkedIn that you really resonate with? What makes this company different from the others you are applying to and why does that excite you? This will show the employer that you are passionate and that you have values and goals aligned with the company.
Sam Gallen, collystring
Emphasize Mutual Reliance
Highlight the benefits you and the employer can get once you’re hired. First, be honest with your responses and tell them the actual reason why you want to work with them. It can be because they have an enticing salary package or because their company core values align with your career objectives.
Furthermore, emphasize your expertise and how you can help them achieve their short- and long-term goals. Do not forget to mention your excellent work ethic, as it can potentially convince them that you are a good asset to their business. The interviewer will appreciate hearing a substantive answer from you, especially when you understand the importance of the employee-employer relationship well.
Allan Stolc, Bankly.dk
Demonstrate You Have Goals in Your Field
Demonstrate that you’ve thought about your job search and are targeting specific areas. This is an important topic to research before going into an interview. In your job search, you must be prepared to demonstrate that you are looking for specific opportunities.
What are you aiming for? Just wanting a job or an internship is insufficient. Employers do not want to hire someone who is only looking for the first job that comes along. Employers would prefer to hire you if you can explain why this particular opportunity got your attention and why you are putting your efforts into the process of getting it.
John Cheng, Baotris
Keep It Subjective
As VP of Engineering, I interview a lot of technically proficient candidates who may not find it easy to express the philosophical or emotional reasons for wanting to work with us. So, if you are in tech or any field that requires specific skills and knowledge, frame your reasons through a more subjective lens.
If you want to learn a company’s way of coding or manufacturing—anything really—speak about WHY you want to expand your skill set in this direction. What about this new way of doing things excites you? Who is a trailblazer in your field that you want to learn from or emulate? What has the company done that inspires you?
By keeping it subjective, you can worry less about being impressive and instead focus on your relationship to your work, emphasizing your desire to learn and grow. This is always admirable, and will impress hiring teams without you even trying. Plus, it shows basic knowledge of the company and their accomplishments—everyone loves to meet a fan!
Volodymyr Shchegel, Clario
Research the Company
When asked why you want to work at a company, candidates should take the time to research the company and understand its mission, values and goals. This will help them develop a thoughtful answer that demonstrates their understanding of the company and why they would be a good fit there. Additionally, candidates should be ready to share examples of how they have aligned themselves with the company’s mission in the past, whether through their work, volunteerism or other activities.
Here’s an example:
“I want to work at XYZ Company because I align with its mission of ___. I have always been passionate about ___ and have worked hard to make a difference in that area through my past job, volunteering and other activities. I believe that XYZ Company is doing important work in this area, and I would be proud to contribute to its success. I also believe that I have the skills and experience that would allow me to succeed in this role and become a valuable asset to the team.”
Omer Usanmaz, Qooper Mentoring & Learning Software
Explain How the Job Supports Your Core Values
Connect the job to your core values. Before the interview, research the company. Study its website and social media profiles to determine if you resonate with the company’s mission and culture. When you respond to the interviewer, explain how the job description aligns with your career goals, and how the company shares your core values. Cite specific examples. For instance, you can explain why you appreciate the company’s commitment to fostering employee education and development, by claiming that you see it as a place to grow professionally and personally.
Alexandra Fennell, Attn: Grace
Be Honest and Specific about Your Reasons
The best way to answer this question is to be honest and specific about your reasons. If you’re applying for a job that you’re truly interested in, then you should have no problem stating your reasons for wanting to work there. However, if you’re just looking for any old job, then it’s important to be more thoughtful about how you answer this question.
Some possible tips for answering this question include highlighting qualities of the company that appeal to you, discussing how your skills and experience fit with the company’s needs and explaining what you hope to accomplish by working at said company.
Stay true to what you genuinely feel are the reasons why you want to work for the company, not just what you think they may want to hear from an interviewee.
Tracey Beveridge, Personnel Checks
BestCompaniesAZ is a resource you can use to prepare for any job interview you have coming up. If you are a recent graduate, check out our 11 Job Interview Questions for Fresh Graduates
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