How To Ace Your Answer To “Why Do You Want To Work Here?”

You sit down for an interview and brace yourself for the question you are most likely to be asked at some point, “Why Do You Want To Work Here?”

On the surface, the answer to this question is straightforward – you love the role, the benefits are great, the company culture is inspiring and the salary is ideal. However, there is usually more to this question that potential employers look for. Consider this article as an opportunity to highlight your strengths and as a way to gain a competitive edge over other candidates.

Here are some tips on how to approach the question:

#1 Determine Your WHY

Reflect on your professional history, what did you consider fulfilling about each job, more importantly, WHY did you consider it fulfilling?

How do you identify trends that motivate you? For instance, you may realise your greatest moments from previous positions involved using your creativity and ability to think critically to tackle a difficult goal or solve a complex problem. In this case, what motivates you is your natural initiative to step out of your comfort zone and to tackle hard challenges.

#2 Clear Value Proposition

Now that you have determined your WHY, the next step is to find out your employers’ motivation behind the question. Simply put, companies want to know whether you are a good fit for them. Employee retention is a major issue for companies as it costs tens of thousands of dollars to replace someone, and get them up to speed.

A recent study by Mellon Financial Corp found that the total cost of hiring, including recruitment, hours spent interviewing, and lost productivity resulting from the learning curve for new hires and transfers was between 1% and 2.5% of total revenues.

The bottom line? A new employee is a major investment. While the rewards can be ample, companies are also taking on a lot of risks.

In most cases, employers look for candidates who are enthusiastic about working for the company, have the potential to remain in the company for the long-term and possess the right skillsets. Your response should demonstrate how your skills would fit the role, your enthusiasm for the job and how you fit into the culture. Even if it is true, do not mention salary, hours and commute as the primary reasons you want the job.

#3 If All Else Fails, Try The Elevator Speech Method

If you find it hard trying to connect your answer with your past career performance and current trends within the industry, try the elevator speech method. Elevator speeches are a basic 30-second introduction exercise filled with personal facts about your experience, skills and why you choose to work with a great company.

When asked why you are interested in the position, aim to make it short and sweet by touching on important points about the company, and how much you love the work, the skills and experience you have that align with this position and your observations in the industry.

Strong answers are often tailored to the individual business and work to tie your experience into the needs of the role. Your elevator speech should make specific references to the company’s current initiatives and vision. Talk about your past and your results and tie everything together in a way that says, “I know exactly where you’re going and here’s why I’m the right fit for that journey.”

#4 Dive Deeper with Role-Specific Research

After you have spent time talking about the company as a whole and why you’re here, it is time to understand how the role you’re interviewing for fits into the bigger picture.

How is this role going to make an impact on the company’s challenges, goals, and initiatives? How do you find influential team members to reach out to? It all starts with LinkedIn.

If you have connected with people who belong to the same company from LinkedIn, highlight what are some initiatives/challenges within that particular team so you can weave that into your answer to “why do you want to work here?”

#5 Picture Yourself

By this point, you may have done your research, and be able to uncover interesting bits of information about the company culture through their social media feed, website and or latest news coverage.

Feel free to talk about your observations and what are some of the key things that are important to you. Perhaps it is a recent company outing, or CSR initiatives, or how you value a workplace that treats their colleagues with respect, or how important it is to you that an office celebrates diversity, or that you appreciate working with a company that values giving back to the community.

As long as you can provide anecdotes and speak sincerely, like interacting with one of the staff members or their recent insight on their blog or LinkedIn, your interviewer may appreciate this sentiment.

Essentially, “why do you want to work here?” is another way of assessing whether you are the right fit for the position. By identifying and expanding on your interests, you can leave the interviewer with a positive impression and clearer expectation of how you will be as a team member.

Looking for a job that meets your interests and skillset? Drop us a line at The Edge for a confidential discussion or check out our job boards. We can help you identify the best opportunities for you – be it in the tech, finance, marketing, retail or supply-chain industries.