How should you answer the question “Why do you want to work at this company?”
To help you best answer “Why do you want to work at this company?,” we asked HR leaders and CEOs this question for their best ideas. From being honest about your experience and skills to showing enthusiasm, there are several ideas that may help you lay out your reasons to work for your chosen company.
Here are eight tips to explore as reasons to work for a company:
- Be Honest About Experience and Skills
- Show Recruiters You’re Committed Long-Term
- Showcase Ambitions and Goals
- Explain Your Usefulness To The Company
- Convey Pride To Work for The Company
- Relate Personal Goals To Company Mission
- Compare and Contrast With Previous Experience
- Show Enthusiasm
Be Honest About Experience and Skills
As a recruitment manager, I can say that one tip in answering this question is to be honest. Be honest and candid about your skills and why you believe you would be a good fit for the position. You can also highlight any experience you have had in the industry or with the company’s products or services. Make it a reason as to why you chose the company to continue your career. Remember that companies are looking for employees who are a good fit for their company culture and who will be able to contribute value. That’s why it’s important to be honest about your skills and experiences relevant to what they’re looking for or what they offer.
Paw Vej, Financer.com Ltd
Show Recruiters You’re Committed Long-Term
Stating that you’re looking to work for a company such as theirs that offers career advancement indicates to interviewers that you’re looking to work for the company long-term. The gig economy makes it challenging for employers to retain top talent. Hiring managers want to hear that you’re looking for more than a paycheck. Letting the interviewer know that you’ve heard about the company’s enthusiasm for fostering their team members’ professional growth shows how invested you are in the company and its values.
Chris Gadek, AdQuick
Showcase Ambitions and Goals
When employers ask this question, they want to know more about what your ultimate goal is by working for this organization at this point in time. This is a great time to show your ambitions and what you want to achieve in this position. When you answer this question, talk about your career goals, how this position will help you get there, how you see yourself developing with the organization, and what attracted you to this organization to help you get to your end goal.
Joe Spector, Dutch
Explain Your Usefulness To The Company
Let the hiring manager know how your experience and skill-set can help the team. It’s best to do some background research on the company and find out the latest news about it. Maybe it’s launching a new product or perhaps it’s scaling back and focusing more on its legacy product. If you can explain why you are a good fit for the company and how you can help it grow or reach new heights, you’re going to make a great impression. Make sure your interviewer knows that you can bring value to the team.
Joel Jackson, Lifeforce
Convey Pride To Work for The Company
Make sure you’ve done homework on the company before your interview. There is probably a news report out there that mentions a particular achievement by the company. Weave that into your answer. “Your company did X, Y and Z last quarter and I want to be a part of a team that continues to strive for that level of excellence.” Also, let them know that only a great opportunity would lure you away from the job you currently have. Don’t let them think you’re disgruntled because that’s not an appealing look for any employer. Convey to the hiring managers that you’re excited to work for them and that you relish the opportunity that’s in front of you.
Alan Ahdoot, Adamson Ahdoot Law
Relate Personal Goals To Company Mission
Always relate to the company mission and vision statements. If you explain how your values align with the company’s, you demonstrate that you’re a likely candidate to remain with the company long-term. Employers want to hear how you can fulfill the responsibilities, but they also want to know if you’re a wise investment. When they ask why you want to work for this company, explain how working for them aligns with your values and goals.
Ankur Goyal, Coterie
Compare and Contrast With Previous Experience
Using the compare and contrast approach, you can illustrate examples of past experiences which taught you what you want for your future job experience, highlighting attractive areas of the prospective employer without speaking poorly of other companies. For instance, upon your company research, you may discover that work/life balance is a core value. You may have worked excessively long hours at a previous job and can see how you perform your best when given realistic and sustainable expectations for managing your workload and time.
This interview question is an excellent opportunity to showcase the company research you’ve conducted alongside your desires. Comparing your previous work experience positively, you can stand out from other candidates as you speak from a mature and professional perspective.
Tommy Chang, Homelister
Show Enthusiasm
Mention to the hiring manager that you’re ready for a new challenge and the opportunity allows you to work off your strengths. Share how you can adapt well to new environments and have a go-getter mentality. Focus on the positive energy that you can bring to the table versus something like “because I need a new job.” It shows you’re excited about the opportunity and you’re ready to jump at the opportunity.
Natália Sadowski, Nourishing Biologicals
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