Why Do You Want To Work Here: Best Way To Answer

Often times, job seekers put more attention in researching and practicing answers to the question Tell Me About Yourself when preparing for an interview, this is because this question has been discovered to be tricky for job seekers to answer and so require a lot of time to it so as to give the best answer which it deserves.

Another question that requires much more attention from job seekers like the latter but unfortunately isn’t getting it as expected is the interview question Why Do You Want to Work Here?

Why do you want to work here?  can be challenging to answer, especially when you try to wing it. Not preparing a solid response to this question is risky because it could make all the difference in whether a potential employer extends a job offer to you — or not. It could make or mar your chances of getting the job.

Why is this interview question so important you would ask?

 Think of it from the employer’s perspective: The organization wants to hire someone who believes strongly in its mission and wants to make a positive impact on the organization, its clients or customers and other stakeholders. Also, searching for a candidate who is a strong fit for the position and the company can be a really costly and time-consuming process. So, hiring managers want to help their employer realize a good return on their investment, that is why they are seeking for someone who is much more interested in working with the organization for a common goal.

Meanwhile, this question can also come in different forms such as “Why do you want to work with us?” and “Why are you interested in this position?” Combined, these are among the questions most commonly asked when you interview for jobs.

Examples of what not to say when answering the question

Your response to the question, “Why do you want to work here?” depends on the job and the organization — and, of course, you and how you want to express yourself. Knowing how to formulate a meaningful response to suit most if not any interview situation begins with understanding what employers probably don’t want to hear.

Examples of responses you should avoid while answering the question include:

“Honestly, I just need a job and this one looked interesting.” This is a candid response, to be sure. But it does nothing to demonstrate a sincere interest in the role or company and the employer might have concerns that you will be quick to leave the organization for another opportunity you find more attractive.

“I’ve heard this company offers good pay and benefits.” Any company wants to be viewed as an employer of inchoice, and leading organizations recognize that they must offer competitive compensation to hire top talent. However,  they do not want to recruit people whose primary motivation to work for the business is money.

“I see this as a step to bigger and better things.” of course,  no employer expects every worker to stay with the organization for the long term, an employee would sure leave at one time or another but a response like this one implies you’re more focused on the future than the now. It also suggests that you already have one foot out the door before you have even been hired.

A more thoughtful approach to answering the question, why do you want to work here?

One of the keys to coming up with a compelling answer to “Why do you want to work here?” is to flip the question, like this: “Why would this company want to hire me?” In other words, think more about what you have to offer, and how you would make an impact than why getting the job would benefit you. Here are a few things to consider as while developing your response:

How can you help the company succeed?

Research and have adequate information on what’s happening with the company and its industry. Has it recently changed its product or service offerings? What competitive pressures is it currently facing? Consider this landscape and think, “What knowledge and experience do I have that would be very useful to this employer right now?”

What past career successes could you potentially repeat at this company?

In previous jobs, how did you meet or exceed your employers’ expectations? What problems did you play a major role in solving? What ideas did you introduce that helped the company save money or otherwise boost its bottom line? What lessons have you learned that you could apply in the future to create value for the potential employer?

How will you complement the company’s culture?

A  candidate’s ability to fit within the organizational culture is an important hiring factor for many employers. So, do your homework on the company’s culture and identify what you find most interesting and appealing about it. For instance, if the firm encourages entrepreneurial thinking and that’s important to you, include that in your response.

Here are sample introductions to help you best answer the question why do you want to work here in an interview:

“I see this as an opportunity to contribute to a fast-rising organization and I feel I can do so by putting my skills of…”

“I believe I have the type of knowledge/skills needed to succeed in this role and at the company because … ”

“I’m excited about this role as it would help me to … ”

When faced with the question “Why do you want to work here?” or other tricky ones like “Tell me about yourself” and “What are your greatest weaknesses?”, some job seekers freeze up because they are worried that they’ll say the wrong thing but if you anticipate the question and take your time to prepare an answer before the interview, you’ll avoid feeling confused or afraid and your chances of giving the right answer will rise.

Every word you say and everything you do as a job seeker during Interview should be geared towards making your chances of getting the job better and a simple hack to achieving this is by making your words and acts about the organization and the role you’re being interviewed for.

By Deborah Yusuf