How to Answer “Why Do You Want to Work With Us?” in a Job Interview

Have a job interview coming up? One question you should definitely prepare is “Why Do you Want to Work With Us?” Read on for helpful strategies, tips and sample answers.

Why Do Interviewers Ask “Why Do You Want to Work with Us?”

There are several reasons why hiring managers like to enquire about the motivation behind a candidate’s application:

• They want to find out if the candidate’s goals and values align with the company’s. Research shows that candidates who believe in the company’s mission are more likely to make for engaged, productive and loyal employees. What’s more, if the candidate’s personality fits in well with the overall company culture it will be much easier for them to settle into the role.
• They want to gauge the sincerity of your interest in the role. This question allows employers to identify applicants that are genuinely interested in the role and who are willing to contribute to the company’s growth. They are testing your ability to articulate why you want for their company specifically as opposed to all others.
• They are checking if you have done your homework. This question provides applicants with an opportunity to show off what they know about the company. This allows them to eliminate candidates who did not invest any time and effort into research and preparation.
• They want to get a better idea of your work preferences and considerations. This interview question presents a good opportunity to better understand each applicants’ key motivations.

What To Include In Your Answer

We recommend keeping your answer succinct and to the point, so you’ll want to cover about two or three specific key points. A good answer to this question is well-thought-out, positive, specific, and shows that you have done your homework.

One of the most commonly asked questions in job interviews is “why do you want to work with us?” This can be a tricky question to answer off the cuff, so it’s a good idea to invest time and energy beforehand into crafting your response. Select your talking points carefully, some key points to include in your response could include:

• The reputation of the company and/or its key leaders
• Why you are interested in the goods/services provided by the company
• What you admire about the company culture, mission, values and philosophy
• The company’s growth and successes
• The unique challenges facing the company
• If there are any specific company initiatives that you admire
• How a role at this company would align with your long-term career goals

What NOT To Say In Your Answer

• Employers want to know more about your deeper motivations for applying for the job, so avoid mentioning the salary, hours, and the commute.
• Don’t just rehash your CV.
• If your answer is too generic the interviewer is likely to think that you haven’t prepared for the interview.
• This question is an opportunity to show your enthusiasm for the role, so focus on the positive.
• Don’t bash previous employers and/or jobs.

How to Prepare Your Answer

“47% of candidates fail a job interview because they didn’t have enough information about the company they applied to.” (Source: legaljobs.io)

To boost your chances of successfully answering this question, it’s best to invest time and effort into researching the company. Being knowledgeable about the organisation will show your interest in the role and demonstrate to the interviewer that you are a diligent and conscientious person. This information will also allow you to phrase your answers in a way that aligns with the organisation’s culture and values.

What Information Should You Research?

• The organisation’s history
• Its mission and values
• Its USP
• Its products/services
• Its clients
• Its achievements
• Recent news stories
• Key competitors
• Industry trends
• The company culture

Resources for Pre-Interview Research

1. The company website
2. The company’s social media channels (don’t forget YouTube)
3. Search engines (e.g. Google, Yahoo, Bing)
4. Google News
5. Employee review websites (e.g. Glassdoor)

Preparing for Your Interview with Your Recruiter

If you have partnered with a Recruitment Consultant, then they can help you to prepare for this question. As a result of their relationship with the client, they will be able to provide you with useful tips about what to include in your answer.

Sample Answers: “Why Do You Want to Work With Us?”

“When I saw this role advertised, I knew I had to apply for it. I have wanted to work for [company name] for a long time. I am keen to work for a company that constantly drives innovation and improvement, and I believe the high standards here will push me to be better and advance in my career. The service you provide here is a real market leader and I would be excited to work on the team behind it.”

“I believe that this role provides a great opportunity to contribute to a forward-thinking company. I feel that my skills and experience will allow me to contribute to this company’s growth in a meaningful way.”

“I really admire how you have put sustainability at the centre of your business. I first heard about [Company Name] several years ago through your Earth Day awareness campaign. Sustainability is really important to me so I would relish the opportunity to work for a company that values the environmental responsibility as much as I do.”

“I have been working with the same company for a number of years and I believe that my career progression has stalled. I applied for a position here because I wanted a change. I am keen to widen my skill set and I think working here would give me an opportunity to learn new technologies and programming languages. Plus, I would like to work in a new environment and the culture here sounds like it would be a good fit for me. “

Top Tips from Berkley’s Consultants

“I would recommend that candidates do their own research on a company so they can answer this question honestly. Knowing about a business and what they do on a day-to-day basis is crucial to fully answer this question. I would align how a company works with my own values, and ensure to reiterate this when answering such a question.” ~ Louise O’Neill, Associate Director

“I normally advise candidates to research the organisation in-depth and build that in their answer. The most important thing a candidate can show is a genuine interest in both the organisation (structure, diversity, etc) and in the actual service/product the organisation is selling.” ~ David Maverley, Associate Director

“I usually tell candidates to research the news section for the companies to see if they are involved in any charity events or things like that, this usually shows what the company culture is like.” ~ John McCarthy, Recruitment Consultant

Key Takeaways: How to Answer “Why Do You Want to Work With Us?” in a Job Interview

Given the popularity of this question, it is highly likely that it will be asked in your next job interview. As such, it’s a good idea to prepare a well-researched and unique answer that will set you apart from the crowd. Think deeply about your motivations for applying for the role and try to articulate these in a way that allows you to tie in your research. you need help preparing your response, why not enlist the help of your recruiter. They can advise you on how to craft an answer that allows you to highlight your genuine interest in the role but that also appeals to the specific hiring manager.