What’s the Point Of ”Why Do You Want to Work Here” Question in an Interview?

“Because I need a job so I can pay my bills and won’t end up homeless!” She was agitated and angry, as we reflected on her recent interview experience and the question she had to answer - “Why do you want to work here?”

My client assured me that she wouldn’t say exactly those words in a job interview but came up with some “BS answers” while feeling frustrated that the jobs she interviewed for barely pay a livable wage and yet expected candidates to express deep passion for the company and the role. 

She felt like a fraud and saw the question as pointless. And she’s not alone.

Imagine someone, let's call her Jane, goes on a date. She asks her date, “Why are you here?”

“I’m lonely and don’t want to be alone. You are available.” Her date answered.

How well will that date go?

Why do interviewers ask this question?

This question was designed to assess candidate preparedness, and gauge their motivation and enthusiasm for the role. 

I know some candidates have been rage-applying that they are confused about which company and role they are interviewing for when they show up. 

Employers want to meet intentional candidates. Otherwise they feel it’s a waste of their time. Like Jane’s date.

The truth is not all interviewers are good at interviewing, and this question may be just a box they need to check off on their standard interview template. 

Why is it important for the company and the candidate?

You may have experienced firsthand that when people are enthusiastic about what they do, they go above and beyond to do their best, commit to working through challenges, and see disagreements as opportunities to learn and collaborate. For senior roles, it may be easy to understand the importance of congruence of purpose and vision. However, even for junior level positions, employers want to see their employees grow with the company and favor those who have a stronger alignment of values.

For the candidates, asking these questions throughout the interview process why they want to work here helps them discover if taking this role will benefit or hurt their career. Will this be a company or team you feel proud to be part of? Do you want to work with the people there? Will you be happy to show up every day? Will you be motivated to learn and expand your knowledge? Will you feel what you do matters? If you answer “yes” to these questions, then you will grow in your career leading to greater professional and financial success.

This is a discovery process for both parties to evaluate each other. For the employer, to take a best guess whether the candidate will do good work and will commit to stay. I know, from the candidate’s perspective, especially those who have been laid off, they feel the commitment is one-sided - the employer has no loyalty to them. This leads to the benefit of this discovery for the candidate - is the employer interested in employees’ professional development, or do they pigeonhole employees to perform their tasks and become stagnant as an organization?

How can candidates answer this question with authenticity?

A little preparation goes a long way. First research the company using online resources such as their website or LinkedIn page, to at least get a high level idea of what the company does. Dig into information related to your area of expertise - study their annual report, marketing campaigns, company news, etc. What do you learn intrigues you, excites you, or motivates you to be part of it?

Second, if you can find any contacts who work in the company or used to work there, reach out to them and ask for an informational interview. What you learn first hand cannot be found online. Use that information to help your interview. To learn more about how to approach this, read the post on networking.

Your answer doesn’t need to be an earth-shattering world-changing mission. Anchor on the information you know:

• Are you passionate about what the company is doing? If yes, talk about why. If not, don’t mention it and move on.

• What do you know about what the team does? Are you excited to be part of it? If yes, talk about why. If not, don’t mention it and move on.

These elements should be in the job description and if you can’t answer the following questions, then don’t waste your time interviewing here.

• Have you read the job description?

• What will motivate you to show up to work each day other than a paycheck?

• How confident are you that you can do the job? 

• What has prepared you to do well?

• Are there things you need to learn? And what are you eager to learn?

Conclusion

For interviewers, to get authentic answers, there are other ways to ask the question to gauge the candidates’ interest. Instead of asking why candidates want to work here, why not introduce the company, the team, and the role in detail, and even discuss the company culture a bit. This gives the candidate a better understanding of the opportunity and allows them to connect their skills and interests to the role. Then, you can ask more specific questions like, "What excites you about this industry?" or "What kind of work environment do you thrive in?" These can reveal a candidate's true motivations without feeling forced or inauthentic.

For the candidates, financial pressure may weigh heavy on you, especially if you recently lost your job. It's completely understandable. However, wouldn't it be more important now than ever, to work for an employer that sees their employees as their greatest asset? A positive company culture can foster a sense of belonging and purpose, which can significantly impact your well-being and motivation at work. Consider this as you evaluate potential employers.

To explore how you can personally practice career management principles like this, schedule a complementary call to evaluate if coaching can accelerate your results.