7 ANSWERS to Why Should We Hire You?
You’re on the other side of the hiring table, being asked: Why should we hire you? You struggle to find a great answer because it’s difficult. After all, they’ve already reviewed your resume. What else do they need to know? Don’t they see you have all the qualifications required for the job?
They ask because they’re not interested solely in qualifications. They’re interested in you, as a person. They’re not looking to find out your hobbies or political views, either. They want to see if your personality is a good fit for their company.
Realizing this, you must come up with good answers to the Why should we hire you question, that no matter how much you try to avoid it, will always come up. Here are a few answers you can use, of course only if they are true.
1. You’re highly adaptable.
This means being able to work both in a team and individually. Assuring them you can work with other colleagues as well as on your own is a great way to make them look at you with different eyes. No company wants a person who has trouble communicating with others when working in a team, or finds it impossible to work by himself.
Also, let them know you can put in extra hours when the company needs it, or come in over the weekend – another two great ways of tilting the balance in your favor. That’s because, no matter which company you’re working for, things never go smoothly 100% of the time. Sometimes the company gets an avalanche of new clients who need attention, so knowing they have an employee they can count on is important to them. The last thing they want to hear is an employee saying, “but the contract says I only need to work eight hours a day” when they have loads of work to finish.
2. You’ll stick with them when times get tough.
A company is made up of people, so it naturally follows that, just like people, companies have their ups and downs. They’re not looking for emotional support, but for someone they can count on when the future might not seem as bright or the road starts to get rough. So next time they ask why they should hire you, let them know you’ll stick with them, no matter how bumpy the ride becomes.
3. You want to learn and grow.
Every employer knows that money is important. But money isn’t everything. In fact, most employees just want decent pay; they know they’re not going to get rich working for someone else. So explain that you really want to work for them to have the opportunity to learn, grow and master your skills. This is what should get you out of bed in the morning and have you rushing to the office. So tell them this, and see how their faces light up. They’ll know that such an employee would be highly valuable to a company, and your chances of getting hired will skyrocket.
4. You’ll give them a heads up before departing.
Companies have long-term plans that don’t take into considerations sudden change departures – and whenever they encounter such a situation, they don’t like it. Not one bit. So next time you get asked: Why should we hire you, assure them that they won’t get a surprise resignation letter on their desk from you. Let them know that you’re in it for the long run just as much as they are.
This is important, not only for getting hired now, but also in the future. If the word spreads that you disappear unannounced, the next time you want to get hired, you’ll have a much harder time getting the job. After all, who wants to hire someone and then go to work one day and see his employee waving his hand from the office building across the street?
5. You can help others improve.
If you got to the interview, chances are you have the necessary skills and they can picture you on their team. However, it doesn’t hurt the company if more people share your skills. So let them know that you can help others get better by sharing the tips and tricks you’ve learned from past experiences. As some say, sharing is caring.
A savvy interviewer will not only like this, but will see beyond that: they’ll realize that if you teach people something valuable, they’ll return the favor and share with you their trade secrets, too. The result? More productive employees.
6. You have other options.
When the why should we hire you question gets asked, the last thing you want to do is to have a highfalutin’ attitude and reply, “why should I work for you?” Letting them know you have offers from other companies (if you actually do) in a diplomatic manner won’t trigger a repulsive reaction. What it will do is make you more valuable in their eyes, and more inclined to hire you. After all, if other companies have made you an offer, it means you’re good.
7. You love their company.
Just like with point six, if done in a bad way, it hurts you more than it helps, especially if it’s the first thing you tell them. That’s why it’s listed last. After you tell them every other thing above, they’ll get so psyched up that a compliment at this stage will be the icing on the cake.
However, do your homework. Only saying you love their company isn’t enough - those are just empty words. Instead, look up their past accomplishments and, if you truly find them impressive, feel free to stroke their ego by sharing with them how much you appreciate a specific accomplishment and how you’d like to have the chance to work with such a company.
Focus on the Human Aspect
So, these are just seven ways you can answer the unavoidable Why should we hire you question. The main idea behind it all is to avoid reminding them of your skills, which they’ll already know from your resume. Instead, focus on the human aspect. Interviewers are people like you, so they’ll respond to the same things: honesty, integrity and respect. By using this mindset, there’s no way you can’t come up with exquisite answers.
So think about how you’ll answer this question the next time, before you set foot in an interviewer’s office. This question will get asked, one way or another, and now you have ammunition to provide a positive, satisfying answer.
