Toughest Interview Question: #4 Why Do You Want to Work Here?

By John Heaney on November 9, 2009 at 10:30 am
Featured, Interviewing, The Search, Video

During most of the job interview, the interviewer is trying to determine a few key issues. First of all, are you capable of doing the job? They probe your background, explore your accomplishments and try to gain some understanding of your potential value to their company.

Eventually, they’re going to extend their questioning beyond your skills and capabilities and try to determine your motivations. They know you want to work somewhere, they’re just not sure why you want to work for them.

So, how do you prepare for the inevitable question: Why do you want to work here?

First of all you need to understand what they want to hear. They want to know that you’ve investigated their company. That you know their products and services. You’re familiar with their position in their industry. That you know something about the company’s background. In short, they want you to show that you care enough about the company and the job to have done your homework.

So, do your homework.

Start with the company website. Read about their company background. Know who started the company and whether or not those individuals are still with the company. If there is a management page, read the bios for each major executive. Check out their profiles on LinkedIn to see where they went to school , where they worked before and what titles they’ve held. You never know when you might have shared contacts that you can ask to put in a good word for you.

If there’s an annual report, read it. See how they’re positioning themselves publicly. Are they in a fast growth mode or are they apologizing for lackluster performance? Check out their revenue and profit trends. And read the letter from the president to gauge the character and personality of the company.

Read about their products. Not just on their website but on other sites that review their products or on user forums where consumers talk about their products and services. The user forums provide enormously valuable information since their participants provide unvarnished feedback about the company, their products and their responsiveness.

Check the newswires for press releases or any press mentions at all. How actively do they promote new products? Have they had any recent acquisitions? Have they been involved in any scandalous behavior?

Search the blogosphere for mentions of the company, its products and its executives. There are blogs that deal with every single industry and they frequently provide the best source of inside information on industry trends, company perceptions and feedback from industry insiders.

Once you done the research, you’re ready to answer the question.

I read in last month’s Fast Company that your company is leading your industry in design innovation and its focus on the overall user experience. The product reviews I’ve read on CNET and the Wall Street Journal have been terrific, and the company seems poised to dominate their sector. I’ve always enjoyed working in entrepreneurial and innovative environments, and believe that my experience in consumer packaging and point of sale design can help your company stand out in the retail space that you’re poised to enter.  Can you tell me a little about your efforts to get into the big box chains?

There. You demonstrated that you did some research, you read about their company, its products and its plans. You positioned yourself as a potential contributor to their future success and you kept the conversation going by asking about a specific initiative that they’re pursuing. All of which leads the interviewer to conclude that you really do want to work there.