Toughest Interview Questions: #3 Why Should We Hire You?

By John Heaney on November 4, 2009 at 11:46 am
Featured, Interviewing, The Search, Video

In our continuing series of how to answer the toughest interview questions, today we take on another one of the tough, open ended questions that strikes fear into the heart of job seekers everywhere: why should we hire you?

Just like the general questions Tell me about yourself and What are your greatest weaknesses?, your answer to this question can raise some red flags for the interviewer if you don’t handle it correctly.

The question is nothing more than the interviewer asking you to sell yourself to them.

So, how do you sell yourself? First you need to have done the research necessary to understand your core professional strengths and to identify several examples from your career that demonstrate these strengths in action.

Second, you need to understand why the interviewer wants to hire someone. What capabilities are they looking for? What is the pain that they’re trying to eliminate?

The wrong way to respond is with something like “because I need a job.” Remember, the job interview isn’t about you. At least not yet. The interview at this point is all about what the interviewer wants, and what you can do for them.

A good place to start preparing your answer is the job listing itself. What specific skills and experience are they looking for? What are they trying to accomplish? What will it take to get their job done?

Now, examine your inventory of professional skills and match those with the employer’s needs. Clarify those two or three key qualities that you have to offer that fulfill their precise requirements and set you apart from their other candidates.

Remember, these traits don’t have to be unique to the position, like a specific programming language or professional certification, but may be your energy, initiative, working style or communications strengths. These are the types of attributes that are relevant to virtually any job and are essential to any long term success you’ll have.

So, from the list of their requirements, you simply match what you have to offer and merge the two into a summary sales statement. This is your pitch. It should be no more than two minutes long and should stress the traits that make you unique and a good match for the job.

For example:

From our conversation, it sounds as if you’re looking for someone to come in and take charge immediately. It also sounds like you are experiencing problems integrating all of your branches’ systems to provide you with an overview of their activity and success on a daily basis. With my six years of experience integrating CRM systems on systems ranging from a desktop PC to a corporate mainframe, I’ve learned the best ways to integrate these systems at the lowest cost. My high energy and quick learning style enable me to hit the ground running, quickly identify and analyze problem areas and move quickly to plan a course of action. My colleagues would tell you I’m a team player who maintains a positive attitude and motivates his staff to deliver exceptional results. I have the ability to stay focused in stressful situations and can be counted on when the going gets tough. I’m confident I would be a great addition to your team.

Completing an exercise around this question allows you to concentrate on your unique qualities. Take the time to inventory your specific capabilities and think about what sets you apart from others.

Then, let the interviewer know that you have been listening to the problem they’ve described and have what it takes to do the job — that you bring specifically identified value to their organization and are the solution to their problems.