Why should we hire you response overview
- You have a passion for the work and proven abilities.
- You have differentiated experience in this field.
- You have an exceptional drive and determination to succeed.
- You have unique skills that separate you from other candidates.
- You are able to elevate their team’s current capabilities.
- You have a deep belief in the company’s mission.
- You feel a sense of connection to the company and team culture.
Employers ask many different questions during an interview. Because they only have a short window to assess whether or not you might be a good fit for the role, they want to understand a few key things at the end of your interview. Those things include whether you are a good culture fit for the company, if you can be successful in the role and how you might contribute to their short and long-term business goals.
One question you might be asked by employers is, “Why should we hire you?” While it might seem like a tough interview question, there are a few steps you can take to prepare a thoughtful, impressive response. To answer, “Why should we hire you?” you should:
- Study the job posting
- Research the company
- Tie your background to the job posting
- Quantify your accomplishments
- Go above and beyond
How to answer, “Why should we hire you?”
Employers might ask this question to learn a few different things about you. First, they want to know what differentiates you from other candidates they might be interviewing. In other words, what would they gain by hiring you specifically over other interviewees? They might also ask this question to see how you handle difficult situations because it can be challenging to explain why you’re the best person for a job in a humble, thoughtful way.
Take a few moments before your I
Interview Questions to plan an answer for this question. While preparing, you might consider the following steps to craft a response:
- Study the job posting. To understand the specific skills, qualities and experience employers are looking for in an ideal candidate, review the job posting. Pay special attention to the job description and key sections like “Requirements,” “Experience” and “Education.” Find commonalities between what the employer is looking for and the skills, experiences and qualities you have to offer.
- Research the company. Spending time studying the company’s mission, goals and recent announcements can help you to answer this question. You should use this information to explain how you are connected to their values and how you might help them accomplish key business goals.
- Tie your background to the job posting. Explain how your experience, skills and attributes make you the best fit for the job as it pertains to the company and position for which you’re applying. You should address each of the requirements listed in the job posting as well as any additional qualities that make you a great fit.
- Quantify your accomplishments. When possible, support your accomplishments with numerical results. For example, if you’re applying for a job as an accountant at a company that is looking for someone to streamline processes, you might explain that at your previous company, you implemented a new process for expense accounts that reduced reimbursement time by 25 percent.
- Go above and beyond. Think of any relevant qualities or experiences that set you apart from other candidates. For example, if you held a previous professional or volunteer position that gives you a unique perspective beneficial to the job you’re applying for, that might be something that distinguishes you.
Example “Why should we hire you?” answers
As you are planning your answer to this interview question, use the following examples as inspiration.
Example 1: Office administrator
“You should hire me for my passion and proven abilities in organisation for office efficiency. In my previous role as an administrative assistant, I came up with a plan to reorganise the office supply cupboard by category. We placed fewer orders and saved 30 percent on office supplies year over year. I’m excited to bring my skills to this role.”
Example 2: Kitchen manager
“My experience in accurately managing inventory intake and skills in creating effective, streamlined schedules make me uniquely qualified to succeed in this kitchen manager position. I understand that you require a highly organised candidate with acute attention to detail. In my previous job, I successfully handled schedules for 20 employees and reduced food waste by 15 percent. I’m excited about the prospect of bringing my organisational skills to your restaurant.
Example 3: Social worker
“You should hire me for this position because of my proven ability to maintain strong interpersonal relationships with several clients. I am passionate about providing care to those in need in my community, which keeps me motivated and excited about doing my best work. I understand you need a candidate who can be consistently available for events in clients’ lives. I have a 100 percent attendance rate for weekly case proceedings and meetings for my clients. In addition, I can bring leadership experience to your team, having trained over 20 new hires to become familiar with day-to-day operations and to feel comfortable in their new roles.”
Why Do Hiring Managers Ask This Question?
The interviewer’s job is to hire the best person for the position. Most of the candidates that make it to the interview stage are qualified for the job. So merely having the qualifications won’t be enough to separate you from the crowd. Once you’ve been invited to the interview, it mostly comes down to a battle of who can sell themselves better.
Remember, every hire is a risk for the company. Your interviewer will also be taking a personal career risk in recommending a particular candidate to hire. If the candidate performs well, Mr. Interviewer looks brilliant and gets a pat on the back (and maybe a bigger annual bonus).
If the candidate turns out to be a dud (doesn’t perform well, doesn’t get along with the team, leaves the job prematurely, etc.), the interviewer looks like a dummy and his professional reputation suffers.
This is why “why should we hire you” is one of their favorite questions. With this question, your interviewer is asking you to sell him on you and your status as the best person for the position.
Crafting the Perfect “Why Should We Hire You” Answer
This is your chance to “wow” them with your highlight reel. So let’s start from the beginning.
When preparing the ultimate answer for the “Why should we hire you” question your answer should summarize the top three (or four) best reasons to hire you.
Take a notepad and write down your most impressive strengths. Write 3-4 bullet points that include any combination of the following:
Industry experience – this refers to the years you’ve spent in your industry, not the specific jobs you’ve held. For instance, the total amount of experience you’ve had in Education, Finance, Customer Service, or whatever your field is.
Experience in performing certain tasks or duties – these could be tasks that normally wouldn’t fall in your role, but you have experience with. For instance, if you are a graphic designer, but also a trained photographer, you can offer your future employer custom photography as well as custom design, and that puts you above the competition.
Technical skills – these are the “on-the-job” skills that are needed to be successful in your role. For instance, understanding how to diagnose an engine problem or using QuickBooks for accounting.
Soft skills – soft skills are things like organization, conflict resolution, or communication skills. Be ready to give examples of how you’ve displayed these competencies in past jobs.
Key accomplishments – big projects, new clients, creating systems, or just thorough, daily efficiency all count as accomplishments. What you’ve achieved in your past roles are the types of things that will help you stand out, so mention them.
Awards/accolades – being awarded for your outstanding performance is a good indicator to future employers that you go above and beyond and do great work. You can build any special recognition you’ve received into your answer.
Education/training – make note of any impressive education or training accomplishments, especially if you’ve made extra efforts to keep up on your industry-related skills and certifications.
Step 1: Brainstorm
To get started, review the job description and write down every single skill you have that matches the skills asked for in the job description.
Once you are done with job description analysis, focus on your resume and ask yourself these questions:
- What are the most important qualifications for this position from the company’s perspective? Highlight these skills specifically.
- In which of these areas do I really shine?
First, go through the highlighted list and circle the ones that are your strongest skills. Then review the rest of the list, and circle the strengths that you are very good at, but aren’t on the highlighted list of company preferred skills. These are your secret weapon strengths that you can use to separate you from the other candidates. - What are my most impressive accomplishments?
Focus on your most impressive accomplishments, instances where you showcased the skills that are highlighted and circled on your list. - What makes me different from the typical candidate?
This is your opportunity to outshine your competition. What are your skills that are not mentioned in the job description but will highly benefit the employer?
Brainstorm and jot down everything that comes to mind. This will be the core of your perfect answer to the “why should we hire you” question, so be thorough and take your time.
Step 2: Structure Your Sales Pitch
Now that you have the core for your perfect answer, it is time to give it a body and make it beautiful.
Next, choose the 3-4 bullet points that make the strongest argument for you. Use those bullet points to structure your sales pitch.
You don’t want to write a script to memorize — simply capture the bullet points that you want to convey. Each bullet will describe the selling point with a brief explanation and/or example for context.
TIP: Keep it concise — you still want to keep your answer in the 1-2 minute range so you won’t be able to rattle off every skill and accomplishment on your resume.
This is your chance to demonstrate to them what you will bring to the position. However, you have to really think about what sets you apart from the competition and explain why your background and experience would be a good fit for this job.
Step 3: Practice
Once you feel pretty good about the points you want to make, it’s time to practice. Again, it’s not a good idea to memorize a script — you can end up sounding like a robot or feel more nervous because of pressure to remember specific wording.
The better approach is to capture your bullet points, study them, and then practice until you feel comfortable talking about them off the cuff. Your answer should come out a little bit different each time, but it should always cover the points that you want to make.
Why We Like It:
She has a lot of confidence and is able to concisely sum up how she meets the position’s top requirements (project management experience, relationship and team skills). This answer is a little bit general and could perhaps be further strengthened with examples (describing a successful project, naming one of those top companies, offering evidence of those great relationships).
However, assuming that the candidate has already discussed some specifics of her past roles, this answer does a good job of reiterating and emphasizing. She doesn’t make the interviewer put all of the pieces together on his own.
She does it for him and naturally does it with a very positive spin. We also really like the last line: What’s not to love about passion, drive, and high-quality work?
Common mistakes when answering the “Why Should We Hire You?” question
Ask any salesperson. It’s tough to close a deal in a buyer’s market. It’s the same thing in interviews – many candidates sabotage themselves with avoidable mistakes.
Answering Mistake #1: Lack of preparation
Don’t try to wing it. You should take the time to prepare your 3-4 bullet points and look for opportunities to customize for any new opportunity. Then, you must PRACTICE delivering your sales pitch until it feels comfortable.
This is best done out loud, either in front of a mirror or in front of someone you trust who won’t hesitate to point out areas you could improve.
And of course, Big Interview is specifically designed to quiz you on practice questions and give you the opportunity to record yourself answering as many times as you’d like.
You can even send your recordings to others for review to give you helpful feedback on your interview performance.
Answering Mistake #2: Modesty
This is not the time to be modest or self-deprecating. You must know how to answer what makes you unique. This will require some practice if you are naturally a bit modest.
You don’t have to be super-confident like the candidate in the video example above. You can use your own style. If you’re not comfortable making value statements about yourself (i.e. “I am the perfect candidate.”), you can stick to facts (“I have ten years of experience, got promoted, broke the sales record, won the award, delivered on time and on budget, received kudos from my manager/client, etc.”)
Another way to “sell” yourself with facts is to quote other people’s opinions. Quote your manger, “My manager told me that he’s never seen anyone with more advanced Excel skills.” You can also reference your general reputation: “I have a reputation for always closing the deal” or “I have a history of always completing my projects ahead of schedule.”
Answering Mistake #3: Being too general
Do your best to add some personality to your answer. Don’t simply rattle off the bullet points listed in the job description. Really think about what makes you unique and express it in your own voice.
Answering Mistake #4: Talking too much
Remember the law of answering interview questions: You should limit each answer to 1-2 minutes in length (not counting any follow-up questions or requests for additional detail).
If you try to walk through your entire resume when answering this question, the interviewer is likely to tune out.
Focus on your most compelling selling points. Keep in mind that you’ll be more believable if you focus on a few strengths and don’t try to claim that you are a master of every business skill imaginable.
Conclusion
Before we close the topic, let’s quickly go over the most important takeaways from the article.
To really ace the “why should we hire you” question, you should always prepare in advance by focusing on your strongest skills and how they can benefit the company.
You can do this by:
- Researching the company. Understanding the company and their struggles can help you showcase how your skills can help them overcome the challenges they have.
- Evaluating the job description. The better you understand what the role is about, the better you will know how your skills fit.
- Write down your strengths (and weaknesses). Evaluate how your strengths can help them reach their goals and be prepared to speak about your weaknesses in a way that does not raise any red flags.
- Practicing your answer. Practice is the only thing that will build your confidence and make you better at interviewing, so don’t skip this step!
You have everything you need to build a powerful answer to the “why should we hire you” question and ace your interview. Good luck and start practicing!
