4 Ways to Address “Why Do Your Want to Work for Us?”

Perhaps the most common reason employers give for not hiring a jobseeker is that they “are not a good fit.” But what do they really mean? Hiring teams may say their applicant was not a good fit when they do not feel comfortable saying something else.

Fit really means being authentically aligned with the company’s mission and values. Experts and researchers say this approach to fit works because prospective employees who are aligned with their organization’s mission and values get hired. Those who are not aligned with the company’s mission and values are also less likely to keep their jobs. It is devastating to land your dream job and then leave because you cannot implement your supervisor’s goals. This situation may be even worse than not landing the job because the hiring team does not understand how well you are aligned with their purpose.

Your goal then is to develop a “fit proposition” that will prove to the hiring team that you understand their values and will carry out relevant aspects of the mission on the job.

Here is a roadmap, or checklist of sorts you can use to start preparing your fit proposition. Your fit proposition will show you:

1. Know the company and what makes them different,
2. Know company values,
3.  Share those values, and
4. You can explain why you are a great fit for the company.

This model, or tool will help you craft a unique and authentic response to one of the most common and important interview questions— “Why do you want to work for us?”

Your competitors will ramble on about the great opportunity the company offers them to use, for example, their GAAP accounting expertise or their marketing analytics skills. The competition will speak about why the company is great for them. You will talk about why your shared mission and values make you the best fit for the employer!

Start with company research.

Know the company and what makes them different.

Regular readers and clients know we recommend doing your homework or research at every job search step. Presumably, you already have done basic research to get the company on your target list and then complete their online application.

Now dig deeper to prepare for the high-stakes interview. A good starting point for your research could be to:

• Read the company’s public mission statement,
• Review the company’s annual report for stated priorities if your prospective employer is a publicly held company, and
• Identify company and relevant department leadership along with links to social media profiles and publications.

This research and reading should lead you to the information you need to understand the company and what makes it unique. Supplement the general information with informational interviews, coffee meetings with employees and former employees you know or those you can chat with through LinkedIn, and specialized sources in the target industry.

Know company values.

Your next step after gathering company data is to identify company values. A few of the questions you should try to answer include:

• The organization’s broad purpose beyond generating revenue,
• Values the company emphasizes publicly on its website and other published materials, and
• Additional core values senior leaders say they care about in press clippings, published articles, recorded public appearances, social media posts, YouTube videos, and podcasts.

The depth of your research will depend on the job function and career level you are pursuing. You won’t need to study the firm’s financial position and philosophy, for example, if you are interviewing for a receptionist role, but it will be essential to align with the company’s customer service values.

Determine the values you share with the prospective employer.

Next, find the intersection of your professional values with company values. Some interview coaches call this your “X.”

specifically, for the “why do you want to work here?” question, you are looking for values you share with the company rather than the value in terms of skills and experience that you bring to the table.

The intersection between your values and company values will be straightforward in certain industries. For example, individual financial planners have a fiduciary responsibility to put their customers’ financial interests first. Their companies have the same fiduciary responsibility too. The intersection between an employee’s interests and the employer’s interest may be less obvious in other industries and occupation but you will be able to find it.

Explain your fit proposition.

Now that you have completed your research and know how your values match company values, it’s time to plan your message. Collaborate with a friend, colleague, or career management coach to develop an authentic message so you will not have to read a script or recite a memorized script. Certain companies use technology to detect eye movements that betray your reading. Memorization sounds unnatural unless you are a trained professional speaker or actor.

Start with a strong “I statement” such as “I am committed to delivering outstanding customer service each and every day.” Deliver a brief point proving your commitment to the core value, and then quickly wrap up without rambling. This takes practice, especially when your job does not regularly entail giving briefings and presentations.

Concluding Comments

It is important for you to know that your values match the company’s mission and values even if the question does not arise during an interview. Employees who don’t share a commitment to the employer’s mission and values do not stay.

An example I recall vividly took place in a welfare-to-work program. Our mission was “work first.” We were expected to find work for our clients, not improve their education or other circumstances. Our supervisor believed clients without GED credentials should complete high school and set about incorporating this into our program. Shortly thereafter, he was let go, and the unit dropped this program goal. Take the time to frame the reason you want to work for an employer in terms of their mission and values. You will beat your competition by proving to hiring managers that hiring an employee who shares their purpose will help them beat their competition.