Some people go into interviews and wing it. Others prepare ahead of time. Usually this includes researching the company and planning responses for commonly asked interview questions.
Questions like “what is your management style?” and “where do you see yourself in 5 years?”
But, there’s one key question they often don’t prepare to answer.
“Why do you want to work here?”
When I was recruiting, I always asked candidates if they knew anything about the company. The smart ones would tell me a few things they learned while researching the company, things that made them want to work there.
The unprepared would say “no” and leave it at that.
If they were otherwise well qualified, I passed them to the hiring manager. When candidates expressed a strong interest in the company, I made sure to pass that along too. But, I wasn’t making the hiring decision.
In this episode you’ll learn how to prepare to answer that key question.
#1 COMPANY WEBSITE
Review the company website. Read their mission statement. Many companies include staff bios, review those you be working with or working for.
Visit the career section. Do they have information on possible career paths? Do they have videos that give you insight into the culture?
#2 SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow them on social media. Where are they present? What do they post? You may learn about new products or initiatives. On Twitter and/or Facebook you may get an opportunity to meet recruiters.
#3 LINKEDIN PROFILES
Check the key players out on LinkedIn. Read their profiles and review their activity. What type of content do they like and/or share? Have they written any articles on LinkedIn?
If well-written, their About section will give you some insight into who they are as a person. You may learn why they choose their career or what they love about their job. You may find that they went to the same college or university.
Conducting advance research will give you a distinct advantage over lazy candidates who wing it. First, it should provide a few talking points you can use during the interview process.
Second, it can help you prepare to answer, “Why do you want to work here?”
Maybe the company’s mission aligns with your personal values. Perhaps they are innovators in their field. Possibly the person you’ll be working for inspires you.
Researching companies before you apply is a good idea. You may find they are not a good fit for you. Researching a company before your job interview is essential. When a potential employer asks why you want to work there, you need to have a compelling, well thought out, and, hopefully, honest answer.
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Annette (00:09):
Hi, welcome to the smarter career moves podcast. I'm Annette Richmond executive resume writer and principle of career intelligence, resume writing and career services.
Annette (00:31):
Hi, thanks for joining me today. I want to talk to you about a key question that you're going to need to be able to answer if you want to get the job. Some people go into interviews and they wing it. Other people prepare ahead of time. Usually the preparation includes researching the company and planning responses for commonly asked interview questions, questions like What's your management style? and Where do you want to see yourself in five years? and the dreaded What is your greatest weakness? But there's one key question they often don't prepare to answer, Why do you want to work here? When I was working as a recruiter, I always asked candidates if they knew anything about the company, the smart ones would tell me a few things they learned while researching the company, things they liked things that made them want to work there.
Annette (01:25):
The unprepared people would say no and leave it at that. While I was always unhappy when candidates admitted, they knew nothing or very little about the company, if they were otherwise qualified, I would pass them on to the hiring manager. When candidates did express a strong interest in the company, however, I would also include that in my written summary and recommendation to the hiring manager as well. But I wasn't making the hiring decision. You make it through the recruiter without doing any research, but when the hiring manager asks, why do you want to work here? you really need to have a good answer. And not that it sounds like a great opportunity for you to help your chance of making it to the next level. Make sure you do some advanced research. First, take a look at the company website. Always take some time to go on their site and look around, go beyond the career section and read the about us section.
Annette (02:26):
Look for the company's mission statement. Read the bios of anyone you might be interviewing with, including HR people, those you might be working with, and the person you'd be reporting to if you're hired. Today, many companies have photos and bios of almost everyone on staff. Reviewing the company site will also give you insight into the company culture. What are they talking about? Do they provide information on career paths? Are there videos of staff talking about experience on the job or is the site more impersonal? Check out their social media. One of the best ways to learn about a company is to follow them on social media. Where do they have a presence? What do they post there? By following companies on social media, you may learn about upcoming product launches or other business initiatives. You'll get some insight into the company culture, some social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook may give you the opportunity to interact, or at least try to interact with recruiters and other employees who might provide additional information and perhaps help your cause.
Annette (03:43):
You also want to check out LinkedIn profiles. Once you know who the key players are, particularly those, you might be working with or reporting to research them on LinkedIn, read their profiles and review their activity. What type of content do they like? What type of content do they share? Have they written any articles on LinkedIn? The person's summary, if well-written, will give you some insight into who they are as a person. You may learn why they chose their career or what they love about their job. If they have published articles, read a few of their posts, review the articles and information that they're sharing as status updates or in LinkedIn groups. Conducting advanced research will give you a distinct advantage over the lazy candidates who just don't bother. First, it should provide a few talking points you can use during the interview process. Second can help you prepare to answer.
Annette (04:40):
Why do you want to work here? Maybe the company's mission aligns with your personal values. Maybe they're innovators in their field. Possibly the person that you'd be working for is someone who inspires you. You may find common ground by checking where they went to school and where they volunteer. Maybe you went to the same college or support the same causes. As someone who supports dog rescue with both my time and pocketbook, I always feel kinship with others who share my passion. Making a connection like this with a future colleague or boss can help push your candidacy forward. The best bet is to research each company before you apply for a position, you may find the culture just isn't a good fit for you. It's essential to research a company before a job interview. When a potential employer asks, why do you want to work here? You need to have a compelling, well thought out and hopefully honest answer. Thanks again for joining me today and good luck with your job search.
Annette (05:55):
Thanks again for joining us for this episode of the smarter career moves podcast. If you enjoyed it, please subscribe. Thank you. [inaudible].