Why should we hire you?

Article 1

Five Good Answers To 'Why Should We Hire You?'

Dear Liz,
I hate the job interview question "Why should we hire you?"
It sounds like they want me to compare myself to the other candidates.
How should I know why they should hire me? I don't work for the company. They
should hire whoever they want.
Do you have any suggestions for answering the question "Why should we hire you?"
Thanks, Liz!
Yours,
Toby

Dear Toby,

I hate that question, too! It's obnoxious, but a lot of interviewers ask it anyway.
You're right. How could you possibly know why they should hire you, or even
whether they should hire you?

Maybe you are all wrong for the job. They work there — you don't! How would you
know?

The worst way to answer the question "Why should we hire you?" is to start begging
for the job by saying "Hire me because I'm smart, hard-working, loyal and thrifty!"
Almost every candidate will answer the question by praising themselves. That's not
the best approach.

Here are five ways to answer the question "Why should we hire you?" Pick one of
these answers or use them as a springboard to construct your own!

Five Good Answers To The Question "Why Should We Hire You?"

Why should we hire you?

From what I understand about the job, it's a position that requires a lot of fast
activity during the day, and that's the kind of job I thrive in. I love to stay busy and
wear a lot of hats. Is my assessment of the environment on target?

Why should we hire you?

What if I share my impression of the role and see if I've got a good handle on it — is
that okay? Great! Well, it seems that this job is very connected to the inventory
system and your part-number database.
It sounds like your new hire will go to weekly Production meetings and make sure
that every part you require for the next week's production schedule is on hand, or if
it isn't, to fix that problem! When suppliers switch out parts or re-number them, this
person will make sure the database gets updated. Did I cover the most important
points?

Why should we hire you?

Honestly I'd have a hard time saying truthfully "You should hire me!" because you
are going to meet or have already met the other candidates, and of course I haven't
met them.
I would only say that I'm excited about your company and its prospects,  I've been
working in Inventory Control and Production Planning very successfully and I love
it, and if I seem like the right person for the job I'd be very excited to continue the
conversation.

Why should we hire you?

If I come and work here it will be my third job in Inventory Control. The reason I like
Inventory Control and Production Planning is because it deals with real
things — parts and finished products — not strictly numbers in spreadsheets.
I like to work with real things. I like to organize inventory systems and see products
coming off the assembly line. That's why I'm drawn to manufacturing jobs.

Why should we hire you?

Earlier in our conversation you mentioned that it's a challenge keeping parts on
hand for products that you only build in small quantities. In my last job I set up a
system with the suppliers for our low-quantity parts, because it would be very easy
for us to slip off those suppliers' radar screens.

I maintained a dashboard that showed us when we were running low on any of

those low-quantity parts because we needed more lead time to get those orders
turned around and delivered to us. As a result of the dashboard, we were seldom if
ever out of stock on those products. I love to spot the most time-consuming and
irritating production problem in any company and solve it first.

End of Script
The best answer to the question "Why should we hire you?" will be yours alone.
Once you settle on the right words, you'll rock your next job interview!

All the best,

Liz

Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2017/05/13/five-good-

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Article 2

How To Answer 'Why Should We Hire You?'

People say that the job interview question "With all the talented candidates we will
meet, why should we hire you?" is just another way of asking "Why do you think
you're a good fit for this job?"  but I disagree.

The minute the interviewer throws the other candidates into the question, it becomes
ugly. It's a way of asking a job-seeker to grovel, and that's why I hate this brainless
and lazy question.

The interviewer will meet the other candidates, but you won't.

You couldn't possibly compare yourself to the other candidates your interviewer
will meet -- and why would you want to? You are looking for a job working with
people who want someone like you.

You haven't dry-cleaned your interview clothes and traveled across town to go to a
job interview and beg and whine for a job the way your dog whines when she wants
a biscuit.

It's a horrible feeling - one of the worst feelings you can have without actually
injuring yourself -- to get home from a job interview and realize that you danced and
pranced and contorted yourself into pretzel shapes on the interview, because that's
what the interviewer seemed to want you to do.

Don't do that! Stay in your power. If they like you, cool -- they can make you an
offer. If they don't like you, they can hire someone else.

Here are a few ideas for answering the interview question "Why should we hire
you?"

"So, we have a lot of talented people to meet this week. Why should we hire you for
this job?"

That's a great question. I'm still learning about the job so I'd hate to say that there's
one reason or one talent of mine that suits me perfectly for this job. The fact is that
we are both learning about one another.

I'm listening hard to everything you're saying about this role and so far, I've heard
that you need help getting your new sales leads from the trade show floor out to the
field where your salespeople can follow up on them. That seems to be the bottleneck.
I've solved that problem before and I'd be excited to come in here and solve it for
you. Did I get that right -- is that the biggest issue right now?
This approach is called re-direction. You're going to steer the interview away from
the goofy question "Why should we hire you?" toward a substantive discussion of
the real business issues.

Here's another approach.

"So, we have a lot of talented people to meet this week. Why should we hire you for
this job?"

Fantastic question! I get excited about a new job when it seems to hold a challenge
that is close to what I've done before, but a step forward -- otherwise I'd be repeating
what I've already done before. My take based on our conversation so far is that your
sales leads are getting stuck somewhere between the trade show floor, where
prospects are excited, and the live call from a sales rep to the prospect - and that
blockage is costing you money and potentially losing you customers to other
vendors.

I see the challenge in solving that puzzle and it's a natural follow-on from the work
I've been doing in sales lead generation at my current job at Angry Chocolates. Did I
identify the correct problem? What's your take?"

Now that you are over age 21 you cannot answer a job interview question and fall
silent. That is what our children and grandchildren do when they are asked
questions by their teachers in school.

You are out of school and working in the grown-up world. When you ask a question
at the end of each answer you give to a job interview question, you gently turn the
discussion from an obnoxious oral exam into a real conversation, and that is your
goal.

Here's one more take. This is a high-mojo approach called Frame-Shifting.

The question "Why should we hire you, instead of one of the other candidates?"
comes from an ugly and not-very-human place. It comes from the frame "I, as the
interviewer, am sitting in judgment on you, the lowly job-seeker!"

I wouldn't blame you if you answered the question bluntly a la "You got me - am I
running your company now?" or "Look here, Slick, I don't have time to play games
with you -- if you didn't think I was qualified for the job, why did you bring me
down here?" but of course, if you answer that way, the interview will be over.

You can use a high-mojo, frame-shifting approach to back out of the frame "We are
the employer, and we are mighty -- so get down on your knees and grovel, knave!"
and into human conversation. Try this when you're on a job interview one day and
your flame is high:
"So, we have a lot of talented people to meet this week. Why should we hire you for
this job?"

Great question! That is the very question I think you and I are here to explore -- am I
the right person for this job, and are you the right organization and the right boss for
me? I wouldn't presume to compare myself to the other candidates of course, since I
haven't met them and I won't meet them whereas you have met them or you will --
but I have complete confidence in you to make the decision about who is best-suited
to the job. As for the other side of the equation -- is this the right place for me? -- I
trust that if you and I are meant to work together, we'll both know it. What's your
take?

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Article 3

Best Answer To The Interview Question 'Why Should I Hire You?'

In today’s fast-paced world, you need a quick, concise, well-thought-out answer to

capture the employer’s interest and make them decide to hire you.

The 60 Second Sell is your tool to achieve this. This 60-second calling card will
summarize your skills, abilities and previous experience in a well-thought-out
fashion that will immediately make the employer want to listen. The 60 Second Sell
is a proven shortcut to your success when asked the tough question, “Why should I
hire you?” Client upon client has reported that using my 60 Second Sell approach
was the best job search technique they’d ever used. It’s easy to create and easy to
implement. Once you’ve learned this technique, your interviews will be greatly
improved because you will be able to do the most important thing necessary to land
a job—tell the employer exactly how you can perform his or her job.

The formula: creating your strategy

Examine your previous experience. Write out the major responsibilities for each job
you’ve held. Note any special accomplishments. Zero in on your important work
strengths—those abilities where you excel and are most productive.

Then, check with your contacts and use your network to get as much background as
possible about the employer, the company, and the position’s needs. Check the
hiring manager’s LinkedIn profile. Go to Glassdoor.com and read reviews of the
organization. Many times, your contacts and research will point out the very aspects
that must make up your 5 top selling points which I call, the 5 Point Agenda. Other
times, there will be little information available and you will need to guess based on
your general knowledge about performing the job.
After reviewing the position’s needs, determine which of your abilities and which
aspects of your experience will be most important to the employer. Then create your 5
Point Agenda, selecting each point to build a solid picture emphasizing how you can
do the best job. This is an important step as the 5 Point Agenda is the basis for
creating your 60 Second Sell.

Before every job interview, you will customize your 5 Point Agenda to reflect the
responsibilities of the job as well as the company’s goals and objectives. These five
points are your basic building blocks to answer the interviewer’s questions. You’ll
want to emphasize each of these points whenever the opportunity presents itself.
The message the employer will hear is that you have the ability to perform and do
well in the job—and it will give your prospective boss confidence in hiring you. On
top of that, they likely will remember these aspects about you.

Here is the sample that Susan, 58, created about her role as a Human Resources
Director. The company wanted to find a progressive HR partner to lead its
organization. They needed a strategic leader. The client had heard about the position
from a friend at an HR conference and wanted to go after the job. Her 5 Point
Agenda needed to stress her achievements.

Example:

Human Resources Director

 Point 1: Award-winning human resources leader.

 Point 2: Providing strategic direction for the organization that was

recently named a national best places-to-work company.

 Point 3: Strong entrepreneurial drive was responsible for delivering

new programs, HR systems, and major policy enhancements.

 Point 4: A strategic and operational business partner working closely

with top executives.

 Point 5: Exceeds goals and expectations.

Your Verbal Business Card

The 60 Second Sell is a tool that helps you target your skills to meet the employer’s
needs. It allows you to summarize your most marketable strengths in a brief and
concise manner. Successful job hunters have found that the 60 Second Sell is the
most influential tool they used during the interview process. They praised the tool
for several reasons:

 It was effective in capturing the employer’s attention.

 It provided excellent, concise answers to tricky questions.

  It was very easy to use.

 It was a great way to end an interview.

The 60 Second Sell is a 60-second statement that you customize for each interview
and that summarizes and links together your 5 Point Agenda. You will want to put
the points of your 5 Point Agenda into an order that allows you to present them in
the most logical and effective manner. When you link the ideas into sentences, they
should be spoken in 60 seconds or less. Once memorized, this statement will be easy
for you to recall and use during the interview.

Answering that tough question

Your 60 Second Sell is the perfect answer: Why should I hire you?  This question is
asking you to convince the employer to hire you. The 60 Second Sell is effective
because it demonstrates your strengths and illustrates how you will fill the
employer’s needs. That is the key to its success, and yours.

60 Second Sell Example

To clearly understand how your 5 Point Agenda is linked and becomes your 60
Second Sell, let’s continue with our earlier example; here is how we took Susan’s  5
Point Agenda and linked the points together to summarize them and create her 60
Second Sell.

Human Resources Director

“I’ve been an award-winning human resources leader with fifteen years of

experience providing strategic direction. I’m proud to share that my current
employer was recently named a national best-places-to-work company. I am a global
thinker who contributed to the company’s success as a strategic and operational
business partner, and we have cut attrition by 60%. I display a strong
entrepreneurial drive at work. I have been responsible for delivering new programs,
HR systems, and major policy enhancements. My CEO has repeatedly recognized
me for my innovative leadership that often exceeds goals and expectations.”

This encapsulates exactly why the employer should hire her. She has outlined her
very best skills, experience and abilities. And it worked – Susan landed her dream
job amongst steep competition. By following this formula, you’ll be able to sell
yourself effectively too.

Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/robinryan/2019/06/04/best-

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Article 4

How To Answer 'Why Are You Interested In Our Company?' In An Interview

No question seems to be hated by prospective job seekers as much as, "Why do you
want to work here?"

It is easy to picture this question being asked by a pompous, pretentious executive

who is toying with you like a cat playing with a mouse before feasting. A candidate
wouldn't say, "So, tell me why you want to hire me."

I have interviewed and hired hundreds of candidates, and I avoid the "Why should I
hire you?" question. I prefer "What has you interested in our company?" It feels like
less of an entitled question than assuming they want the job and is open-ended
enough to allow creativity in the answer.

Both parties are still trying to figure out whether they want to dance. Just as a
candidate needs to convince a hiring manager that they will add value if hired, a
company needs to prove to a candidate that they are the best destination.

One thing is certain. Both parties are interested, even if they are not absolute. Without
interest, why would the two bother meeting? No one goes through the gauntlet of an
interview process without having some interest in the company.

Why Does An Interviewer Ask This Question?

An experienced interviewer needs to make two decisions.

1. Does the candidate have the skills, background and behaviors coveted for this
specific position?

2. Are the company and position a good fit this candidate's short and long term
preferences?

Many interviewers focus only on the first question. What can this candidate do for
me? Questions are formulated to help the interviewer decide if the candidate can do
the job well and in short order.

 Do you work well with teams?

 Do you have a track record of production?

 Do you have relevant experience that translates?

 Do you make great decisions?

 Are you organized?

This list of questions differs depending on the company and those non-negotiable
behaviors that are important to its specific culture. Answering a question correctly
often depends on the interviewer's personal preferences. The same can be said when
answering questions that seek to understand culture and job fit.

An interviewer asks, "Why are you interested in our company (this position)?" to
gauge your preferences. They want to get past superficial reasons like pay, benefits
and location. When faced with a decision between multiple talented candidates,
companies will choose someone genuinely interested in the company's mission,
operating philosophy and approach.

If a candidate loves to work in a highly structured environment, and your company

is loosely organized, the candidate will inevitably grow frustrated. If they feel
strongly about working for a company that solves social problems, will they enjoy
working somewhere with no such goals?

Understand Your Interviewer

Dale Carnegie was famously quoted with, "Talk to someone about themselves, and
they will listen for hours." In other words, nothing is more important to someone
than their own interests. Connecting with anyone is simple if you focus on the topics
they are passionate about. For an interviewer, few things are more personally
meaningful than the company they work for.

Most interviewers are managers or at least someone that the company trusts enough
to select new hires. This person is most likely loyal and proud of what the company
stands for. In a business setting, there are few things more interesting to talk about
than the company you are betting your career on. Interviewers are expert on
company culture, mission, performance and plans.

I was always surprised by candidates who did no research before an interview with
me. Even if I asked a softball question about our company, they stumbled through a
few points anyone could have read on the job posting. It was hard to take this type
of candidate seriously. If they couldn't prepare for an interview, how would they
prepare for a company project, customer appointment or assignment?

Alternatively, I could be won over by someone who did their homework and came
with a list of great questions. This showed that we shared a passion for my
company's mission.  Enthusiastic curiosity made me feel comfortable that their
motivation would carry them through any tough period that required resilience.

Tell Me Something You Are Excited About

An internet search makes this question so easy that misfiring on your answer is
downright lazy. Google search the company's name, CEO's name and your
interviewer's name. Run a Google search and then look at Google News on the same
keywords.
  What kind of press are the company and its leaders getting?

 Is the company making any exciting announcements about products,

customers, or organization?

 If public, what are analysts saying about the financial performance of

the company?

 Does the company support any causes or give back to the community
in any way?

 What kind of consumer reviews does the company receive?

 What do past and present employees say about the work experience on
sites like Glassdoor?

Six years after college, I was recruited by a company in a different city and a
completely different business. The job was the polar opposite of what I had done
since graduation. I had to convince myself why I would take time out of a crazy
schedule to fly to Washington, D.C., and spend a day interviewing for a position I
wasn't sure I wanted.

After conducting extensive homework, I decided the opportunity was too good not
to investigate. I didn't prepare for this interview question, but when the CEO asked
me why I might leave a great company, the answer came easy.

Your company plays in a profitable market that will grow over the next four
decades. Your product will always be local, cannot be outsourced and is too capital
intensive for new competitors to quickly disrupt. Within your market, you are the
most profitable company and playing for a winner is important to me. You are a big
organization, but in comparison to my company, this will feel like working for a
startup. I can make a bigger impact in a company that is growing much faster."

That answer rolled off my lips and was not rehearsed. I put the work in before I
agreed to fly out for the interviews. I needed to convince myself first, and this
proved to be more challenging than convincing the CEO.

Delivering a thorough answer demonstrated how I made decisions and also played
to this CEO's sense of pride in his company. My response was honest and connected
with his sense of attachment to the company I was excited to join.

Of course, joining a well-run, profitable and growing company meant opportunities

for more money. The pay was a critical factor in making the decision. In fact, I
turned down the first offer, which brought them back to the table to offer more. But,
I never talked about pay during the interview, and you should refrain as long as you
can as well.

Your job is to make the hiring manager want you so bad that pay is not an
obstacle. Show them that you are the perfect candidate and that you want the job for
intrinsic reasons. Do this, and there is no limit to what a company will pay for you.
Bring up money too early, and you come across as a hired gun looking only for the
best offer.

Before you show up to that interview, answer this question for yourself. If you can't
clearly explain what interests you about the company, save yourself and your
interviewer time and cancel the interview.

Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/ianmathews/2019/06/30/how-to-

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Article 5

'Why Do You Want This Job?' Is A Trick Question--Here Is How To Intelligently

Answer It

As an interviewee, you want to get the “Why do you want this job?” question.
Compared to all of the other challenging brain teaser questions, this is the best one to
use to your advantage—if you handle it the right way.    

At the most basic level, an employer seeks to learn about the job seeker’s motivation
to interview for a specific job. The manager desires to investigate if the applicant
truly desires this position. She also wants to determine if he is merely seeking out
any old job, running away from a bad situation at his current employer, solely cares
about the compensation or is selfishly desirous of the prestige associated with
having the company’s name on his résumé and LinkedIn profile.   

When an interviewer asks why you would like this particular role, she is really
saying, “Here’s your chance to sell me on why you’re the right person for this
position.” By framing the question in this fashion, you now have an understanding
of how to craft an answer. This is the time to mentally pull out your elevator pitch.
You should share specific details of how your background, experience, talents,
interests, education and other attributes make you a great fit for the job and asset to
the company. Respond by adding that you will be intellectually challenged and
afforded the opportunity to grow your career while creating value to the
organization. Offer solid reasons why the company appeals to you, including the
corporate culture, its reputation, the ability to advance and any other valid details as
to why you would like to work there.

Stay away from the generic answers that everyone else gives. This is your chance to
be yourself and talk from the heart. Remember to come across enthusiastic, dynamic,
engaging and highly motivated. You can say the same thing in a boring monotone
and the hiring manager will have no interest, but if you come across passionate and
excited, you will get her rapt attention.
I believe that you should be authentic in the interview process. The probability of
success measurably increases if you possess the right background and are truly
interested in the job and in working for this particular company and demonstrate
your interest. Your elevator pitch will ring true if you really feel that you possess the
right stuff for the job and are undoubtedly excited about the opportunity.
Conversely, your answers will ring hollow if you are not going after the job for the
right reasons.

If a candidate seems only mildly interested, he will lose out to the passionate
applicant. If the job seeker plays hard to get and puts the burden on the interviewer
to answer why her workplace is better than others, you will lose out to someone who
is all in on the job.

Here is a cheat sheet on how to answer the question:

 Compliment the interviewer and company by acknowledging

something favorable about their reputation, products and services.

 Clearly articulate why this job jumps out and speaks to you.

 Match up your skills, experience, academic background and

personality to the job description. Then, express how they are relevant
to the job, will enable you to succeed within the organization and make
the hiring manager’s work life easier.

 Discuss why the company would be a great fit for you and vice versa.

 Explain briefly why you believe that this job will help you grow and
advance your career.

 Cite several examples of how you will help the company.

 Offer your best pitch to sell yourself.

Now, you’re prepared to ace it!

Article 6

Ask A Career Coach: What's The Best Way To Answer 'Tell Me About Yourself'?

Here’s how to crush it:

1. Take The Lead

Since you’re bound to be asked about your skills, your employment history and
maybe where you see yourself in the years to come, use your response to this open-
ended query (it typically comes early in the meeting) to address other key points and
to set the tone. Avoid regurgitating the stuff on your resume. And don’t bother
trying to lay out your qualifications—the very fact that you’ve been invited in means
that the hiring manager thinks you’ve got the cred.

2. Tell A Story

Instead of describing your top qualities or your greatest professional attributes (“I’m
a fast learner. I’m detail-oriented. I always meet deadlines”), tell a story that
demonstrates these things. How can you show your passion for problem-solving in
this field? What are examples of times you utilized your sharp attention to detail to
benefit a project?

3. Express Interest

While you’ll probably have other opportunities throughout the interview to show
you’ve done your research on the company, now’s a good time to discuss why
you’re motivated to work there and what you believe you bring to the table. How
can you say something meaningful about yourself and establish a connection with
the company’s product or mission? By tying in details you’ve gleaned about the
organization in this answer, you’re setting yourself up well to further demonstrate
your understanding of the company and the valuable role you’d play.

Once you’ve gone over what you want to say and how to articulate it, practice.
Again. And then again.

Don’t just read your carefully crafted response to yourself; read it aloud in front of a
mirror, or better yet, with a partner. It’s going to feel awkward, but it’s an important
step. Interview preparation is a huge part of acing this part of the job search process.

That said, you don’t need to necessarily memorize your answer to this classic
question. You don’t want it to come out sounding canned. Practice a few versions of
how to respond and remember that the most crucial part of interviewing is to be
yourself.

Retrieved from

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Article 7

The Best Way To Deftly Answer The 'Could You Please Tell Me About Yourself?'

Question

It's not easy to interview someone. A hiring manager may be great at what she does
for a living, but it doesn't mean that she can immediately become a gifted
interviewer on demand. In my experience, major corporations require managers to
interview candidates without providing them with any suitable training or
guidance. They’re thrown into the deep end of the pool and expected to swim
gracefully. To compound matters, in today’s litigious society, interviewers have to
be incredibly careful about the questions they ask, as to not offend anyone or
inadvertently ask an illegal or unethical question. This, in part, is why job seekers are
subjected to a barrage of bland cliché interview questions.

In this and follow-up articles, I’d like to help you prepare for the traditional
standard operating procedure type of questions that you will most likely be asked.
Knowing these questions in advance is like having the answers to a test in high
school. You’ll now be prepared to ace the interview and test.

A quintessential go-to question that interviewers are asked is, “Could you please tell
me about yourself?”  It sounds fairly innocuous at face value, but is a challenge for
most people to answer. This open-ended question, which can’t be answered with a
simple “yes” or “no” response suggests that there are a number of various ways you
could tackle it. Without proper preparation, it is easy to go off on tangents and talk
yourself out of a job.

In my opinion, it's an icebreaker question designed to gain insight into you as a

person. However, this seemingly innocent question could easily blow up on you. A
natural rational response would be to share details of your life and start rambling,
trying to gauge your interviewer’s reactions to see if you are heading in the right
direction. Before you realize it, you’re going back to your childhood, then talking
about college experiences and shifting to hobbies hoping you’ll hit on something
that resonates with the manager.

There are a few important things to keep in mind when asked this question. Frame
this question as, “Tell me about what you do at your job and why your background
is right for this role?” In this context, the question becomes a big fat softball to hit out
of the ballpark. You should respond by telling her about yourself from a work
perspective. Walk the interviewer through your daily responsibilities, projects
you’re proudly working on and a little bit of your past jobs. You should also add
details about your education and interests. Keep in mind, everything you say should
relate back to the position that you’re interviewing for. The question allows you to
sell your background, skills, education, talents, current and past responsibilities that
prove you could do all that’s required in this new position.  
This is not a time to engage in self-critical analysis. Say only positive things without
bragging about yourself and your work experiences. At this juncture, she didn’t ask
about your weaknesses, so there’s no need to point out your failings.  

Stay focused and on point with your answers.  If you pay close attention to
politicians, they all have their talking points. When asked questions by the press,
they rely upon tried-and-true answers. No matter what the question is, they’ll
answer it with a self-serving positive spin. If you are unhappily employed, as you
talk about your work, you may inadvertently express your displeasure with your
current boss and company. You must avoid digressing into sharing any grievances,
even though the interviewer asks probing questions to entice you to continue this
rant. This will only portray you in a poor light as a malcontent who will one day be
complaining about her to another interviewer. Don't deviate from your pitch of how
your background and skills perfectly suit the job at hand.

Once you feel that you’ve effectively sold yourself, it is fine to offer a few non-
controversial personal tidbits. You can provide super safe examples of your interests
and hobbies, such as volunteering for worthy causes. Feel free to offer any insights
that will make her see you as a real person with integrity, intelligence, loyalty,
possessing a strong work ethic and someone who will be easy to work with.

Then, you could wrap up the answer by restating why your background will easily
enable you to succeed in the job and your personality would be a great fit with the
manager and corporate culture.

Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2019/03/21/the-best-

way-to-deftly-answer-the-could-you-please-tell-me-about-yourself-
question/#28c1463f2166

Article 8

3 Questions Hiring Managers Want You to Answer

 Art Markman

Interviews have an outsize influence on whether you land the job you want. Even
though your application materials reflect your lifetime of experience, a few hours of
interaction with a recruiting team often ends up being the determining factor in
whether you actually get hired. So, clearly you need to stand out.

To do that, it helps to be mindful of what recruiters and hiring managers are trying
to accomplish with the interview and prepare accordingly. Below are three of the
questions they want answered and advice on how to address them.
“What will it be like to work with you?”

People can’t know from your résumé or cover letter what it will be like to have you
work for them. You want to demonstrate to your prospective employer that you will
be a valuable colleague and someone with whom they will enjoy interacting. That
means that a lot of what will determine the success of the interview is social. Yes,
you need to be knowledgeable about your field, but you also need to help people
envision you as a member of the team.

One mistake job hunters often make is to treat interviews like exams — ones that
they hope to ace, or at least not bomb. The problem with this framing is that it
assumes the interviewer is doing an assessment and looking for a correct answer,
which can lead people to subconsciously slip into a too-adversarial stance or work
too hard to reply with what they think their counterparts want to hear.

If you instead think about interviewers as people looking to find potential

colleagues, and the conversation as an opportunity for everyone to get to know one
another, the relationship changes. You and the recruiter or hiring manager share the
same goal, and your meeting becomes a joint problem-solving effort: Do we want to
work together? You will probably display your expertise as you chat, but you will also
be demonstrating your ability to establish a rapport.

Another benefit to this approach is that it encourages greater synchronization

between your and the interviewer’s brains. This is something that happens in most
conversations. People speak quickly to transmit information in a timely fashion, and
your brain, to better understand what they are telling you, predicts the words,
grammatical structure, and tone of voice they will use. In a positive, engaging
conversation, you mirror those elements of speech back to them, and vice versa. A
wonderful paper by Martin Pickering and Simon Garrod summarizes how this
happens.

If you treat your interviewer the way you would a trusted colleague — smiling,
leaning forward, talking in a friendly way with energy and enthusiasm, and making
eye contact — they should begin to use the same language mechanisms they already
use with their favorite people in the workplace, and begin to think of you as
someone who belongs at the organization too.

“Can you learn?”

You probably have the basic skill set required to do the job for which you are
applying, but you’ll also need to learn as you go. (And if you’re completely prepared
for the role, you probably set the bar too low.) How can you demonstrate that you’re
willing and able to learn?

Chances are that there will be at least one question during the interview that you are
not entirely sure how to answer. Maybe it is framed in a confusing way, so you’re
not sure what’s being asked. It might use unfamiliar terms. Or you might
understand the question completely but have no idea what to say. Don’t be tempted
to bluff your way through an answer. Good interviewers can smell a phony
response. (They probably hear a lot of them.)

Instead, admit that there is something you do not know or understand. A number
oforganizational behavior researchers have found that people don’t like to admit
ignorance because they are concerned that it will make them look weak. But
interviewers want to see that potential employees will ask questions, seek additional
information, give more informed responses, and show initiative in developing
themselves. And as studies have shown, you cannot ask for help unless you first let
other people know what you do and do not know.

When you’re stumped by a question, ask for clarification. Rephrase the question or
suggest a couple of possible interpretations. If you’re still not sure how to proceed
after they’ve responded, explain that you haven’t encountered this issue before.

If the question that brings you up short involves addressing a scenario from the
workplace, ask the interviewer whether you should think through the question
aloud so that they can see how you work on new problems, or if they would like to
talk with you about how this issue is normally handled within the organization (or
both). Your goal here is to show the interviewer how you approach challenges while
demonstrating that you are open to learning.

Another way to show that you intend to keep expanding your skills and knowledge
is to ask about continuing education opportunities. Does the company routinely
offer internal classes or seminars? Does it have tuition assistance or another benefit
that allows you to take classes or certificate programs? Inquiring about these
resources makes it clear that you are interested in further development.

“Do you take initiative?”

Interviewers want self-starters who take initiative (so much so that it’s become a
cliché). The best way to demonstrate your effort and commitment is to arrive
completely prepared. You should have a very clear idea of what the company does,
its history, its strengths, and its weaknesses. If you know people who work for the
company (or have worked there in the past), ask them for inside information.

Then, prepare for the interview by practicing your answers to common interview
questions. There is a big danger in what Leonid Rozenblit and Frank Keil call “the
illusion of explanatory depth,” or our tendency to believe we understand the world
better than we actually do. In studies, these researchers found that people had
difficulty explaining devices and routines in which they thought they had expertise.
Thus, going into an interview, most of us might assume we can effectively describe
key aspects of our work and how it relates to our prospective employers. However,
in the moment, we can’t.

That is why practice is so important. It helps you to notice gaps in your knowledge
while you still have an opportunity to fill them and to recognize places where you
stumble, so you can say it the right way when the time comes.
One reason people don’t practice interview answers is they worry that
overpreparing will make them sound rehearsed rather than spontaneous. But you
will probably get several unanticipated questions, so there will be ample
opportunity to show off your improvisational skills. In addition, your preparation
for the interview will be noted, and that will count significantly in your favor. So,
don’t skimp on getting ready.

No matter how qualified you are for a position or how prepared you are for the
interview, you still might not get the job. If you feel that you developed a good
rapport with the interviewer, reach out and ask for feedback. When you make this
connection, focus the conversation on what you can do to improve your interview
performance. Don’t ask the company to justify why you didn’t get the job.

Ultimately, the best way to stand out in interviews is to think carefully about what
prospective employers really want to know about you before you are hired. From
there, you will be able to address concerns before they even have them.

Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2019/07/3-questions-hiring-managers-want-you-

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