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We have a love/hate relationship with this very direct interview question.
We love that this common interview question is something we can plan for—but hate that it's so tough to answer. Open-ended questions are tricky interview questions because you can answer them in a variety of ways, but that means you can also easily fall into a trap of answering in the wrong way.
And, when you boil down the details of an interview, being clear on why a company should hire you can make or break your chances of getting a job offer.
For example, one person might approach this question by using the experience listed on their resume to share why they are the best fit. Another person might focus on a recent accomplishment they had to stand out among other candidates.
So how do you know which approach is right for you? This article will guide you through:
- Why do interviewers ask “Why should we hire you?” in a job interview
- How to answer “Why should we hire you?”
- The best examples and sample answers for “Why should we hire you?”
- What to avoid when answering “Why should we hire you?”
Why Do Interviewers Ask "Why Should We Hire You?" in a Job Interview?
Interviewers love to ask “why should we hire you?” because they want to hear why you think you're the best candidate for the job. It's not enough to just have the skills for a job—you have to also be able to understand what the hiring manager is looking for in a new team member and show you're the best value and culture fit.
It's unfair because you don't know what other candidates have said, but that's how it goes in interviews. So, it's your job to show the interviewer your qualifications and sell yourself as the best person to hire.
If this sounds like a shorter version of your carefully crafted elevator pitch...you're correct. When preparing your answer focus on the following:
- Your experience and the value your work experience has created
- Your recent achievements
- Your skills including soft skills, interpersonal skills, communication skills, and technical skills
- Your qualifications based on the job description
- Your motivation, passion, and interest behind this specific job and company
Lastly, be prepared to be asked this question in a variety of ways. Some of the other ways to ask this question are:
- What makes you a good candidate for this role?
- Why are you a fit for this job?
- What makes you an ideal candidate for this job?
And don't forget we've given tons of advice on how to answer other tricky interview questions!
How to Answer “Why Should We Hire You?”
Here's a quick story for you. I was once hosting an employer's table for Hulu at a career fair. People would walk by as say, "What are you hiring for?" and I would always respond with "Well, what are you looking for?"
It wasn't that we weren't hiring. We were. It was that we wanted to hire people who knew what their skills were, had a job target in mine, and could sell us on why they are a great employee.
Keep that story in mind because in order to "sell yourself" as the right candidate, you'll need clarity on what they want to buy or what problems they need solved.
In order to help you answer this job interview question successfully, we've create a four-step formula.
Step 1: Highlight Your Years of Experience and Results
Using the job posting as your guide, share three or four key accomplishments and results from your past work experiences. To help the interviewer better understand your experience, use examples to explain your wins at work.
Example: Last year, I focused on email marketing efforts and specifically tried to grow our list via organic channels. I managed to optimize our blog posts to drive more email sign-ups by testing email offers. These efforts brought in a total of 10,000 new subs in 12 weeks. Now every blog post includes an exit page email sign-up offer.
By sharing your results in an example, your interviewer will quickly understand the value you created for the organization. Just make sure whatever you share is relevant to what the job is hiring for.
Step 2: Show How You're a Culture Fit, Team Fit, and Value Fit
Many candidates might have the skills, but interviewers also want to hire the person who will be a great fit at the company, understands the value of teamwork, and can adapt when needed. Team players are always appreciated!
Start by learning everything you can about the company—their values, mission statement, leadership, products/clients, etc. You can find this information on their company website, LinkedIn company page, and even press releases.
Once you have an idea of what the company culture is like, you can tailor your answer to highlight these same qualities in you.
Example: I noticed in your company statement you value being frugal. I do as well, and have often worked on teams where we've had limited resources and had to work together, learn new skills through online programs, and build projects in-house. I think having less resources makes a team be more flexible and operate with a growth mindset which serves us best in the long run.
Be clear about how you see yourself fitting in, and you can also show off your interview prep work in the process!
Step 3: Explain How You Can Help the Company—And Solve Their Problems
Remember that companies are looking to hire someone because there is a job to be done and a problem to be solved. This means it's your job to sell yourself as a problem solver. One of the best ways to do that is to share an example of a time when you did solve a problem in the past, or share an example of a problem the company is having and your ideas for solving it.
For example, if you're interviewing for a customer support role, then the problem you're being interviewed to solve is customer issues. If you're interviewing to be a recruiter, then your job is to hire new employees that have the skills for the job and get them through the hiring process.
Once you have a clear idea of why the company is looking to hire you and what problem they need you to solve, you can work that into your answer to "Why should we hire you?"
Example: You should hire me because I have lots of experience working directly with customers and solving their problems quickly and efficiently. In my last job, I worked in admissions for a large university where I was in charge of thousands of incoming students and their families. Because we didn't want freshman move-in day to be chaotic, I made sure to organize and communicate a process for the move-in. This helped the families and incoming students know what to expect and move-in without the hassle we've had in past years. In fact, the university still uses this move-in process today.
By sharing a story of a time when you solved a problem and the specific details of what you did, you'll also invite great follow-up questions from the interviewer. This is important because you want the interviewer to show interest in you and your skills.
Step 4: Express Enthusiasm and Interest in the Role, Company, Industry
If you've ever worked in a toxic work environment, you know how draining it can be to work with people with bad attitudes. Employers know this too and, according to the US Department of Labor, employers value enthusiasm just as highly as skills.
What does this mean for you? It means that you can lack some "experience" but fill that gap with enthusiasm for the job and company.
This is what happened to me when I got my recruiter job at Hulu. My past experience wasn't in recruiting, but I showcased my enthusiasm for the job, company, and product by hosting 30+ informational interviews with recruiters to learn about the job prior to my interview and being an avid Hulu user.
Example: I'm sure my background is less technical than some of the other candidates you're interviewing; however, I'm extremely passionate about the recruiting industry and specifically using my talents to help build the best team at Hulu. To ensure that recruiting is the right field for me, I conducted 30+ informational interviews with other recruiters to learn as much as I could about the career path and skills needed.
Plus, I've been an avid user of Hulu products for years, and I'm very excited all the changes Hulu has brought to streaming TV. I would love to be able to apply my skills in people management, organization, and passion for recruiting to this role.
Plus, I've been an avid user of Hulu products for years, and I'm very excited all the changes Hulu has brought to streaming TV. I would love to be able to apply my skills in people management, organization, and passion for recruiting to this role.
And if you're making a career change or are re-entering the workforce, this can be your best strategy over other candidates.
Pro Tip: Don't lie or oversell yourself. It can be easily to overpromise, stretch the truth, or turn every weakness into strength, but please don't. It's better to be honest and show up authentically in your interview.
The Best Examples and Sample Answers for “Why Should We Hire You?”
Let's put what we just learned into practice with some helpful examples and sample answers.
Question: Why is your background and experience a good fit for this job?
Sample Answer: I've been an avid user of Supergoop sunscreen ever since I became savvier about sunscreen thanks to getting diagnosed with skin cancer at 19. I was totally shocked when that happened and started to research sunscreen and became obsessed with ingredients and finding a brand that aligned with what I wanted. In addition to being a super fan of the product, my current role in brand marketing has given me some great experience working with smaller brands at the agency level. As an agency, we have pressure to get quick results for clients which has allowed me to learn a lot about paid advertising. I've honed this skillset and would love to use it to help get Supergoop sunscreen in the hands of more people.
Question: What makes you the best fit for this role?
Sample Answer: Being a middle manager is hard, and research has actually shown that the middle management level burns out the fastest, but I love this level of leadership. I've organically grown in my career starting as an assistant in the mail room to now being an associate manager. It gives me a great perspective on how to motivate employees and get their buy-in on important projects. I believe I'm the best fit for this role as your Head of Operations because I'm organized, know how to motivate a team, and I've done the support jobs before, so I can also advocate for the middle managers, who you just mentioned are essential to this organization.
Question: Can you describe why you’re the ideal candidate for this position?
Sample Answer: Throughout my interview process, I've learned that your customer onbarding process needs a complete overhaul. Not only do I have years of experience in customer experience, but I also worked as an onboarding specialist in my last role. This puts me in a unique position to solve your customer challenges. I'd love to share some of these ideas if you're open to that?
Question: Why should we hire you over other applicants?
Sample Answer: I know I don’t have the typical editor work history, but what I lack in formal experience I make up for in enthusiasm and passion. I have been running my own blog for five years, and this has taught me so much about writing, editing, copyediting, and SEO. All of my skills are self-taught, and I would love the opportunity to bring my growth mindset to the editorial team here at Conde Nast. The media landscape is changing quickly, and I can prove that I'm able to adapt quickly to what an audience wants such as shorter content, more visual graphics, interviewing creators vs. celebs, and more. My self-taught editorial background helps me think outside the box more than a traditional editor.
Question: What makes you a good candidate for this position?
Sample Answer: I think a really important part of being a culture fit at a company also includes being a value fit. From what I've read about this company online, experienced in my own interactions as a customer, and learned over my last few interviews for this job, I'm confident that we are aligned on both. One of my past interviews mentioned that the team values good work and sometimes that means pushing your colleagues out of their creative comfort zone. I would absolutely agree with this. In my previous job, I worked with a detail-oriented boss that pushed my creative design limits, but I learned so much at the same time. I believe I'm a good candidate for this job because I want a job that pushes me and encourages me to create high-quality work, and I want to do the same for my coworkers.
Question: Why should we hire you over other candidates?
Sample Answer: I have 10+ years of management experience working at a variety of PR agencies, and I'm confident that has prepared me to bring my relationship-building skills to your in-house business development team. While I don’t have direct experience working in a corporate environment, I have delivered impressive results for my agency clients year after year, and I've brought in over 5 million dollars of new business in the last three years. I believe my previous experience makes me a great candidate and gives me a skill set that most in-house business development candidates just won't have.
Question: Why do you think this position is a good fit for you?
Sample Answer: For starters, I have studied the job listing, and I have all the skills and key qualifications listed. I'm confident that I can add immediate value to this company. Over the last five years, I have led successful projects at big companies like Dell, Google, and Microsoft. Not only do I bring a unique perspective, but my passion and dedication for launching new projects has been solidified. That's why I would love to work for a company that incubates startups so I can use my skills to help launch their businesses.
What to Avoid When Answering "Why Should We Hire You?"
We've given you lots of advice on how to answer this question, but now let's focus on what to avoid. Here's a quick checklist:
- Money and salary (save this til the negotiation stage)
- Perks and benefits
- Impostor syndrome, desperation, or people-pleasing
- Vague interest or lack of preparation before the interview
- Letting your ego go crazy
- Self-doubt if your experience doesn't match the job 100%
