Why should we hire you?
It can be a daunting interview question for many job seekers.
Let me make it simple for you to understand how to present your answer. It is similar to why you as a consumer would choose Coke vs Pepsi. Features like the tangy taste, fizz, sweetness might tilt your preference towards Pepsi over Coke. It is all about the successful branding activity that influences your choice of one over the other. It is not about the product (soft drink) which you drink simply to quench your thirst.
Thirst is your need and a soft drink meets that requirement. Similarly, the objective of this question is wanting to be convinced about hiring you vs the other candidates. It is important to remember that you compete with other candidates and that you need to differentiate yourself and stand out. Only then can you increase your chances to get hired.
Which of the below two approaches do you think will find a connect with the interviewer and make you stand out ?
For a Regional Sales manager’s role:
Approach 1 –
“I come with the relevant experience in the category that you are looking for and enjoy excellent vendor relationships within the region. I have successfully managed large teams which is the requirement of this position” – This is a product based approach, anyone can say that.
Approach 2 –
I have done some homework and on the basis of my understanding and experience, the key areas that you are wanting to consider for this Regional manager’s position are:
A] The sales in a particularly XYZ area have dropped because of poor vendor management (pain point). I have launched products in the XYZ area (branding) and by successfully managing relationships with the vendors (branding), established the product as a leader in the region. Let me give you an example…….(branding).
B] A lot of customer education is required in the product category that you operate in (pain point). I have all along been recognised by my organisations for my strong concept sales ability to successfully educate customers (branding). Let me give you an example……
You will note that approach 2 hits the nail on the head by not only addressing the ‘pain points’ of the company and the job but finds a connection between the candidate’s expertise and experience specific to those areas by demonstrating with examples.
Let me offer 3 pointers on how to prepare for the tricky question “Why Should We Hire You?”
Keep in mind that you have to present yourself as a candidate who gets a unique value to the table for the prospective employer.
1] Do Your Homework On The Company –
Generally, candidates just go through the prospective company’s website and get some basic details. But one needs to go beyond and study the LinkedIn Company Page and also go through LinkedIn profiles of key individuals in the target employer companies. There is additional information you can get through these pages/ profiles which offer cues of what are the pain points of the company. That helps you present yourself as a solution provider. On FB, there are consumer experiences that tell a story about the service/product of the company. Ask customers / clients and use referrals to reach out to the company’s employees about what kind of challenges the job entails. Make a note of each one of them present yourself as the most suitable candidate.
2] Study The Job Description –
There might be 10 different key result areas mentioned in the JD but there are select 4 to 6 key areas which one needs to focus upon. These are the ones that have the maximum impact in terms of deliverables of the job. Make a list of your strengths and experience gathered. Find a match between your unique strengths and expertise that can help improve the results of the job to get hired. List down examples in each of the areas of the KRAs of the job profile. Think deeply about what is really unique about you both in terms of expertise and experience which pertains to those specific areas.
3] Share what excites you about the specific job and how you are keen on joining to add value –
Enthusiasm is contagious. This will give the interviewer the confidence that you feel you can utilize your skills and talent to add great value to the company. And that you are consciously wanting to make a career with the organisation and would be stable enough to allow a reasonable time to create a win-win relationship.
So, next time around think of which brands you like and why. Then it will be an easy task for you to differentiate yourself from other candidates which is critical.
P.S: FREE DOWNLOAD OF 14 tips to turbocharge your job search
Happy Job Hunting!!!
Sarabjeet Sachar
Seasoned Career Coach, Founder & CEO, Aspiration, Job Search & Interview Coach