Employers and interviewers often ask the “Why should we hire you?” question to see what makes a specific candidate different from other professionals. This seemingly innocuous question can significantly boost your chances of leaving a lasting impression if you answer it correctly.
In this article, we’ll explain the reasoning behind this interview question. We’ll tell you what to focus on when answering it and what topics to avoid. Finally, we’ll give you plenty of examples to help inspire you to come up with the best possible response. Let’s dive right in!
Why Employers Ask “Why Should We Hire You?” at Interviews
Employers ask, “Why should we hire you?” at job interviews to assess more than just your skills and qualifications.
This is an open-ended question designed to help the interviewer understand what makes you the best person for the position in their organization. That’s why they’ll pay close attention to both what you’re saying and how you’re saying it.
Five key reasons employers ask, “Why should we hire you?” are:
Five Key Reasons
To assess your understanding of the role. Your response to the question shows whether you’ve researched the company and you understand what the job entails. By showing an in-depth understanding of the position you’re applying for, you demonstrate genuine enthusiasm and investment from the get-go.
To see whether you have relevant work experience. If you mention accomplishments and results of your previous efforts pertinent to the job you’re applying for, you’ll present yourself as a suitable candidate.
To evaluate your communication skills. Employers will pay attention to the way you articulate your sentences and mention your qualities to assess your communication skills. These are critical in a collaborative workplace, and highlighting them improves your odds of impressing the employer.
To discover your unique strengths. Many candidates have skills and experience sufficient for the role. So, employers ask this question to see what sets you apart from the others and makes you an exceptional applicant.
To see whether you’re a good cultural fit. Beyond abilities and accomplishments, employers want candidates who will fit well within their team and align with their company culture. They want someone who shares their vision, values, goals, and enthusiasm.
6 Tips for Answering “Why Should We Hire You” Interview Question
Here are some tips to help you prepare the best answer to “Why should we hire you?” and other common interview questions.
#1. Research the Company and the Role
One of the critical job interview tips is to research the company and carefully examine the job ad. This way, you’ll gather enough information about the organization you want to join, the team, and the position.
This will help you provide an answer tailored to the role and show authentic motivation to join the company. Employers always look for candidates who are interested in their company and not just any job. This tells them that you’re already invested in their ideas and familiar with their work, making it more likely that you’ll outperform other candidates.
To research the company, you can start by looking at its website and social media pages. On top of that, you can look at recent news articles and publications, ask your network, find opinions of other professionals online, etc.
#2. Match the Job Description With Your Skills
When answering the “Why should we hire you?” question, you should mention skills that you can find in the job description. This is critical in showcasing that you’re not just another professional with skills and experience but one whose abilities match the employer’s needs.
Hiring managers and employers want to see that you have the hard and soft skills needed to excel in the role. For example, if the position you’re applying for requires leadership skills, you can emphasize them by explaining how you successfully led a team or a project during one of your previous jobs.
Job descriptions typically highlight key skills and responsibilities the employer looks for in candidates, so incorporating them makes your answer more compelling and relevant to the job. Otherwise, you risk giving a bland and generic response that likely won’t impress the interviewer.
#3. Highlight Your Accomplishments
You want to highlight your accomplishments and work-related results in addition to mentioning relevant skills. This is because specific achievements strengthen your case and add tangible value to your competence.
For example, instead of simply saying, “I have exceptional sales skills,” you can include an accomplishment like this: “In my previous role, I exceeded the annual sales target by 23%.” It’s also vital to make your accomplishments related to the job you’re applying for to demonstrate role-specific experience.
Whenever possible, you should add numbers and statistics next to your accomplishments. Numbers quantify your efforts, further making them concrete in the eyes of interviewers. They turn an otherwise generic claim of competence into proof of expertise.
#4. Emphasize the Cultural Fit
While having the necessary skills and experience is crucial in getting the job, you also need to show that you’re a good cultural fit for the company. This demonstrates that you’ll quickly adapt to the new environment and start working as a part of the company’s team while sharing its goals and values.
When interviewers ask, “Why should we hire you for this role?” they are also looking for professionals who are attracted to their organization beyond the interest in the role. For instance, if the company fosters a collaborative environment, you can mention your past projects where you thrived as a member of interdisciplinary teams.
Researching the company will give you information about its team, goals, and values, which you can use in your answer. Find a way to show strategic alignment between their principles and your ideals and beliefs, and you’ll be one step closer to getting the job.
#5. Show Your Passion
While employers and employees sometimes have different understandings of passion in the workplace, it is still a highly sought-after trait in the workplace. Passionate workers perform better and more efficiently and are more likely to stay at the company for extended periods.
That’s why you should always try to convey authentic drive and motivation for the job and the company to show that you’re an engaged and committed professional.
However, you shouldn’t just say, “I’m excited for this job,” but provide a specific reason why you’re enthusiastic. The best way to do that is by mentioning something about the company, whether it is a product, service, a recent project, a long-term goal, or something else that inspired you to join.
#6. Keep Your Answer Concise and to the Point
The best answers to interview questions, including this one, should be concise, well-structured, and with no rambling. You want to provide a clear summary of your reasons for applying, motivation, and qualifications without making the answer too long or complicated.
To ensure that you stay on track, you can think of a structure to follow, akin to using the STAR method to answer behavioral interview questions. Here’s one way to structure your answer:
Crafting a Strong and Concise Interview Response
Start by providing a brief summary of your skills and qualifications.
Mention a notable achievement relevant to the role.
Highlight a connection to the company’s culture.
A brief, clear, and focused answer is much more impactful than responses that go off on tangents. They give recruiters all the necessary information while making it easy for them to remember you.
What Not to Say When Answering “Why Should We Hire You?”
One of the essential aspects of knowing how to answer the “Why should we hire you?” interview questions is understanding what not to say.
Here are the things to avoid when responding to this question:
Mistakes to Avoid
Talking about compensation. You should never mention that money or benefits are your primary motivation. Even if they are strong motivators, you should avoid talking about salary expectations right off the bat and let the employer initiate that discussion.
Being too generic. Reasons like “You should hire me because I am a hard worker” are too vague and generic to set you apart from other candidates.
Being arrogant. While confidence can help you showcase your expertise, arrogance can make it sound like you’re bragging. Instead of answering, “You should hire me because I’m the best at what I do,” you should give concrete examples of your achievements.
Undermining yourself. A lack of confidence can be just as bad as its abundance. Don’t undermine yourself by saying that you don’t have enough experience yet or don’t think you’re any better than other candidates, and instead focus on your strengths.
Giving a long answer. A long-winded response can lose the recruiter’s interest and make them forget about your key qualities in the first place.
Not knowing the answer. By not having a well-structured answer to this question, you miss out on an excellent opportunity to impress recruiters.
Knowing the answer by heart. Giving a response as if you memorized it word-for-word can sound artificial and dishonest. While you should provide a prepared answer, you still want it to sound natural and conversational.
35+ Answer Samples for “Why Should We Hire You?” Interview Question
We prepared a bunch of examples of answers to the “Why should we hire you?” interview question for various roles and industries. Use them to get a good idea of what your response should look like.
Let’s start with an example of an answer to the “Why should we hire you?” interview question you could give as a pharmacist:
#1. Pharmacist
“With my 9 years of work history as a pharmacist, I have extensive experience providing accurate prescriptions in fast-paced environments while maintaining a career-long 98.5% customer satisfaction rate. Your recent initiative to overhaul medication therapy management inspired me to apply to join you, as it aligns with my expertise in optimizing treatment plans.”
Here’s how you can answer this question as a nurse:
#2. Nurse
“I have more than 11 years of professional experience, strong clinical skills, and a deep commitment to patient-centered care. In my previous establishment, I implemented a state-of-the-art monitoring system, which improved our response rates by up to 27%.
Your recent efforts in developing specialized care units align with my goals of using years of expertise to provide exceptional care.”
If you’re applying for a position as a dentist, here’s how you can respond to this interview question:
#3. Dentist
“As a dentist with over a decade of work history, I am excited to apply to your organization. My expertise in orthodontics and cosmetic dentistry aligns with your practice’s approach to specialized patient care. Having performed more than 1,500 successful procedures while maintaining a 99% satisfaction rate, I am confident in my ability to contribute to your efforts.”
Here’s an example of an answer from a doctor applying for a new job:
#4. Doctor
“I have over 11 years of experience working with interdisciplinary teams to provide comprehensive care. In my previous role, I contributed to a 17% reduction in the hospital’s readmission rates. Your clinic’s efforts in combining contemporary technologies with a people-centric approach align with my values, and I am eager to contribute to your mission.”
Here’s how to stand out in an interview by giving a response to this question as a caregiver:
#5. Caregiver
“I am an empathetic and responsible caregiver with more than 7 years of work history. During that time, I regularly provided daily medical care to 10+ patients, improving their general quality-of-life satisfaction by 33%. I’ve been following your work, and your commitment to personalized care resonates with my principles, making me eager to join your team.”
If you’ve already impressed recruiters with your personal trainer resume, here’s how you can capitalize on that with an exceptional answer to the “Why should we hire you?” question:
#6. Personal Trainer
“I am a certified personal trainer who’s already helped more than 70 clients achieve their fitness goals. Your gym’s emphasis on promoting lifestyle changes that result in long-term health improvements aligns with my approach to training. I thrive on motivating clients to make good habits beyond strength training and nutrition, and I can’t wait to do that as a part of your team.”
Let’s see an example of a human resources professional answering this question:
#7. HR (Human Resources)
“As an experienced human resources professional with five years of work history, I developed a strong ability to find and retain top talent. In my previous role, I helped the company reduce time-to-hire by 25% while boosting retention by 19%. Your employee development program matches my work style, so I would love to contribute to your efforts.”
If you’re a financial analyst, you can answer this interview question in the following way:
#8. Financial Analyst
“Being a data-driven financial analyst, I’ve already helped three companies reduce their expenses by 10–15%, resulting in up to $1 million of annual savings. On top of that, I’m adept at financial modeling and risk assessment, which help me find cost-saving opportunities. Your company has a reputation for strategic planning, and I’d be thrilled to contribute to your efforts.”
Here’s an example of an answer given by a professional in banking:
#9. Banking
“With over 9 years of experience in banking, I have perfected my customer-focused approach. Your bank is renowned for its dedication to digital innovation and personalized service, which made me excited to apply. In my previous role, I generated more than $3 million in revenue by strategically increasing loan approvals; the results I can replicate in your establishment.”
As a business analyst, here’s how you can respond:
#10. Business Analyst
“I am a detail-oriented business analyst with 7 years of experience identifying inefficiencies and developing optimization strategies. This helped me boost the previous company’s productivity by 21%, helping save more than $500,000 annually. I am aware of your continuous efforts in process improvement and innovation, and I believe my skills and experiences can help.”
If you’re a professional consultant, you can respond to this question in the following way:
#11. Consultant
“I have more than 10 years of experience in consulting, providing data-driven insights, and developing strategic solutions. This helped me increase my last client’s operational efficiency by 25%, saving them $ 1.2 million annually in costs. I admire your approach to problem-solving while delivering measurable results, and I am confident I can contribute to your goals.”
Here’s an answer example for an operations manager:
#12. Operations Manager
“I am an operations manager with 7 years of work history optimizing workflows. I’ve been following your work, and your organization is renowned for efficiency and operational excellence. I am certain that my expertise in supply management and team organization can help further your goals, just as I helped my previous company reduce delivery times by 33%.”
Let’s see how to respond to this question as a project manager:
#13. Project Manager
“As a senior project manager with more than 15 years of experience leading cross-functional teams and delivering projects, I am confident I can help your forward-thinking team in their project execution. I have a track record of delivering projects on time and under budget with up to 25% reduction in projected costs.”
If you’re a manager, you can answer like this:
#14. Manager
“I have 13 years of leadership experience with polished leadership and organizational skills. This allowed me to boost the team’s productivity in my previous company by 35% within 3 months of starting to work with them. I am confident I can replicate these results in your establishment, particularly due to your focus on fostering a positive work culture.”
As a social media manager, here’s how you can respond if an interviewer asks you, “Why should we hire you instead of someone else?”:
#15. Social Media Manager
“I’ve been a social media manager for the past 9 years, successfully leading brand accounts and executing advertising campaigns. For instance, I helped an e-commerce brand grow its following by 150% within six months. I’ve seen your creative and innovative approach to marketing, and I am ready to help your clients elevate their social media presence.”
Here’s an example of an answer for a content writer:
#16. Content Writer
“I think I’m a great fit for this role as I have more than 5 years of experience writing engaging and informative content. Your company’s focus on storytelling resonates with my aspirations to not just reach a target audience but leave a lasting impression on them. This helped me write SEO-optimized articles that generated more than 700,000 organic views within six months.”
Marketing specialists can respond to this question in the following way:
#17. Marketing Specialist
“I think I am a good fit for this role because I’ve been analyzing your company’s marketing strategies, and I am certain I can contribute to making your industry presence even stronger. I have 9 years of experience enhancing brand visibility and running campaigns that regularly exceed predicted conversion rates by 30%.”
Here’s a good answer to this question for photographers looking for a new job:
#18. Photographer
“I am a professional photographer with more than five years of experience in telling stories with images. Notably, I helped a clothing brand boost its engagement by 45% through high-quality photos. My skills and career goals align with your specialization in high-quality visual storytelling, and I’d love to contribute to your efforts.”
Here’s an example of a response you can give as an event planner:
#19. Event Planner
“As an event planner with 9 years of experience working on corporate and social events, I was excited to apply to your company due to your reputation for creating unforgettable experiences. One of my greatest achievements was organizing a 500+ attendee event, achieving a 99% satisfaction rating while staying 13% under budget.”
Here’s how an architect can answer the “Why should we hire you?” interview question:
#20. Architect
“I believe I am a good fit for your company since I have more than 7 years of experience designing energy-efficient and aesthetically appealing spaces. I led the development of a commercial building project, achieving a 45% increase in energy efficiency compared to the standards, and I’m eager to replicate these results in your environmentally conscious organization.”
If you’re a UI/UX designer, you can answer the question like this:
#21. UI/UX Designer
“I am a good match for this position as I have 5 years of experience designing intuitive and user-friendly interfaces. For my last project, I redesigned a mobile app to boost user engagement by 31% and reduce bounce rates by 17%. I know you’re committed to delivering exceptional experiences, which is why I am confident my skills can help further your goals.”
Here’s a sample response for an interior designer:
#22. Interior Designer
“I am an interior designer with 7 years of professional experience, with many large-scale projects under my belt. Notably, I led an office space redesign project that cut its energy costs by 23% while boosting employee satisfaction by 35 points. I know your company focuses on sustainable solutions, and I believe my qualifications make me the perfect match for your team.”
As a teacher, you can respond like this:
#23. Teacher
“I have more than 10 years of experience in education and expertise in fostering engaging learning environments. Your school is renowned for its innovative teaching methods, which align with my goals and aspirations. In a previous role, I designed an interactive learning program that helped boost student scores by 31% on average.”
Here’s how you can respond to the “Why should we hire you with no experience?” question as a student:
#24. Student
“As a dedicated student of marketing, I am eager to bring my theoretical knowledge and a fresh perspective to your establishment. I’ve managed several theme accounts as side projects, with one reaching 100,000 followers within a year. Your company has a reputation for hiring young talent, and I am ready to become a valuable member of your team long-term.”
Let’s see an example of an answer for a research assistant:
#25. Research Assistant
“I have 5 years of experience conducting research, analyzing data, and performing experiments. Your groundbreaking discoveries in the field of quantum computing inspired me to apply for a position in your organization. I’ve co-authored two peer-reviewed papers on the topics and conducted extensive research in the field, so I’m confident I can support your operations.”
Here’s an example of an answer you can give when applying for a computer science role:
#26. Computer Scientist
“I believe I am a good match for your company as I have 7 years of experience solving complex problems through technology. Recently, I developed an AI-powered recommendation system to help an e-commerce client improve user retention by 23%. Your recent efforts in the field of AI inspired me to apply and leverage my machine learning expertise to further your goals.”
If you’re a data analyst, you can respond to this question like this:
#27. Data Analyst
“With more than 10 years of experience transforming raw data into useful insights, I am confident in my ability to help drive your business decisions. In my previous company, I optimized a forecasting model to enhance its prediction accuracy by 17%. I am familiar with your data-driven yet innovative approach to strategy, which is why I am excited to join.”
Here’s a good way to give an answer to this question as an engineer:
#28. Engineer
“As a mechanical engineer, I have more than 11 years of experience solving problems and optimizing solutions. In my previous company, I redesigned a component to cut production costs by 25% and save more than $350,000 annually. Your organization has a reputation for innovation and technological advancement, and I believe I can use my skills to help your team.”
Let’s see an example you can give as a paralegal:
#29. Paralegal
“I believe I am a good match for your organization due to my experience in legal research and case preparation in corporate law, which is your main focus. I’ve been in this field for more than 7 years, typically working with a 40+ caseload to assist attorneys and improve case processing speed.”
Here’s a good way to give an answer to this question as an office assistant:
#30. Office Assistant
“Your business has a reputation for excellence, and I have more than 7 years of experience keeping the operations running smoothly. For instance, I streamlined the filing system for my previous employer, helping them retrieve documents 35% faster. I can provide that administrative support to your business as well.”
If you’re a customer service professional, you can respond like this:
#31. Customer Service Representative
“Your organization is renowned for providing exceptional support services, and I believe I am a good match with more than 11 years of experience. During the course of my career, I resolved 45+ calls per day with a 30% boost in satisfaction scores compared to company averages.”
Here’s an example of a sales associate giving an answer to the “Why should we hire you?” question:
#32. Sales Associate
“You should hire me because I consistently exceeded sales targets by 23% in my two previous jobs. I have more than five years of experience boosting customer relationships and boosting retention, which aligns with your personalized approach to customer engagement.”
Let’s see how to respond to this question if you’re a real estate agent:
#33. Real Estate Agent
“I closed over 35 property sales last year, generating more than $4.5 million in sales volume. I am confident I can replicate these results in your company, especially due to your innovative approach to marketing and a client-first policy, both of which align with my work methodology.”
Baristas can give an answer like this:
#34. Barista
“I have three years of experience as a barista, during which I helped my previous establishment increase daily sales by 15% by reducing drink preparation times. I’ve always loved your bar’s commitment to community engagement, which aligns with my cordial approach to customer service.”
Here’s an example of a flight attendant giving a response to this question:
#35. Flight Attendant
“While working as a flight attendant trainee, I learned how to ensure passenger comfort and safety under various circumstances. Besides this, one of my biggest achievements is improving our team’s customer service ratings by introducing a quick-resolution system for in-flight concerns, which boosted passenger satisfaction by 18%. I admire your airline's reputation for safety and customer service excellence, and I am eager to contribute to it with my skills.”
If you’re a hairstylist looking for a new job, you can answer the “Why should we hire you?” interview question like this:
#36. Hairstylist
“I am confident I am a good fit for your establishment as I have more than 5 years of experience building a client base that helped my previous employment see a 35% increase in repeat appointments. You’re renowned for your trendsetting styles, which perfectly align with my commitment to always follow the latest trends and improve continuously.”
Final Thoughts
Optimally answering the “Why should we hire you?” interview question requires preparing beforehand and being precise in your response. However, when done correctly, your answer will impress interviewers and significantly boost your chances of getting ahead of the competition.
Apply the techniques outlined in this article, and you’ll craft the perfect response relevant to your role and circumstances. And if you’re still in the market for a job, don’t forget to take a look at our resume examples and cover letter templates, as they can help you get to the interview stage faster. Best of luck!
