It’s likely one of the last questions you will hear in an interview. But, in many respects, it’s probably one of the most important questions, and may very well mean the difference between you winning or losing the job.
“Why should we hire you?”
On the surface, it seems like a fairly simple question to answer. However, consider what the employer is looking for as answer. The easy way for you would presumably be to repeat your strengths and best skills in a simple, narrative format.
Unfortunately, if you intend to answer in that manner, you are likely not giving your interviewer what they’re seeking at all. In reality, the majority of employers want to know what it is you, as their employee, would bring to the table.
Effectively, you’re looking at a cause and effect type of situation. Look at it as if the interviewer is asking, “If I hire you, what is going to happen that will move us forward?”
With that in mind, be sure to prepare to answer this question by drawing on your previous experiences. What have you done before that made your previous organizations better? Did you improve something that made the organization run more smoothly? Did you increase the overall productivity in your department?
Once you have assessed what you have done, look forward and consider what you can do. Here is an example of the type of answer you could give if you were interviewing for an administrative position.
“If I were to be hired, I would take what I have learned from my previous companies and improve the way your organization operates and, as a result, would increase the overall productivity and decrease operational costs.”
While this answer is rather broad, research of your perspective employer should give you the chance to expound on this statement and make it more specific to the position that you are being interviewed for.
Organizations are always seeking those individuals that will, in the end, provide them with a more productive environment and especially save them money. With this in mind, anything you can tell them that will convince them that you are that individual will go a long way.
