My Favourite Question to Ask: Why do you want to work here?

I interview a lot of candidates regularly, and one of my favourite questions to ask is:

Or, in the case of recruiting for my client, “Why do you want to work for our client?” I usually receive a range of responses, from those who do a great deal of research and have a clear career path to those who do enough research to get by with an acceptable answer.

However, the answer that most surprises me is when candidates say they know little about my company or my client's company, simply because they have been too busy to do the research and have no sense of their career path.

I have had candidates tell me directly occasionally that they have been too busy or haven't had time to do their homework. Still, usually, it's said diplomatically with candidates flipping back the question to me:

This is, in itself, a red flag. Why would anyone interview with a company they know absolutely nothing about? Then, on top of that, I use up my time asking to share information that is easily accessible through my website, a Google search, or other public sources such as Social Media.

LinkedIn is usually an excellent source, in addition to EDGAR, Dun and Bradstreet (Hoovers), and Glassdoor, for researching most companies. Fair enough, candidates are applying to a specific job they feel meets their skills and abilities. However, we don't work for jobs; we work for companies and specifically, people within those companies.

Being a potential fit for a job is only part of the equation. As we all know, the same position at two different companies can have a far different feel.

When I ask the question, "Why do you want to work for my firm?" Here are two things I want to know.

1. Is the candidate someone who knows how to prepare?

Today, our access to information is unprecedented, and we can find out more about a company and its employees more readily than we ever could in the past. Doing basic research on a company, in some cases, is as simple as looking for the best pizza place near you. Using LinkedIn or other social media sources, a candidate can research the background of the individual they will be interviewing. What experience do they have? What is their education? What groups do they follow? I am impressed when a candidate has taken the time to review my background and experience, and this research can quickly develop rapport. This is not just because I want to hear accolades fed back to me from social media; it shows me the candidate knows how to do their homework and prepare. I expect them to do this when preparing for a call or meeting with a client.

2. What motivates the candidate?

Is the candidate merely looking for a job to park themselves in? Or is the candidate looking to enhance their career and use their past skills and experiences to build upon? While not always 100 percent aligned, the best-case scenario is that the candidate has enough experience to take on the role. At the same time, the position has more scope than they have experienced in the past and will allow them to learn and grow for several years to come. This is a win-win situation.

As far as culture, that varies from company to company, so learning about the culture can be more difficult. We have a culture where we encourage learning, growing, and taking on new challenges. Does the candidate's answer reflect that they fit our culture? How growth-oriented have they been based on their career path so far? Have they been continuous learners? I wouldn't want to hear a candidate tell me; I heard you pay generously, your flex hours work for my lifestyle, or This is an excellent stepping stone for my career.  

I would argue that doing your research as a candidate is as much in their best interest as it is for the employer. What if a candidate finds out something about the company they disagree with? Such as consistently poor ratings from Glassdoor employees. At the very least, wouldn't it make sense to bring that up with the Employer? The more you know about your potential new manager, the company, and the job, the more you will have the opportunity to make an informed decision like you would make another life-changing decision.

Given the time we spend working each day and how it affects all aspects of our lives, it only makes sense to do your best to find the right home by researching and reflecting on what you want in the next step in your career.