Think about this: The interview is going well and heading towards the end. The conversation has been fluid and you feel confident that you have a true shot of getting the job on this one.
Then, the recruiter asks: “So… Why should we hire you”?
Without enough preparation, this question may catch you off guard.
You may not know what to answer and come up with arguments rather vague and confusing.
I get it. I’ve been there. Almost everyone has.
With the purpose of avoiding vague arguments and help you end your interview like a cherry on the cake, I prepared this post aimed at shedding some light.
What the recruiters expect, what to avoid and how to respond to the famous question: Why should we hire you?
I also prepared some samples that you can adapt depending on your preferences and professional background.
Without further ado, let’s jump right into it.
Table of Contents
Why should we hire you? – What the recruiter expects
Simply put, the recruiter is seeking:
- To validate your interest in the job
- To test your ability to formulate your arguments in a concise and relevant way
Additionally, contrary to what you may think, the recruiter is not looking for you to compare yourself to other candidates.
On the contrary, doing so will totally discredit you and destroy all your chances.
If you think about it, this is also a different way of asking about your qualities. This is a question you should already know how to answer very well 🙂
And that leads us to the next section.
Why should we hire you? – What NOT to answer
I am the best amongst all other candidates
You can’t give a worse answer! Responding by denigrating your competitors and stating your superiority, even if you mean it as a joke, will ruin all your chances.
Not only do you portray yourself as an arrogant person, but also raise red flags when it comes to grading you as a team player.
Furthermore, if you think you’re the best, it means you’ll most likely be reluctant to accepting criticism. Hence, the recruiter or your potential manager may perceive you as difficult to work with.
It’s likely that the recruiter insists by asking you: But why you especially and not someone else?
And it looks like they’re waiting for comparison, but they aren’t!
Don’t get into that game. It only has one outcome: Losing.
At this point, you might be thinking: But this question implies that I put myself forward.
And you’re right! But do it through raising yourself up, not through pushing others down. Replace arrogance with self-confidence and you’ll be on your way to delivering a great answer.
“No one has ever made himself great by showing how small someone else is”
Irvin Himmel
I am competent / motivated / enthusiast
Behind this kind of answer there are 2 issues:
- The banality of your arguments
- The lack of justification
To say that you are motivated (or any other clichĂ© adjective) is banal. If you’re there, applying for the job and attending an interview, it’s quite imaginable that you’re motivated. In fact, it’s the least you can be!
Put yourself in the shoes of the recruiter. You may be the 5th candidate of the day who repeats the same sentence: I am motivated.
Putting forward this argument has the risk of generating no impact whatsoever.
On top of that, stating something without backing it up with arguments is like a car without tires. Useless!
If you do that, you won’t have the recruiter’s attention.
In case you don’t have any professional experience yet, it doesn’t matter! Rely on your personal or academic experiences to demonstrate what you’re made of. This sample may give you some ideas.
Guidelines for a great answer
For a relevant and impactful answer, you should demonstrate your added value by remaining factual and precise.
You can achieve this in 3 steps:
- List the 3 most relevant requirements for the position.
- Find examples in your personal or professional life that reflect the existence of these requirements in your profile. It’s much better to stick to 2 or 3 strong arguments than to provide 10 weak ones. Quality over quantity!
- End it with a lighter, funnier argument! Use it with subtlety though, only bring this one up if you feel like the time is right. The objective is to leverage spontaneity to generate a positive impact on the recruiter.
Sample answer – With professional experience
What’s in the job description
Looking for a Human Resources Coordinator to support our company’s growth.
Requirements include a Bachelor’s degree and 2 years of relevant experience in recruitment, excellent interpersonal skills, ability to adapt quickly, and great communication skills (orally and written).
Listing 3 most relevant requirements for the position
- Experience in recruitment
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Ability to adapt quickly
Why should we hire you?
If I understood well, you’re looking for a Human Resources Coordinator with experience in recruitment, excellent interpersonal skills and ability to adapt quickly.
I believe that my experience perfectly matches your requirements.
In my previous position, I recruited 65 candidates for 10 different areas in 12 months. To make things more difficult, this company had serious notoriety issues.
I wouldn’t have reached that goal if I didn’t have great interpersonal skills! I used this ability to understand the expectations of the hiring manager and to convince prospects to join the company.
Furthermore, you should hire me because I become autonomous very quickly. I’ve developed great adaptability through my experience in a startup.
In such companies, you must adapt to rapidly changing circumstances while ensuring top performance. Here, I managed to recruit 10 people in 6 months.
I made my first recruitment in my first month on a job that was totally unknown to me at the time.
Last but not least, you should hire me because I make the best tiramisu, which is a win-win for everybody in the team!
Sample answer – Without professional experience
What’s in the job description
Looking for a Human Resources Assistant to support our company’s growth.
Requirements include a Bachelor’s degree, excellent interpersonal skills, ability to multitask and adapt quickly, and great communication skills (orally and written). Advanced knowledge in powerpoint and excel is a plus.
Listing 3 most relevant requirements for the position
- Ability to multitask
- Ability to adapt quickly
- Great communication skills
If I understood well, you’re looking for a Human Resources Assistant with great communication skills, ability to multitask and to adapt quickly.
I believe that my professional profile perfectly matches your requirements.
Every summer for 4 years, I worked in a clothes store, which taught me how to multitask. I was required to organize the warehouse while advising customers, keeping the store clean and reaching sales goals.
Furthermore, during my experience at university, I was always involved in activities related to foreign students. That allowed me to become open-minded, explore different cultures and, most importantly, boost my adaptability.
That was especially challenging during assignments, where our ways of collaborating were completely different!
Despite our cultural differences, collaboration has been really smooth. In part, thanks to my good communication skills.
This allowed me to convey messages with diplomacy and a smile, which leads me to my last argument.
I always have a smile and remain positive in the face of adversity, which is a must-have in any team 🙂
Conclusion
Now, you have all you need to answer this famous question.
But reading this post is just the beginning. You have to practice to refine your speech and ultimately make it sound fluid and impactful.
When preparing your answer, think about the experiences that make you unique and highlight your best qualities.
The idea is that, at the end of the interview, the recruiter will go from “why you” to “when can you start”
The idea is that at the end of the interview the recruiter no longer wonders “why should we hire you?” but thinks “when can you start?”.
