Tough Interview Question - Why are you interested in our company?

Why are you interested in our company?

Similar interview questions:
What is it about our company that you find interesting or attractive?
Is there a specific part of our company where you have interest in working?
Are you interested in our company specifically or just in the job?
Why do you want to work for us?

Why the interviewer is asking this question:
This is a reverse sell question. The interviewer is getting ready to sell you on why the company is a great place to work, but before doing so, gives you the opportunity to take that sell as far as you can on your own. Asking this question is usually a good sign, since the interviewer is ready to go into sell mode. However, this question can sometimes be asked as a standard part of the entry level interview slate, so it’s not always a final indicator.

The best approach to answering this question:
This is one step beyond the “What do you know about our company?” question by asking you specifically why you are interested. So it may be a follow-up to the “What do you know…” question or may be asked as a combo question. Either way, you need to have completed your detailed employer research in advance and be able to make the sell to the interviewer on why you are a great fit for the company’s needs.

An example of how to best answer this question for experienced candidates:
"I’m interested in Google at a high level, but also specifically for what’s being done in the department for this role. My electrical engineering experience has been heavily software focused and my recent background working with Tesla directly aligns with Google’s needs for this role within the Self-Driving Car Project…"

An example of how to best answer this question for entry level candidates:
"I have read about your company’s reputation for building and growing your leadership talent from within. There are not many companies who can say that their current CEO was a college grad hire, yours is one. So it is your company’s commitment to not only that first entry level job, but also the commitment to career development at each subsequent stage of my career that interests me the most. I want to work for a company where I do not have to change employers to advance in my career…"

An example of how you should not answer this question:
"My uncle worked for General Motors and it seemed to be a solid employer for him until he got laid off in a downsizing. I don’t think that was his fault. But everyone knows GM and even though they’ve fallen behind the foreign auto makers, it is probably one of the better US auto makers…"


Remember to answer each interview question behaviorally, whether it is a behavioral question or not. The easiest way to do this is to use an example from your background and experience. Then use the S-T-A-R approach to make the answer a STAR: talk about a Situation or Task (S-T), the Action you took (A) and the Results achieved (R). This is what makes your interview answer uniquely yours and will make your answer a star!

Further review: know the answers to these 100 Common Interview Questions to be fully prepared for your interview!

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