Why Do You Want to Work Here?
The interview question that separates candidates who've done their homework from those who haven't — and tests whether your motivation is genuine or generic.
'Why do you want to work here?' (and its variants: 'Why this company?', 'What drew you to us?') is one of the most reliable filters in an interview process. It's easy to prepare for and easy to bomb. Candidates who answer with something vague and flattering ('I've always admired your company,' 'You're a leader in the industry') signal that they haven't done meaningful research and may be sending the same answer everywhere. Candidates who give a specific, informed answer signal genuine interest — and that genuineness is contagious in an interview.
A strong answer to this question has three components: something specific about the company (a product decision, a cultural practice, a recent strategic move, something in the company's history or mission that genuinely resonates), something specific about the role (what about this particular job excites you, not just the company category), and a connection between those two things and your own professional trajectory. Specificity is the key signal. Anyone can say 'I love the mission' — only someone who actually knows the company can name a specific thing that landed with them.
The research required to answer this well is also useful due diligence. Dig into the company's recent press releases, product releases, earnings calls (if public), employee reviews on Glassdoor, the interviewer's LinkedIn, and any news coverage. Find something that genuinely interests you. If you can't find anything after an hour of research, that's information too — either the company doesn't have much publicly available signal, or you're less excited than you thought.
What to Research Before the Interview
- The company's recent product or service changes — launches, pivots, new verticals.
- Leadership: who founded it, who runs it now, what they've written or said publicly.
- Culture signals: Glassdoor reviews (especially recurring themes in pros/cons), the careers page tone, any press on workplace culture.
- Recent news: funding rounds, acquisitions, partnerships, controversies.
- Your interviewer specifically: their LinkedIn history, any articles they've published or been quoted in.
- Competitors: understanding the competitive landscape shows you grasp the business, not just the company name.
Answer Structure
- Lead with the specific thing about the company: 'I was reading about your expansion into [X] last quarter and the way your team approached [problem] was exactly how I'd want to tackle it.'
- Connect to the role: 'That kind of problem is what drew me to this specific position — I'd be working on exactly that challenge.'
- Close with the fit: 'Given my background in [Y], I think I can contribute meaningfully while learning a lot about [Z].'
- Total length: 60–90 seconds. This is a setup answer, not a centerpiece.