The hiring manager will also be seeking to discover whether the factors that motivate you are aligned with the company’s goals and with the role in which you would be working. This is a broad and open-ended question, which can make it hard to know how to answer. It can also be a challenge to figure out the best way to respond. After all, most people are motivated by many factors, including pay, prestige, making a difference, seeing results, and interacting with interesting people.
What the Interviewer Wants To Know
In asking this question, interviewers hope to figure out what makes you tick and what drives you to succeed. They also want to determine whether your motivators will be a fit for the job’s duties and the company’s culture. Honest answers can help reveal what circumstances help you feel excited and enthused. (Another common variant of this interview question is, “What are you passionate about?” which also tries to determine what makes an interviewee feel excited and fulfilled.) Providing insight into the forces that motivate you at work can be a window into your personality and work style, thereby helping your interviewers understand you as both a person and a potential employee. There’s a big difference between the candidate who’s motivated by building teams and establishing strong relationships with co-workers, and the candidate whose best day is working independently on a report that improves the company’s bottom line. Both candidates bring with them strong advantages, and this question can help interviewers narrow their pool down to the individual who is the best fit for the position and the company.
How To Answer, “What Motivates You?”
Take some time to research the company and the job prior to the interview. The more you know about the organizational goals of the employer, the better equipped you’ll be to respond. It can be hard to think of a good answer for this question on the spot since it requires a bit of self-reflection. To prepare your answer, think about the jobs you have held in the past:
What happened during your best days?When were you most looking forward to a day at the office?When did you come home from work bursting with stories and feeling enthusiastic and excited?
Whether it was a successful meeting with a client, a complex project wrangled into submission, a new skill you mastered, or anything else, keep these positive moments in mind when conceptualizing your answer.
Examples of the Best Answers
Review these sample answers and tailor your response to match your credentials to what the employer is seeking. Why It Works: This response works well because it’s focused on achievements and results. It’s positive, and it shows what the candidate has accomplished. Why It Works: The candidate is motivated both by data analysis and by being able to provide information to their team. This shows the interviewer that the applicant has both the hard and the soft skills required for success in the role. Why It Works: This response shows the interviewer that the applicant is motivated by several factors—management, scheduling, and teamwork—and has the ability to multitask. Why It Works: With this answer, the candidate focuses on why customer service is important, how they develop their skills, as well as how they achieve positive results. Why It Works: It always makes sense to respond in a way that shows you are motivated by your work and by accomplishing goals.
Tips for Giving the Best Response
Keep the job in mind. When preparing your answer, also think about the skills and abilities that will be the most useful for this job. Try to highlight these in your answer. For example, if you are applying to be a manager, framing an answer around relationship building and helping others succeed and meet goals might be a stronger answer than a discussion about learning new things or working with clients. Consider the company culture. If the company emphasizes the camaraderie of its staff, for example, you might mention how achieving goals as a group motivates you. If you don’t know much about the company culture, do some research before your interview to learn as much as you can. Share an example. You might want to include an example from your previous job to explain the kinds of projects or tasks that motivate you. For example, if you say that you are driven by results, give an example of a time you set a goal and met (or exceeded) it. For example, perhaps you saved a company money, completed a project ahead of schedule, or solved a problem for an employee. Telling a story about your achievements is always a good way to show the interviewer your accomplishments. This will help the interviewer see how your motivation can benefit the company. When you answer this question, be honest. If you tailor your answer to exactly what you think the employer wants to hear, you will likely come off as insincere. Keep your audience in mind. While you may be most motivated by receiving a regular paycheck, that answer is not very inspiring from an interviewer’s perspective.
What Not To Say
Don’t make it about you. When you respond, it’s best to focus on work-related motivators. Rather than saying that you like to get a paycheck every week, for example, discuss responsibilities at work that keep you interested and ready for a challenge. Don’t ramble. Have a clear and focused response to the question. Know what motivates you, and keep your response on target so that you don’t confuse the interviewer by sharing too much information. Keep it positive. Focus on the positive when you respond. For example, you don’t want to say that you’re motivated because you don’t want to get fired for subpar performance.
Possible Follow-Up Questions
Are you self-motivated? What are you passionate about? What can you contribute to this company? What strategies would you use to motivate your team?
