How to Answer the “What Motivates You?” Interview Question

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When you’re getting ready for an interview, you need to prepare yourself for a wide range of interview questions. While many of them will be specific questions about your particular experience, skills, and expertise, others are more general, like the interview question “What motivates you?”

@resumegenius When an interviewer asks, “What motivates you?” it’s your chance to show what drives you and how you fit with the role. Here are some tips to prepare your answer: 1. Identify what motivates you as a professional 2. Figure out what excites you about the position 3. Determine where the two overlap 4. Tie your motivation to your goals This approach helps you give an authentic answer that connects your passion to the job. #interviewtips #jobinterview #interviewquestion #jobseeker #jobsearchtips ♬ original sound – Resume Genius | Career Tips

While there’s no right or wrong way to answer this question, there is a way to answer that will make your interviewer think, “This candidate is a great match for the role!”

Why do interviewers ask “What motivates you?”

When asking about your motivation, employers are trying to get some insight into who you are as a professional. What they’re really looking for is:

Whether you understand your own sources of motivation
If your interests, values, and goals align with the company’s
What kind of employee you’d make
If you’re a good fit for the position
If you plan to grow with the company

Here are some variations of this popular interview question to look out for:

What drives you?
What energizes you to perform your best?
What motivates you to come to work every day?
What motivates you to succeed?
What inspires you to do your best?

Here are four steps to help you ace this question and get the job offer:

1. Identify what motivates you as a professional

Figuring out what drives you is the key to answering this interview question. Not only that, but knowing what motivates you will also help you find more rewarding positions.

There are two kinds of motivation:

Extrinsic motivation (driven by reward or punishment)

Extrinsic motivation comes from external factors that provide reasons for behaving in a certain way. Here are some examples:

Salary
Rewards
Benefits
Competition
Growth opportunities
Praise
Respect
Social connection
Influence
Promotions
Getting fired

In some fields, strong extrinsic motivation can be an asset. If you’re applying to work in a fast-paced environment with a lot of strict deadlines and you’re highly motivated by deadlines, then you’d be a good fit for the role.

Highlighting your relevant extrinsic motivations that demonstrate how you would thrive at work can help you show the interviewer you’re the best candidate.

Intrinsic motivation (driven by enjoyment)

Intrinsic motivation, on the other hand, comes from our internal reasons for doing things that don’t simply rely on the result. These are things like:

Pleasure
Interest
Challenge
Curiosity
Control
Personal values
Beliefs
Sense of purpose

If you’re intrinsically motivated in your work, then you do it because you find it fulfilling on some level. This can be a very strong selling point for employers. Employees who are intrinsically motivated in their professional life are more likely to be committed employees dedicated to their work and proactive about finding ways to improve.

If you’re looking for work in the nonprofit sector, for instance, having a deep personal commitment to the cause will make you a more dedicated, hardworking, and perseverant employee – traits that are extremely valuable to employers.

2. Figure out what excites you about the position

To determine what your relevant motivations are for the position you’re applying to, figure out what interests you about the role.

When you read the job description, what jumps out to you?
What makes you want to apply?
What areas are you excited about gaining experience in?
Are there key skills you’re eager to learn?
Are you looking for a more collaborative team?
Are you looking for opportunities for professional development?
Do you want a career development plan?
Does the company culture provide the optimal environment for you to thrive professionally?

Make a list of all the things about the job you find appealing, and try to understand why they appeal to you.

3. Determine where the two overlap

Once you’ve figured out what motivates and interests you about the position, write them out as lists and identify any overlap between the two. These are the key motivators for you in this particular role.

Here’s what that might look like for a graphic design position:

Venn diagram showing cross over of motivators and position-specific interests.

It might sound like a lot of work, but pinpointing the overlap between your interests and motivations will help you clearly communicate to employers why you’re a great match for the role.

4. Tie your motivation to your goals

Tying your motivation to your goals is an effective way to answer the question “What motivates you?”

Demonstrating how your professional goals motivate you shows your interviewer what results you’ll achieve as an employee.

Software engineer example

I’ve always been motivated by learning new skills and honing existing ones. Right now I’m trying to achieve my goal of mastering five programming languages.

From this example, the interviewer will know that they can expect the candidate to develop a diverse technical skill set that will make them a valuable member of the team.

Moreover, they’ll likely be impressed by their drive and make note of their readiness to adapt, learn, and build on their skills.

If you can illustrate how your own professional goals are aligned with company goals or needs, you’ll make your answer even more enticing.

Head of HR example

I know that your company is currently poised to launch a new DEI initiative. As a professional, it is my goal to apply my industry knowledge and skills to guide hiring practices that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

This example shows the interviewer that the candidate’s goals are perfectly aligned with the company’s. Demonstrating alignment like this gives employers a solid reason to hire you.

“What motivates you” sample answers

Here are four examples of how to answer this tricky interview question to help you get a feel for what makes an informative response:

“What motivates you at work”

As a designer, I find that I’m really driven by the collaborative process of designing on a team. I love working with others on creative projects because our interactions spark new and exciting ideas that wouldn’t have materialized otherwise, leading to designs that are innovative, fresh, and energizing.

I know that your design team is well-known for its collaboration. I’d love to apply my extensive technical background and diverse experience to help lead a highly collaborative and progressive design team at [company name].

“What motivates you to do a good job”

“What motivates you to work hard”

In both my academic and professional career, I have been motivated by the urgent need for greater environmental protection, care, and positive change. I believe very strongly in taking action to combat climate change, for current and future generations, and know that it’s an undertaking that requires complete dedication, perseverance, and commitment.

Earthjustice has been at the forefront of many precedent-setting legal battles for environmental justice. I’d love to contribute to Earthjustice’s commitment of engaging with the issues in ways that have a significant and lasting impact. Working at your company will inspire me every day to work hard to bring about positive change.

“What motivated you to apply for this position?”

I saw in your listing that you’re looking for a highly organized administrative assistant who has excellent multitasking and time management skills. Based on my experience as a TA managing classes of over 100 students, where I organized course materials, graded papers and exams, and tracked grades and assignments, I believe that I am a good fit for this position. I’d love the opportunity to work at my alma mater and help students apply to programs that further their academic and professional prospects.

What to avoid when answering “What motivates you?”

When you’re answering “What motivates you”, there are a few topics that are best avoided:

Money or benefits. Everyone knows that this is part of why you want a job, but telling an interviewer it’s the reason you’re there will only make it look like you don’t care about the actual job.
Negative motivators. These are outcomes that motivate you because you’re trying to avoid them (for example, getting reprimanded or fired, or letting your career stagnate because you didn’t change positions). Try to focus on the positives.
Religion or politics. Unless directly related to the position, these are two topics that have the potential to do more harm than good.