Some interview questions are designed to put you on the spot, but few are as intimidating as “Why should we hire you?”
In this article, we’ll show you how to answer, provide several sample answers, walk you through answering without experience, and let you know what to avoid in the process.
Why do employers ask this question?
Employers ask “Why should we hire you?” to see how well you understand the role, how you present your strengths, and how you differentiate yourself from different candidates.
Interviewers also use this question to evaluate your confidence, communication skills, and ability to summarize your value clearly. A strong answer shows that you’ve researched the role, understand what the employer is looking for, and can connect your background to the problems or goals the company is focused on.
Beyond qualifications, employers want to see enthusiasm and self-awareness. They’re looking for candidates who can confidently explain not only what they’ve done, but also why those experiences make them a strong fit for the position and team.
How to answer “Why should we hire you?”
Like a lot of interview questions and answers, when employers ask “why should we hire you”, what they really want to know is what makes you the best candidate for the position. In other words, they’re asking “Why should we hire you over other candidates?”
To give a compelling answer, you can’t just summarize your relevant qualifications. Other candidates have these too. You need to be able to pinpoint and demonstrate what unique qualities, experiences, and achievements position you to excel in the role.
@resumegenius “Why should we hire you?” is one of the most common interview questions. Here are some tips to help you prepare your answer: 1) Demonstrate your knowledge of the company and its needs 2) Showcase your unique skills and qualifications 3) Explain how you can benefit the company 4) Describe how your interests align with the position ? Comment “guide” to get more tips and sample answers for this interview question! #interviewtips #jobinterview #interviewquestions ♬ original sound – Resume Genius | Career Tips
Here are five tips to help you answer effectively:
1. Demonstrate your knowledge of the company and its needs
You need to be able to demonstrate knowledge about the company you’re applying to. Answers like “you’re hiring a sales associate and I have extensive sales experience” won’t be convincing.
Just like when answering “Why do you want to work here?“, you should use specifics about the company in your answer by discussing the company’s history, vision, or current position in the market. This shows the hiring manager that you’re truly interested in the position and have the knowledge base you need for the role.
To show you have an understanding of the company’s needs in your answer, you might have to do some research. The best place to start is with the job advertisement.
For example, if the company you’re interviewing for is creating a new position for a Head of Growth, the job advertisement might look something like this:
From the advertisement, it’s clear that the company has a sizable budget and is looking for an experienced leader to drive big growth initiatives. Keywords underlined in blue tell us about the important role responsibilities and company goals.
If you can demonstrate that you understand how to build effective strategies for promoting that growth, you’re making a solid case for why they should hire you.
Once you understand what the company’s needs are, you can target these in your answer by telling your interviewer how you’re qualified to help fill these needs.
2. Highlight your unique skills and qualifications
By the time you’re asked this question, you’ve probably already discussed your basic experience and qualifications, so take this opportunity to focus on any unique skills and qualifications you haven’t mentioned yet.
Here’s an example:
“I understand that your company is looking to expand into the Singaporean market. During my time at Philips, I worked as an Account Manager in Singapore and Malaysia, building strong relationships with clients, developing cross-cultural communication skills, and growing my understanding of international markets. This experience puts me in a strong position to help navigate your company’s expansion into new markets.”
3. Explain how you can benefit the company
When answering “why should we hire you,” many job seekers get caught up talking about themselves, instead of focusing on how they’ll be an asset to the company.
Instead, identify one or more company needs or areas where you believe you can contribute to growth or improvement.
Then, use specific and concrete examples from your previous experience to demonstrate how you’ve been able to achieve similar results in the past.
Here’s an example:
“As a Product Manager at my previous company, I pioneered an educational program for employees across all departments, increasing overall product knowledge which led to more effective marketing strategies that ultimately increased sales by 16%. As your company plans to launch a new line of products, I am well-equipped to design and oversee the development of educational programs tailored to your employees’ specific knowledge gaps that will boost sales.”
Use hard numbers as often as possible to quantify your accomplishments. This goes for discussing any relevant experience, but is especially important when it comes to describing what benefits you can bring to a company.
4. Describe how your interests align with the position
In your answer, let employers know specifically what interests you about the position you’re applying for.
Perhaps you’re looking for a career change and interviewing for a new position while still employed. For example: you’ve been working in product development, but you’re pursuing a position as a customer service specialist because you’re more interested in a customer-facing role.
In this case, tell your interviewer why you’re interested in switching to a customer-facing role. Explain how your strong communication skills make you adept at interacting with customers, or you like the problem solving that’s involved in responding to customer feedback or concerns.
You could say something like this:
“After working in product development for several years, I’ve decided to pursue a customer-facing role. While I love the behind-the-scenes aspect of product development, I feel that I’m more suited to a role that allows me to really use my strong interpersonal skills and interact with new people every day. I’m adept at active listening, and love being able to help others problem-solve, so I know that your customer service specialist position will be a great fit for me.”
Take it a step further by telling your interviewer why you’re interested in the industry as a whole. If you’re applying for work in the tech sector, for example, mention that you love being on the cutting edge of new advancements. Explaining what motivates you can help employers see your value.
5. Illustrate how you envision your career growth with the company
If employers see that you’re actively considering your career trajectory and growth within the company, they’ll know that you’re serious about the position.
Start by describing how you see yourself performing in the role that you’re applying for. From there elaborate on what professional development and advancement you’d like to achieve, whether it’s learning new skills, earning certificates, or stepping into a management role.
Here’s an example:
“As a junior animator at Epic Games, I see myself making the most of a collaborative culture to learn from senior animators, developing and honing my technical skills. As I gain experience I aim to become a team member that can help onboard and train new junior animators while professionally branching out into character and storyboard development. I hope to become instrumental in the game development process as the company begins crafting games for new markets, and ultimately become an Animation Director leading innovation and growth at Epic Games.”
“Why should we hire you” answer template
Here’s a template that combines all of the above elements to make tailoring your own response easy:
I know that your company is currently positioned to [company goal] and is looking to [company goal #2]. This will require [company need], which I believe I am uniquely qualified to support. My experience in [previous relevant experience] resulted in [beneficial result], and in this role I will be able to translate that experience into [action] to bring about [tangible result]. I have a deep interest in [relevant interest], which drives me to continue learning and developing as a professional. Moving forward, I hope to gain [type of job-specific experience] experience at [target company] and grow into a role that allows me to [achieve x result] and grow professionally in [growth area].
Example answers to “Why should we hire you?”
Here are some example answers to help you model your own answer:
I share your commitment to diversity
Sample answer
From what I can see, Community Arts is really committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion — and honestly, that’s something I’m passionate about too. I know you’re also working on building programs that truly serve your community, and I feel like that’s where I could really make a difference. You probably need someone who can communicate well and bring people together, and that’s exactly what I love doing.
At The Vera Project, I was basically juggling all these different programs and working with tons of people — like 50+ colleagues across departments. What I found was that when you really focus on making sure everyone feels heard and included, amazing things happen. Once we focused on that, something incredible happened: We actually saw productivity jump by 20% just because people felt more connected to the work.
I’d want to bring that same energy here — you know, really focusing on how teams work together and making sure our programs actually make an impact. The thing is, I’m genuinely passionate about community work and figuring out how to lead in a way that lifts everyone up. I’m always trying to get better at it.
Looking ahead, I’d love to learn more about the strategic side of things here at Community Arts — especially how you plan initiatives and engage with the community. Eventually, I’d want to help expand what you’re doing to reach even more people and keep growing as a leader myself.
In this example, the candidate makes a strong case for why they’re a great hire by emphasizing their strong culture fit. For many companies, this is an increasingly important factor when evaluating potential candidates.
If you’re applying to a company that prioritizes a specific office culture, take the time to research its values and assess how they align with your own. Then use this question as an opportunity to demonstrate not only how you’ll be able to fit into the company culture, but also how you’ll help shape it.
I can help you achieve your goals
Sample answer
I can see that JL Design is getting ready to launch a new wellness program, and it’s clear you’re focused on keeping your employees happy and sticking around. Honestly, that’s where I think I could really help out. You’re going to need someone who knows how to actually make these programs work — not just talk about them, but really get them off the ground and run them smoothly from the start.
I’ve been doing HR for years, and I’ve gotten pretty good at the whole process — budgets, committees, research, you name it. The thing I’m most proud of is this Onsite Fitness Program I put together that actually moved the needle — we saw employee satisfaction go up 18% and retention improve by 7%. That’s not just box-checking, but real, measurable results.
What I’d want to do here is really dig into designing something comprehensive and then making sure it actually gets implemented right — because honestly, I’d love to see some solid numbers on engagement and how many people are actually using the program. I’m genuinely fascinated by wellness research and love figuring out what actually works for different companies — it’s something I’m always reading up on and trying to stay current on.
Down the road, I’d love to learn more about how wellness programs work, specifically in tech since that’s a bit different from my background. Eventually, I’d want to help make JL Design known as a company that really takes care of its people and keep growing as a strategic HR leader myself along the way.
This response shows the candidate’s awareness of industry trends and their expertise in the duties of the target role. It also shows that they know the company is making efforts to stay current with HR developments, and effectively demonstrates how they can help the company achieve its goals.
To make sure you illustrate your experience effectively in interviews, find out how to use the STAR method in your answers.
I have the experience you’re looking for
Sample answer
I can see that Garda World Security Services is really focused on expanding operations while keeping safety standards high, and you’re looking to boost efficiency across all your locations. That’s going to need someone who can manage day-to-day operations but also make sure everyone’s properly trained and following all the safety rules.
I’ve been in the CCTV business for 12 years now, and I’ve had 5 different management roles where I’ve trained over 200 technicians — everything from basic safety to knowing which tools to use when. What I’m really proud of is that we’ve maintained a perfect safety record throughout all of that, while still getting all the inventory managed and keeping everyone up to speed on equipment maintenance.
What I’d want to do here is really focus on building out your training programs and getting some solid safety protocols in place that everyone actually follows. I think we could see real improvements in how compliant everyone is and how smoothly operations run if we get the systems right.
I’m always trying to stay current with new security tech and better ways to train people – the industry changes fast and I like staying ahead of it. Moving forward, I’d love to learn more about managing security operations on a larger scale here at Garda World Security Services. Eventually, I’d want to help set up best practices that could work across multiple locations and keep growing in operations leadership and working with new technology.
This example answer gets right to the point, clearly laying out the candidate’s qualifications — the best approach for highly technical roles.
I’m passionate about your industry
Sample answer
I know that the Excalibur is really focused on making sure guests have an amazing experience and you’re looking to make the front desk operations run as smoothly as possible. That’s going to need someone who can manage the team well and really knows how to take care of guests.
I’ve got some good experience with this from my time at the Luxor — I started in housekeeping and worked my way up to the front desk over three years. What I’m most proud of is that I put together this new organizational system that made everything run smoother. In the end, we saw 98% positive feedback from guests. That’s the kind of result that really matters in this business.
What I’d want to do here is focus on training the staff and figuring out better ways to handle guest services — because honestly, I think we could see real improvements in guest satisfaction and how quickly we handle requests if we get the systems right.
I’m always trying to learn more about what makes luxury hospitality work and new ways to improve the guest experience — it’s something I’m genuinely interested in. Looking ahead, I’d love to learn more about the operations side and how revenue works here at the Excalibur. Eventually, I’d want to help make this place known for having the best guest service and keep growing in hospitality leadership and property management.
This candidate’s answer effectively conveys their passion for the industry and motivation to excel. Showing genuine passion and drive gives employers a reason to hire you because they know that you’ll be a devoted and hardworking employee.
I have transferable skills and relevant experience
You can absolutely still give a strong response to this question even if you don’t have formal work experience.
Instead, focus on transferable skills and any other relevant experience you have. If you’ve volunteered or completed an internship, highlight these experiences. Emphasizing your academic experience can also demonstrate that you have the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the role.
Here’s an example:
Sample answer
I can see that Green Mountain Energy is really working to grow its market share in renewable energy, and you’re looking to boost brand awareness and improve conversion rates online. That’s going to need someone who can dig into the data and really understands how environmental marketing works.
I just graduated from University of Georgia with a marketing degree — magna cum laude, 3.7 GPA — and I got pretty deep into this stuff for my honors thesis. I actually analyzed 5 different renewable energy marketing strategies and looked at how well they worked across the industry. What I found was that the companies I studied saw about 15% better reach and engagement when they used certain approaches.
What I’d want to do here is really focus on building campaigns based on what the data tells us and figuring out how to optimize conversions — because honestly, I think we could see real improvements in how people engage online and what it costs to get new customers if we get the strategy right.
I’m always trying to stay current with sustainable marketing trends and how to use analytics better — it’s something I’m genuinely interested in. Moving forward, I’d love to learn more about marketing specifically in the renewable energy space here at Green Mountain Energy. Eventually, I’d want to help make this company known for really innovative environmental marketing and keep growing in strategic marketing and sustainability communications.
What to avoid in your response
When you’re put on the spot, it can be easy to get a little off track in your answer. If you can’t remember what you should say, remember to avoid these landmines:
Salary expectations: Bringing up salary expectations as a reason for wanting a position is never going to make a good impression on employers. Focus instead on communicating how you’re seeking opportunities for growth and professional advancement.
Personal circumstances: If you’re going after this position because you need to pay tuition and rent, avoid sharing this information with potential employers. They won’t be eager to hire you if they think you’re applying out of necessity. Instead, highlight how motivated you are to get the job.
Exaggeration: You can probably get away with a little embellishment in your interview, but avoid over-exaggerating your qualifications and skills.
Other interview resources
Continue your interview prep by workshopping answers to the following questions:
About the Author
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Lauren Mastroni is a Digital Content Writer at Resume Genius, where she creates data-driven career content and actionable job search advice. With a background in academic research, she brings a research-focused approach to topics like resume writing, interviewing, and career development. Lauren is dedicated to helping job seekers at all stages navigate the hiring process and present themselves more effectively to employers.
