Interviews shouldn't be a game of false praise
Candidates want to trade their time for money
I've hired people a few times in my life. The first time I interviewed a candidate, I turned to Google and asked for some top interview questions. I look back now and wince, knowing that the generic suggestions were not a good assessment of a candidate's skills. I wish I'd done better and can only plead ignorance as a novice manager.
Hiring managers who truly care about finding the best candidate have found ways to make the process more fair and transparent. They know how to collect information that really speaks to a candidate's potential ability to do well at a job.
A few weeks ago, on Threads, I saw a hiring manager comment that she asked a Gen Z candidate, "Why do you want to work here?" And the candidate answered honestly, "I'm sorry, I'm a bit scattered and not prepared to answer that question." The hiring manager was offended by this and wondered: is this a generational thing?
Setting aside the "being scattered" part (at least the candidate was honest), the question, "Why do you want to work here?" is problematic and shouldn't be asked.
Candidates just want to work
"Why do you want to work here?" is, in many cases, asking candidates to lie. Especially in today's job market and with the number of unemployed people. Candidates don't want to work at a particular job; they just want to work. They want to trade their time for money. They want health insurance and maybe some other benefits.
But hiring managers aren't looking for an honest answer, like "This job meets my minimum salary requirement and this seems like it will provide an adequate amount of work-life balance." They're looking for some kind of gushing praise of the company's values, or perceived company culture, or some type of "I'm so excited by your product" response. It's just one more hoop that candidates have to jump through.
Frankly, a candidate could submit the company's "About Us" page and the job description into ChatGPT and ask for a response to, "Why do you want to work here?" ChatGPT could come up with a perfectly acceptable answer that a candidate could use to get through that portion of a job interview. (Same is true for self-evaluations when working at a job, but that's another topic...)
I don't know why the candidate was scattered. Maybe they were truly unprepared. Or maybe they'd been through multiple interviews and job applications that day. I haven't job hunted in an environment where I've needed to submit hundreds of applications, but I can only imagine the exhaustion.
Instead, what does the question say about the hiring manager? Was she really expecting candidates to gush about the job? Sure, some will likely be excited about that particular job. But most will have learned that they shouldn't get overly attached to a potential job. The competition is too fierce — better to keep enthusiasm at arm's length. An enthusiastic response might only indicate which candidates are good at feigning enthusiasm.
I have similar feelings about an expected post-interview thank-you note. Is it a nice gesture? Sure. Might it make the candidate more memorable? Sure. But I've seen hiring managers disqualify candidates who don't send thank-you notes. It feels like a secret test, something not all candidates might know. It's expected gratitude for the interviewer's time and attention, rather than also being grateful for the candidate's time and attention.
We're certainly not in the candidate's market that we were a few years ago. I first started writing this publication during The Great Resignation, when employers had to beg candidates to join their companies. I recognize that the balance of power has shifted in the employer's favor. But that doesn't mean that candidates should have to bend over and kiss ass just to get a job.
What's a better question?
Let's say the hiring manager wants to understand what the candidate knows about the company and the role, and that's the motivation behind, "Why do you want to work here?" A better question would be to simply ask, "What do you know about the company? What's your understanding of this role?" That will tell the interviewer how much research or preparation the candidate has done before the interview, such as looking at the company's history or social media pages. Even candidates who may not care much about the particular role will do some preparation in the hopes of making a good impression during the interview.
Back in my hiring days, I'm nearly positive that I asked candidates why they wanted to work at the company. I had the mentality that many companies have, which was that the best candidate was excited about the company and the role. Enthusiasm would have put a candidate near the top of my list, when I should have been looking for things like skillset fit. I remember one candidate in particular who had very measured, well-rehearsed responses. She was clearly prepared. But because of this, my boss thought she wasn't excited about the role. That was the wrong approach.
But one question I think I got right was, "Why should we hire you?" I asked this at the very end of every interview and left it open-ended. I wanted candidates to have the final say, and they could say whatever they wanted. It was a chance for them to showcase whatever they wanted to highlight (and maybe get a glimpse into their personality).
"Why do you want to work for the company?" No.
"What's special about you?" Yes.
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