How to answer "Why do you want to work here?"
Here's a test. Read this answer and guess which company it's for:
"I've heard amazing things about the culture, and it seems like a really exciting time for the company. I'm passionate about the industry and I'd love to be part of the journey."
A bank? A hospital? A startup selling socks? Exactly. It fits all of them, so it means nothing to any of them.
What is the interviewer really asking?
"Did you choose us, or are you just applying everywhere?" Companies want people who'll stay, and people who chose them on purpose tend to stay.
The formula: fact, reason, contribution
- Fact: one specific thing about this company. A product, a launch, a customer, a decision, a blog post.
- Reason: why that matters to you, ideally tied to your experience.
- Contribution: what you'd bring to it.
Three sentences. That's the whole answer.
Where do you find the fact?
Ten minutes is enough:
- Their newsroom or blog: recent launches and announcements.
- The job post: the problem the team is solving.
- The product: use it if you can.
- The interviewer's profile: what they've posted about lately.
Suggested answers
Product-focused
"You moved your whole app to offline-first last year, which is rare in logistics. I spent two years building sync for field teams with bad signal, so I know how hard that is, and I'd love to work on it at your scale."
Mission-focused
"Your clinics serve towns where the nearest specialist is three hours away. My family is from one of those towns, and I've seen what that gap means. I want my operations work to go into something like that."
Customer-focused
"I read your case study with the Kochi co-op, where you cut their invoicing time in half. That's exactly the kind of customer work I do now, and I'd like to do more of it with a product that's clearly working."
Career changer
"You hire people from non-traditional backgrounds into your analyst programme, and your blog about it was honest about what works and what doesn't. I'm a teacher moving into data, and that kind of support is exactly what I'm looking for."
Early career
"Your graduate programme rotates through three teams in the first year. I'm still finding where I fit best, and getting real work in three areas is the best way to find out."
What should you avoid?
- "Great culture." Every company claims it.
- Only what you get. "Good salary and benefits" is true but not persuasive.
- Facts from their homepage tagline. Go one level deeper.
- Flattery. "You're the best company in the world" sounds rehearsed.
Reuse it at the end of the call
Your research fact makes a great closing question too. Something like "How's the offline-first rollout going?" Our guide to questions to ask at the end has more.
Quick answers
How do I answer "Why do you want to work here?"
Mention one specific fact about the company, explain why it matters to you, and say what you'd bring to it.
What if I don't know much about the company?
Spend ten minutes on their blog, newsroom, product and job post. One specific fact is enough.
Is it okay to mention salary or benefits?
Not as your main reason. It's fine to mention flexibility or growth, but lead with the work itself.
How long should my answer be?
Three sentences, or about 30 seconds.
Is "I'm passionate about the industry" a good answer?
It's too generic on its own. Back it up with a specific reason this company stands out.
Thanks for letting us know.