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Ask HN: How to answer properly “Why we should hire you” question?

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Re: Ask HN: How to answer properly “Why we should hire you” question?

#41

Post by dpark »

> This question, has make me failed on interview process on one of antivirus company

What was your answer? You'd have to bomb this question pretty badly for it to sink an interview.

I'd guess that you didn't get the job for some other reason, which could be in your control or not. You could have had a poor technical showing that day. You might have been so awesome they thought you'd seen all the questions before. The interviewers could have been having a bad day. They might have had multiple candidates and had to pick one. They might have suddenly instituted a hiring freeze. You might have seemed like a poor cultural fit. They might have been racist. The hiring manager might have left the company suddenly and they decided to close the req. There are at least a hundred reasons you might not get a job and you generally have no visibility into the real reason.

Re: Ask HN: How to answer properly “Why we should hire you” question?

#42

Post by rpeden »

kohanz wrote: post #30
rpeden wrote: post #6

Assuming they ask this at the end of the interview after you've shown your skills and discussed your experience: "I believe I've demonstrated that I'll deliver significantly more value with my work than I'll cost you in salary and benefits." That's pretty much the reason anyone should hire you, for any role, in any industry. Most interviews are really about demonstrating the value you'll deliver. Keep that in mind wi…

Your reasoning makes perfect sense, but the answer is a bit dry and, I don't know how to describe it, robotic? As someone who has sat in the hiring chair, if I heard "You'll make more money from my work than I'll cost in salary and benefits.", I'd get the impression of that person someone who maybe views themselves as a profit-generating widget in the grand scheme of the company. I'd wonder a bit what enjoyment/passi…

You're right; the delivery should definitely be tailored to the audience.

In the past, I've interviewed with some early stage startup founders and CTOs who are intimately familiar with the company's bottom line, and who appreciated simple, direct answers.

It's probably smart in most cases to reiterate the value you'll deliver. Working well with the rest is the team is absolutely part of that value.

Re: Ask HN: How to answer properly “Why we should hire you” question?

#43

Post by mythobit »

b6 wrote: post #10

I hope I'm not alone in thinking "why should we hire you" is a bit of a dumb question and a bit insulting. If I was asked that, I'd be thinking something like: We're all adults here. We know why you're trying to hire someone approximately like me, and why I'm trying to get the job. Let's be friends instead of you trying to get me to trot like a show pony. This isn't a game show. Or if you think it is, maybe I don't w…

I wonder if you wouldn't be justified in following up their question with your own of "Why should I choose to work for you?". Seems only fair that they should try and sell you on being part of their team as well.

Re: Ask HN: How to answer properly “Why we should hire you” question?

#44

Post by Humdeee »

I'm a game-changer that can think outside the box. I bring forth a synergy that will leverage my ability to hit the ground running and go that extra mile. Pushing the envelope and reinforcing the company vision statement is what I'm all about. Goal setting and going after the low-hanging fruit is paramount to setting us up as a thought-leader and to pivot in a ruthless, competitive market. I understand that achieving this level of excellence is a byproduct of continuously moving the needle forward. Once the ducks are in a row, together we can unleash this unicorn to the world, and prove we are truly best of breed.

Cue eye-twitch...

Re: Ask HN: How to answer properly “Why we should hire you” question?

#45

Post by ashark »

bsvalley wrote: post #26

It' a non-technical way to see if it's a great fit or not. Before an interview, you should always prepare the following 3 key points: - My XXX will help your company succeed. - Your YYY will help me grow - I believe in your ZZZ XXX: skills, experience, etc. YYY: technology, project, product, etc. ZZZ: vision, culture, values.

Bearing in mind (this part's tough to come to terms with for anyone raised to value honesty) that zero of those things need to be true—they just need to be what will get you the job, and they need to be said convincingly-enough for the person interviewing to accept what you've said (depending on the situation they may not even need to believe you—interviews are weird).

It's not that they have to be false, but in the vast majority of all successful interviews ever where these things were asserted, some or all of them were. If they're not true and you're not willing to lie about them, it's typically not worth interviewing.

Re: Ask HN: How to answer properly “Why we should hire you” question?

#46

Post by chias »

This question is your friend.

Don't view it as an "ok, so you did fine I guess, but you better justify your existence now and play mind games" type of thing. Instead, view it as an opportunity to end the interview with your best foot forward. Use it as an excuse to do three things.

1: Summarize what went particularly well in the interview. Your interview was probably not perfect, and this question lets you refresh the good parts in your interviewers' minds right before leaving.

2: Talk about why you think this job is something that you would enjoy. Your most valuable asset to this company is your enthusiasm. It's excited and enthused employees that drive the workplace.

3: Bring up stuff that you wish they had asked you but that didn't come up. Did you make something cool a while ago that showcases your skills, but it never came up in conversation? Now is the perfect time to show it off.

Re: Ask HN: How to answer properly “Why we should hire you” question?

#47

Post by JSeymourATL »

> This question, has made me failed on interview process... I cannot move on.

You MUST move on. It's an asenine question, the sign of a poor interviewer. And it's impossible to know for certain that your answer was the deciding factor why you did not get the job.

Suggest replying with a question-- "Are there any areas lacking in my background or skill sets that you are concerned about or possibly feel isn't a good match for your team?"

This helps foster more dialog-- probe for any perceived negatives and then address those concerns.

Everyday big companies screw-up recruiting, missing-out on otherwise very qualified, even brilliant talent. Here's a take on Googles process > https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-02/book-revi...

Re: Ask HN: How to answer properly “Why we should hire you” question?

#48

Post by karthikb »

mlmlmasd wrote: post #38
in_cahoots wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There may be multiple candidates who fit this criteria. How do you set yourself apart?

By being good at what you do, not by giving cute answers to retarded questions.

Sure, but unless I hire all the candidates and compare them after a week, I have I rely on some fallbacks.

Re: Ask HN: How to answer properly “Why we should hire you” question?

#50

Post by chias »

awfgylbcxhrey wrote: post #39
kohanz wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your reasoning makes perfect sense, but the answer is a bit dry and, I don't know how to describe it, robotic? As someone who has sat in the hiring chair, if I heard "You'll make more money from my work than I'll cost in salary and benefits.", I'd get the impression of that person someone who maybe views themselves as a profit-generating widget in the grand scheme of the company. I'd wonder a bit what enjoyment/passi…

I'd wonder a bit what enjoyment/passion that person gets from their work. Why can't someone just be a professional who generates value?

Because your enthusiasm is your most valuable asset. Enthused employees tend to be a lot more productive, and also drive up the morale among their peers.
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