How To Answer “What Motivates You” Interview Question

The recruiter asks, “What motivates you?” “Hmm….. Well, um, money, I guess.” Yeah, that generic answer is not going to work! Don’t guess or blurt out any random thing. It sounds simple enough, but it’s way more of a trick interview question than you might have thought.

But don’t worry. This article will cover how to best answer the open-ended what motivates you interview question to show that you are the right person for the role.

First things first….what is the interviewer looking for in your answer? When an interviewer asks what keeps you motivated? They are really asking: What drives you to succeed? What makes you tick? What energizes you? What inspires you?

They are also seeking to discover whether the factors that motivate you are aligned with the company’s goals and with the role in which you would be working.

It’s a broad question, and there is no one right answer. However, there is a way to answer it correctly. Here are tips to help you out;

1. Reflect on your past experiences to figure out what motivates you.

Take some time to ponder and maybe even write out in a list, the aspects of previous jobs that excited and energized you most, the ones you always wanted to do more of or wished were your entire job. Perhaps it was being an active member of a team and contributing to a big project or spearheading a brand new initiative. Or maybe it was speaking to customers and making them feel heard. Or it might have been seeing your sales numbers go up and your name climb the leader board. Maybe it wasn’t something in your day-to-day responsibilities at all, but something about the mission of the company or who it served.

2. Make sure your motivation is relevant and aligned with the position.

It almost goes without saying that one person could be motivated by many things, depending on the context. Pick one career-focused idea that’s relevant to the role and company you’re applying for. If it’s a small start-up and growing company and you are motivated by learning new things and being challenged, that’s a great answer because that’s going to be the environment you’re in.

3. Be honest

Hopefully, you’re applying for a position that you really do feel is a good fit for your skills and abilities as well as what drives you to be successful. That said, it’s important to be truly honest about your motivation for a job, or it’s quite possible you won’t have the job for long once your employer discovers you’re not the best-qualified overall.

4. Stay positive

 Don’t frame your answers using negative examples about you or about others. Share the things you enjoy doing and show how they’ve helped you to be an excellent employee in all of your jobs.

5. Use actual examples

Sharing a specific example from your current job or previous positions means backing up your motivations with the skills that will also make you successful in the job. This often makes a recruiter sit up and take notice.

An example of a great answer would be; “Providing outstanding customer service is what drives me. I worked as a mobile sales agent for a local credit union. The days were hectic with solving customer issues and answering questions. I worked hard to understand their queries and explain the how and why of our processes and operations. It really motivated me and upped my confidence whenever customers gave me a great review and a high rating.”

6. Consider the company culture

If the company emphasizes about the comradeship of its staff, for example, you might mention how achieving goals as a group motivates you. If you don’t know much about the company culture, do some research before your interview to learn as much as you can.

In Summary

Knowing what motivates you means you can clearly and confidently convey to an interviewer that you not only have the skills to do the job but that you also will fit well with the company’s culture and values.

As long as you have done your research and preparation, you’ll conquer your fear of this particular interview question and be ready to promote yourself as the best candidate to hire.

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