Part three of our Interview Preparation series is motivation. We’ve covered teamwork and time management in our earlier posts. Motivation is a trickier one to answer, but “what motivates you?” is a very common question.
It’s a broad question; it can be hard to answer and figure out the best way to respond. Everyone is motivated differently; salary, job titles, results driven, people or contribution to the overall goal. There is no wrong answer. The interviewer is looking for what drives you to achieve in your job and your workplace goals.
Here’s our tips on answering the motivation questions
1 – Keep it honest
Honest answers will reveal what excites you. By knowing what makes you tick, the hiring manager will be able to tell whether your motivators are a good fit for the job and the company culture. An honest answer will provide insight into your personality which helps them understand you as a potential employee.
The other side of giving an honest answer is that you will get a sense if the job and company are a good fit for you.
2 – Be prepared
As you would for teamwork or time management questions, be prepared for the question “what motivates you?” or “what are you passionate about?” These questions require some self-reflection. Think of your previous jobs; what happened on the best days? What made those days so good? When were you most looking forward to heading to work?
3 – Relevant
Don’t forget that this is an interview and so you need to keep the job in mind when answering. Highlight the skills that will be useful in the position. For example, if you are applying for a strategic role, your answer could talk about being results driven and building strategies to meet those results.
4 – Avoid pay as your motivator
Don’t reference that money is your motivator. No hiring manager wants to hear that receiving a monthly income is your primary driver (even if it is). Delve a bit deeper and come up with a something else. Are you results driven? Do you like to meet deadlines? Do you love seeing clients happy?
