Interview Q&A: “Why Should We Hire You?” (4 Sample Answers)

Updated July 31, 2023

Employers ask a variety of questions during a job interview to determine if you’re a good culture fit for the company, if you can be successful in the role and how you might contribute to their short- and long-term business goals. One question you may be asked by employers during your job interview is “Why should we hire you?”

While it might seem like a tough interview question, there are a few steps you can take to prepare a thoughtful, impressive response. In this article, we discuss why interviewers ask this question and how you can best answer it.

Why you’re asked “Why should we hire you?”

Employers might ask you this open-ended question to learn a few different things about you specifically, including:

What differentiates you: Interviewers want to learn what sets you apart from other candidates they may be interviewing for the job. In other words, what would the employer gain by hiring you specifically over other interviewees?
How you handle difficult situations: Because this question has potential to stump candidates, it can be challenging to explain why you’re the best person for a job in a humble, thoughtful way.

Pro tip: While preparation is highly encouraged, you also do not want to memorize your answer word for word. Doing this can cause you to come off as robotic or inauthentic during the interview.

The opportunity this question affords you

The question “What should we hire you?” allows you to pitch, in your own words, why you’d be an asset to the company. Answering it well will increase your chances of moving forward in the hiring process.

For example, you might consider speaking to “culture add” or your ability to bring fresh ideas and feedback to the team. Culture adds make the company stronger by diversifying the experiences and perspectives of its workforce.

How to answer “Why should we hire you?”

Although this job interview question may seem vague and intimidating to answer, it can be quite simple by preparing a confident response ahead of time. Take time to plan a thoughtful answer to this question before your interview.

This question can be asked at any stage of the interview process—from pre-screen to final-round interviews. When preparing your answer, you may want to consider the following steps to craft your response:

1. Study the job posting

To understand the specific skills, qualities and experience employers are looking for in an ideal candidate, review the job posting and take notes. Pay special attention to the job description and sections like “Requirements,” “Experience” and “Education.” Look for commonalities between what the employer is looking for and the skills, experiences and qualities you have and can offer if hired.

2. Research the company

Spending time researching the company’s mission, goals and its recent announcements can help you to answer the question “Why should we hire you?” You should use this information to explain how you are connected to their values and how you might help them accomplish key business goals.

3. Tie your background to the job posting

Explain how your experience, skills and attributes make you the best fit for the job as it pertains to the company and position for which you’re applying. You should address each of the requirements listed in the job posting, plus any additional qualities that make you a great fit.

4. Quantify your accomplishments

When possible, support your accomplishments with numerical results. For example, if you’re applying for a job as an accountant at a company that's looking for someone to streamline processes, you might explain that at your previous company, you implemented a new process for expense accounts that reduced time-to-reimbursement by 25%.

Pro tip: Confidence is important in your response to an interview question, but it is equally important to remain humble.

5. Consider what sets you apart

Think about the relevant qualities or experiences that would set you apart from other candidates. For example, if you held a previous professional or volunteer position that gives you a unique perspective beneficial to the job you’re applying for, that might be something that distinguishes you.

Example answers to “Why should we hire you?”

Use the examples below as a guide when preparing your own answer:

1. You should hire me for my passion

“You should hire me for my passion and proven abilities in organization for office efficiency. I pride myself on my time management, coordination and interpersonal skills.
In my previous role as an administrative assistant, I came up with a plan to reorganize the office supply closet by category. We placed fewer orders and saved 30% on office supplies year over year. I’m excited to bring my skills to this role.”

Why this is a good example: This response is a strong one because it highlights a few key qualifications that are consistent with the job position, while also bringing up a key accomplishment that was valuable to the candidate’s last place of work.

2. You should hire me for my experience

“My experience accurately managing inventory intake and skills in creating effective, streamlined schedules make me uniquely qualified to succeed in this kitchen manager position. I understand that you require a highly organized candidate with acute attention to detail.
In my previous job, I successfully handled schedules for 20 employees and reduced food waste by 15%. I’m excited about the prospect of bringing my organizational skills to your restaurant."

Why this is a good example: Here, the job seeker does a great job of showcasing their enthusiasm for the open role by highlighting the specific qualifications that’ll help them excel and by once again mentioning their excitement for the opportunity.

Related: What Is Relevant Experience?

3. You should hire me for my proven ability

“You should hire me for this position because of my proven ability to maintain strong interpersonal relationships with several clients. I am passionate about providing care to those in need in my community, which keeps me motivated and excited about doing my best work.
I understand you need a candidate who can be consistently available for events in clients’ lives. I have a 100% attendance rate for weekly case proceedings and meetings for my clients. In addition, I can bring leadership experience to your team, having trained over 20 new hires to become familiar with day-to-day operations and to feel comfortable in their new roles.”

Why this is a good example: This example is thorough and thoughtful. With it, the job seeker shows that they understand the requirements of the position. They’ve included a quantifiable accomplishment and have gone above and beyond by talking about their leadership experience.

4. You should hire me for my drive

"As I recently graduated with a bachelor's in communications, I can bring modern email marketing practices to your company. My internship as an email marketer for a digital software start-up equipped me with the experience of creating impactful content in a fast-paced environment.
I was able to contribute to an email campaign that improved the engagement rate by 8%. This experience, in addition to the knowledge I gained in school about creating and promoting successful messages in traditional and digital realms, makes me confident that I would be a valuable asset to your email marketing team."

Why this is a good example: In this brief but detailed answer, there’s a lot of information shared and all relevant to the job. The candidate manages to tie their intern experience to the job and how they might help the team, while emphasizing their drive to work in this field—by the degree they earned and the goals they met during their recent internship.

Additional examples

Here are some additional examples to build your response to “Why should we hire you?”:

You have a passion for the work and proven abilities.
You have differentiated experience in this field.
You have exceptional drive and determination to succeed.
You have unique skills that separate you from other candidates.
You can elevate their team's current capabilities.
You have a deep belief in the company's mission.
You feel a sense of connection to the company and team culture.

Get interview-ready with tips from Indeed

Prepare for interviews with practice questions and tips

What not to say

When it comes to answering a question such as “Why should we hire you?” there are a few practices you should avoid:

Coming across as arrogant or overly confident. If in your answer, it comes across to employers that you're being overly boastful, it may raise some concerns about how you’d be as an employee and part of a team.
Speaking for too long. Keep your response concise—two minutes or less is ideal for an answer. If your response goes any longer than two minutes, you risk losing the attention of the interviewer.
Saying the words “I don’t know.” Interviewers ask this question to learn what sets you apart and why you think you’d be the best person for the job. They want to hear a confident answer in response, and if you say “I don’t know,” it will tell them a lot about how you view your abilities and why you applied to the role to begin with.
Embellishing. In your answer, you want to be truthful and authentic. You got the interview because the company thought your application, resume and/or cover letter was impressive. You don’t need to lie or stretch the truth about your experience, skills or qualifications.

Frequently asked questions

Can you answer "Why should we hire you?" if you have no prior experience?

Even without industry experience, you can still list your credentials and skills when describing to an employer why you're right for the role. You can still confidently answer the hiring manager's questions by outlining other reasons you're a good fit for the position with little to no experience.

Do employers ask similar questions to "Why should we hire you?"

Employers may ask a variety of questions to learn more about whether you're a good fit for the position and to test your knowledge of the role and company, including questions such as:

What makes you a good fit for this role?
What about the company culture interested you?
What can you bring to the position that differentiates you from other candidates?

What can you do if you feel nervous about describing your credentials?

If you're nervous about describing why you're right for a role, consider asking a trusted friend or colleague about your strengths. Hearing your positive attributes from another person can boost your confidence and give you inspiration about what to share with a hiring manager during an interview.