There are many questions that make it into interviews when companies are recruiting, but some are more common and can be trickier to get right even when seemingly simple. From over 535 companies that use Interviewer.AI, one question they all ask is “Why do you want to join us?”

Let’s talk more about what employers expect when they ask this question, the importance of specific elements of your response like non-verbal cues, and how video responses offer a solid solution.

Employer expectations

Many employers will want to know how conversant you are with the organization’s story and by extension, how you see yourself fitting into it. What do you know about their recent endeavours and how can you help them achieve those goals? These are some of the things they want to know.

Make sure you go through your successes at previous jobs, especially those highlighting personal qualities that are applicable to the employer’s situation. It also helps to mention the attributes that you possess and believe would help you blend into the company’s culture.

Up to 90% of employers say they understand the importance of cultural fit and factor it into the interview and overall hiring process. Jessica Herrin, founder of Stella & Dot has a similar opinion as she believes “Shaping your culture is more than half done when you hire your team” This ethos is also embodied in Hubspot’s Culture Code, “Culture is to recruiting as product is to marketing”

These sentiments make it clear why employers want to know how informed you are about the company and its culture when you’re explaining your reasons for wanting to join them.

Try not to refer to the opportunity as a mere stepping stone or a paycheck. While employers don’t expect you to work for them forever, they want to know that you’ll be focused while there. Showing that you’re in a hurry to move on or that you’re only in it for the money breeds doubt over your dedication to the work.

Avoid causing scepticism over your level of genuine interest in the role you’re interviewing for at the company.

The importance of non-verbal cues

It goes without saying that no one wants to employ people whose true reasons for pursuing the opportunity are unclear. This means you have to be perceived as honest in your answer, which makes non-verbal cues very important.

If you’re excited about the job, the enthusiasm should show on your face as you mention what you like about the role and the company. Avoid looking like you don’t mean what you’re saying or that you’re unsure of the facts regarding the job, your abilities, the market and any other topic you tie into your answer.

When telling the interviewer why you want to work at their company, you need to come off as valuable, aware, straightforward, and ready. Show it in what you say and how you appear.

How video responses can help you answer this question appropriately

With video responses, you can utilize video recruitment software to help you rehearse for the interview. You can answer an assortment of questions in different categories and get your performance assessed on varying criteria.

And if you’re using an AI-powered video recruitment solution, it can pick up on several cues (both verbal and non-verbal). Consequently, you’ll discover how you fare in various areas such as professionalism, sociability, energy levels, communication skills and more.

Ultimately, you’ll be able to improve on whichever of these attributes you feel should be more pronounced when telling interviewers why you want to work for their organizations. The software can help you generate interview tips from your own performance, resulting in a tailored approach that still factors in hiring trends pertaining to interview questions.

Interviewer.AI is a technology platform purposely built to support Recruiters and HR teams in finding top talent for their companies. Interviewer.AI is a state-of-the-art video recruiting software that uses AI (Artificial Intelligence) to screen in advance and shortlist the candidates that meet the criteria set. HR teams use the software to make the recruitment process more efficient and shorten the hiring cycle.  Learn more about how companies benefit with video interviews for hiring. Learn more about how Interviewer.AI can help your business. Increase your hiring team’s efficiency using a combination of resume scoring, skill assessment, and asynchronous video interviews. 

Sunny Saurabh is the Co-founder and CEO of Interviewer.AI. At Interviewer.AI, he is focused on building the penultimate step to hire great talent. He wants to make hiring more equitable and help businesses hire top talent effortlessly.