During an interview, employers may ask mix open-ended questions like what motivates you or straightforward questions. Open-ended questions are one of the trickiest interview questions you can be asked. The reason is that since you are free to express yourself openly, you might go overboard and give answers that are not in line with what was asked.
Don’t know how to answer the “what motivates you” question in an interview? We got you covered. In this detailed guide, you will learn the best way to answer “what motivates you” question in an interview.
What Motivates You
Just as stated earlier, what motivates you is a type of open-ended question. Open-ended questions are always asked by interviewers to better know your personality, work experience(s), and self-awareness (e.g. what motivates you). What motivates you is a popular interview question that you should prepare yourself for because you are likely going to be asked in an interview.
When asked “what motivates you” it is very easy to think they meant what drives you to succeed? What makes you tick? What energizes you? Or what inspires you? It is right to think that but when answering what motivates you to interview questions, rather than giving arbitrary tidbit, what they are ultimately looking for is – does what motivates the individual to align with the things that the company believes in,? Does it align with the values of the company or with the company’s mission? These points will help the employer in evaluating the candidate whose answer to “what motivates you?” is in line and best fit for the company.
For instance, you could have a person with a very good resume and qualify for the job, but when asked “what motivates you?” and their response doesn’t align with that of the company, he or she gives the employer a chance to doubt if he or she is the best fit for the job.
This is an important question for sure, but there are always many other important questions you need to get right too. Check out our 10 interview questions with answers.
Why is “What Motivates You?” Questions Asked
While it might seem like the only reason behind asking this question is purely for the entertainment of your interviewer, there are quite a several things an interviewee can learn from this question based on what they give as their answer. This includes self-awareness and how they match with the intending job.
Do they align with the company overall?
The best candidate for any job is someone whose motivation aligns with the job. In as much as what motivates you question sounds unnecessary to the ear, it is very important because it is the best way to determine the best candidate for any job.
Are you self aware of what motivates you?
They tend to ask what motivates you to question so that they can know if you are really aware of what drives you. They need the best employee and someone who knows what motivates them and can give a well-crafted natural explanation of what motivates them without wasting much time.
Are you only applying because of the paycheck?
Everyone knows that money drives him/her, even the interviewer knows that too, but try as much as you can not to emphasize the fact that money is what motivates you. It is paramount that you avoid saying that money is what motivates you because at that moment that is not what the interviewer wants to hear from you.
Other ways an interviewer might present the question
- “What best drives yout?”
- “What are you passionate about?”
- “What makes you excited to come to work?”
- “What inspires you?”
How to Answer “What Motivates You?” In an Interview
Below are proven strategies that you should note to best answer what motivates your question in an interview.
Reflect on your past experience
Before answering what motivates you in an interview, you should reflect on your past experience and what you are truly passionate about. What is it you find most gratifying in your past job(s)? If you can get to note those points it will be very easy to answer what motivates you in an interview because you basically have the needed answers.
Take some time to reflect on your past experiences – note them down in a list if possible. It might be some aspects of your previous jobs that energized and motivated you most. It might be working with team members that motivate you. It might be that the sales number increased and your name got posted on the leaderboard. List them, it can be anything, so long it drives you and aligns with the company’s overall.
Make sure it aligns with the role
In as much as you have so many things that drive you, so many past experiences, you should only give answers that relate to the role you are applying. Be mindful of whatever you say because interviewers take note of them.
Be Honest
Just like in any other interview question, honesty matters a lot. Don’t think lying to impress the employer is the best thing to do, you might scale through and get employed but what about when you get the job and you are not able to get motivated by the daily tasks? It will be very difficult to sustain that job for a long time.
Sample Answers to “What motivates you?” Interview Question
“As a marketer, I’ve always been motivated by creative projects, teamwork and being able to draw a connection between my inputs and the organization’s bottom line. One of the things I loved about my last job was witnessing the results of our team’s campaigns and watching as the leads we nurtured became customers. Having the opportunity to lead campaigns from ideation through launch was one of the reasons I was so excited to apply for this role.”
“I’m motivated by the fact that, when I leave work at the end of a shift, I know I’ve helped make a difference in the lives of my patients and their families. Seeing the smiles on their faces and watching them improve makes me look forward to work. That’s why I became a nurse, and why I’m pursuing a position in paediatrics.
“I’m really driven by results. I like it when I have a concrete goal to meet and enough time to figure out a strong strategy for accomplishing it. At my last job, our yearly goals were very aggressive, but I worked with my manager and the rest of my team to figure out a month-by-month strategy for meeting the year-end numbers. It was a real thrill to accomplish that, I felt so good and wish to experience the same here”
What Not to Say When Asked What Motivates You
Now that you are aware of what employers are looking forward to hearing when they ask what motivates you in a job interview, let’s talk about what to avoid saying as your response.
“I’m motivated by the opportunity to get promoted as fast as possible and as high as possible because I love power and money.”
“My mom told me if I didn’t get a job, she was going to kick me out of the basement and I’d rather stay there than couch surf.”
“I’m totally motivated by that fat pay I will be receiving every month with the added bonuses”
Conclusion
Now I’d like to hear from you:
What’s your #1 takeaway from this guide on how to Answer “What Motivates You?” in an Interview
Or maybe you have a question about something that you read.
Either way, I’d like to hear what you have to say. So go ahead and leave a comment below right now.
18 Comments
Well said. And I have learned something real good. Thank you.
You are most welcome!
Thanks to the brain behind this,no doubt you have just impacted in my career life. More wisdom.
Thanks for reading ?
What motivates me!!! You’ve just solved a big puzzle by giving me a heads-up of what I’ll need as I embark on my interview this weekend.
Thank you sooo much sir. I’m grateful
Christelle, I wish you Success in your interview this Weekend..
Glad you found it helpful. I wish you well in your interview
My desire about salary is that, you should pay me better salary so that I can feed my family.
Above myself,am first born of my family and I need to feed them.
That works they very important to me, thanks
Great thing to consider but you should try as much as you can not to make that known by the interviewer as your main motive for securing the job
I we contribute to your work if my request be assepted.thanks
Am also handwork I do fast in everything I do I can contribute to the work in time of motivation. thanks
An enthusiastic, highly motivated, ambitious and hardworking individual that strives for excellence and precision at all times.
An all positions and circumstances so as to achieve organisation goals.
So so inspiring…. I’ve really learnt a lot, thanks so much
You are most welcome!
I’m Muhammed Aliya Bala I really appreciate for this
Glad you found it helpful
Appreciate for dat