Of course you need money, the interviewer knows that and isn’t asking about it.
They are asking why would you choose to work for this company over another. Imagine you got 3 job offers, and all are offering the same salary. You’d have to choose one offer to accept, and the interviewer wants to know why his company is the one you’d choose, because they’d prefer someone who is interested. What caught your eye about this job posting?
Source: Am the interviewer. Of course I wouldn’t word it like in the meme.
The company typically has much more opportunities to hire someone else than the prospective employee has to accept another offer.
Forcing the interviewee to pretend to love the company is both a demonstration of that power imbalance and a way to test just how desperate and/or creatively subservient they are. The company then gives points for the load of bullshit closest to the preferred ones they decided on in advance.
There are multiple good reasons though, and it’s a good question.
First, whoever answers it well is going to have a leg up, whether it’s asked or not. Would you prefer secret questions you just have to know or would you prefer they just ask you explicitly?
Second, if you’re so jaded that you can’t come up with a reason, however minor, you’re probably more trouble than you’re worth. Negative morale is contagious.
Imagine you got 3 job offers … the interviewer wants to know why his company is the one you’d choose
Because you expressed interest in hiring me? And I need a job? So I’m here? I’d also be perfectly content picking the other 2 companies if it’s the same salary.
What caught your eye about this job posting?
The fact that you guys said you were hiring?
they’d prefer someone who is interested
I guess this is the real problem. I don’t care about your company. I’m here to exchange my time for money. I have my own interests and they don’t involve working at your company.
But, yes fine. I understand this is the game I have to play. I will lie to you and tell you that it’s been my dream since I was a little kid to work at your dumb company, selling shit that no one needs or tricking people into giving you money.
One company that asked me this made… let’s say IoT flower pots (something mundane like that)… I guess I’m supposed to say: OMG! I. LOVE. CONNECTED. FLOWER. POTS! How did humanity survive without internet connected flower pots??! My sole purpose in life is to help make IoT flower pots. Please allow me to join you guys! 🙇♀️🙇♀️🙇♀️
Is it not possible to have something like this?
Job: We need someone who can build IoT flower pots.
That’s a perfectly fine position to have, but surely you are not surprised that given a candidate that shows some interest, and a candidate that doesn’t care, the company would prefer the former. You don’t need to be interested, that’s ok, but if someone else is, then they will probably be easier to work with.
IoT flower pots? I could say “I noticed you use MQTT for networking the pots, I used it before for a hobby project of a multiplayer Scrabble game, it’s pretty cool tech. And I saw in the posting you want to move from Atmega32 to an ARM chip? What are your plans for the compiler toolchain?”
At no point did I mention I like flower pots or that I think they are a good idea. And yet I’ve shown I have previous experience, a desire to learn new skills, and turned the conversation around by asking a question. And I didn’t lie or “play a game”.
And if there is literally nothing interesting about the company, that’s fine, but then the company is probably not interested in you either. And there is nothing wrong with that.
I’m in the middle of job interviews right now. I hate this question so much.
I want to work here because I need money! WTF are you talking about??? Are you a real human??
See also: https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2014-08-17
The only panel that’s wrong is the answer to “why this company in particular”
It should be “your company gives more currency in exchange for service than your competitor”
Of course you need money, the interviewer knows that and isn’t asking about it.
They are asking why would you choose to work for this company over another. Imagine you got 3 job offers, and all are offering the same salary. You’d have to choose one offer to accept, and the interviewer wants to know why his company is the one you’d choose, because they’d prefer someone who is interested. What caught your eye about this job posting?
Source: Am the interviewer. Of course I wouldn’t word it like in the meme.
I’m gonna stop you right there
Haha I know, but it illustrates the concept.
By inverting the freedom of choice balance.
The company typically has much more opportunities to hire someone else than the prospective employee has to accept another offer.
Forcing the interviewee to pretend to love the company is both a demonstration of that power imbalance and a way to test just how desperate and/or creatively subservient they are. The company then gives points for the load of bullshit closest to the preferred ones they decided on in advance.
There are multiple good reasons though, and it’s a good question.
First, whoever answers it well is going to have a leg up, whether it’s asked or not. Would you prefer secret questions you just have to know or would you prefer they just ask you explicitly?
Second, if you’re so jaded that you can’t come up with a reason, however minor, you’re probably more trouble than you’re worth. Negative morale is contagious.
Because you expressed interest in hiring me? And I need a job? So I’m here? I’d also be perfectly content picking the other 2 companies if it’s the same salary.
The fact that you guys said you were hiring?
I guess this is the real problem. I don’t care about your company. I’m here to exchange my time for money. I have my own interests and they don’t involve working at your company.
But, yes fine. I understand this is the game I have to play. I will lie to you and tell you that it’s been my dream since I was a little kid to work at your dumb company, selling shit that no one needs or tricking people into giving you money.
One company that asked me this made… let’s say IoT flower pots (something mundane like that)… I guess I’m supposed to say: OMG! I. LOVE. CONNECTED. FLOWER. POTS! How did humanity survive without internet connected flower pots??! My sole purpose in life is to help make IoT flower pots. Please allow me to join you guys! 🙇♀️🙇♀️🙇♀️
Is it not possible to have something like this?
That’s a perfectly fine position to have, but surely you are not surprised that given a candidate that shows some interest, and a candidate that doesn’t care, the company would prefer the former. You don’t need to be interested, that’s ok, but if someone else is, then they will probably be easier to work with.
IoT flower pots? I could say “I noticed you use MQTT for networking the pots, I used it before for a hobby project of a multiplayer Scrabble game, it’s pretty cool tech. And I saw in the posting you want to move from Atmega32 to an ARM chip? What are your plans for the compiler toolchain?”
At no point did I mention I like flower pots or that I think they are a good idea. And yet I’ve shown I have previous experience, a desire to learn new skills, and turned the conversation around by asking a question. And I didn’t lie or “play a game”.
And if there is literally nothing interesting about the company, that’s fine, but then the company is probably not interested in you either. And there is nothing wrong with that.