"What can you contribute to the company?"is one of the most common questions in job interviews. Therefore, it is important to consider your answer to this question.
You can also hear this question in other ways, e.g."Why are you the best person for this job?"Ö"What can you contribute to this company?"
In this article, we describe why potential employers are asking this question and provide tips and sample answers you can use to come up with a good answer.
Why do employers ask "What can you bring to the company?"
ask employers"What can you contribute to the company?"to learn the skills, qualities and qualifications that will make you the best fit for the job and the company.
Hiring managers want to find an employee who has the specific skills to be successful in their position. They also want someone who cares about the company's mission and can make a positive impact on company culture.
Your response to this interview question may indicate that you are a good fit for us based on your previous experience, career aspirations, and interpersonal skills.
How to Respond to "What Can You Bring to the Company?"
In your answer, explain why your skills, previous work and characteristics make you a good fit for the job and the needs of the company. You can use the following steps to prepare an answer that will impress the interviewer.
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1. Research the company
The best place to start is the company's website, as it contains valuable information:
- Missionsstatus:A mission statement is a formal summary of the company's values and goals. A company's mission statement helps you understand whether your career goals and core values align with those of the potential employer. This will also help you think about how to word your answer in a way that is consistent with your values.
- The biography:Some companies provide executive information on their website. This information will help you learn more about their background and education, their goals, and how you can help them achieve them.
- About us page:The About Us page can provide more context about the company's culture, history, products and services. You should also look for customer testimonial pages, as these pages can help you learn more about what customers think of the company.
- Product Pages:Product pages can help you learn what the company sells, which will be a huge plus for any interviewer. If you come across as passionate and knowledgeable about your products before you get hired, you'll stand out.
You can also search for companies at:
- The Himalayas: AFern work boardcomdetailed company profiles in thousands of remote companies.
- AngelList: A tech and startup job board with thousands of company profiles.
- Crunchbase: Crunchbase is a platform for finding business information about public and private companies.
- glass door: Glassdoor is a great place to find out what current and former employees think about the company.
We also recommend watching or listening to interviews with the CEO or members of the senior leadership team. It's a great way to get a feel for the company's current culture and goals. If possible, try to find out who the hiring manager is in advance and look at their employment history on social networking sites like LinkedIn.
Finally, if you know someone who works there, don't be afraid to reach out. They can tell you what it's like to work there, what skills they lack, and if they think the company is compatible with their career goals.
The research process takes time, but the time invested is worth it. It's honestly one of the best ways to get a job offer as it helps you answer honestly about what you can bring to the company and why you're excited to work there.
Related:How to research a company before an interview
2. Study the job description
The job description contains the duties and responsibilities associated with the position. Read the job description in its entirety. It may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how few job seekers do this.
Look up the key skills, responsibilities, and expectations the hiring manager will ask for, and note anything you already have experience with.
Now you want to write down any specific examples of work experiences where you have used these skills.
For example, if you request oneremote seo workand mentioned the job descriptionAhrefsand used, this is a perfect opportunity to describe how you have used it in a previous company. You can also mention soft skills like critical thinking, communication or public speaking.
3. Make a list of your core values
In addition to specific skills, try to connect your career goals and core values to the company. This helps the interviewer understand why you are uniquely positioned as the best candidate for the position. To create a list of your core values, try answering these questions:
- What qualities do I have that make me perfect for this position?
- What motivates me?
- What is my preferred work culture?
- What qualities or skills do I admire and want to develop?
4. Use the STAR interview response method
The STAR methodIt's a structured approach to responseBehavioral questions in the job interview. STAR means:
- Situation:Describe the situation you were in. Use a specific event or situation rather than a general description of your experience. You do this because it makes it easier for the interviewer to understand the situation.
- assignment:Describe the goals you worked towards.
- Plot:Describe the actions you took to deal with the situation.
- Result:Show the results of your actions and don't be ashamed to receive recognition. These can be things like improved metrics, customer responses, or insights. Be sure to include as many positive results as possible.
By using the STAR Method, you help the hiring manager understand why you're the best fit by providing a focused answer in an easily digestible but compelling story.
5. Practice your answer
After you've prepared your answer, it's time to practice. By practicing your verbal and non-verbal communication skills, you will be more confident in your response.
Try to keep your answer short as it makes it easier to understand. Maintain eye contact, sit back and relax! Concentrate on the narrative. Stories help you create a deeper connection with the interviewer and ensure you're not forgotten within five minutes of the interview.
If possible, try to find something about the company, position, or hiring manager that you personally identify with and explain why. People tend to value and remember people with whom they share common values.
Schließlich vergessen Sie nicht, begeistert zu sein! Wenn die Position Ihr Traumjob in einem Traumunternehmen ist, scheuen Sie sich nicht, es ihnen zu sagen. Unternehmen lieben es, Menschen einzustellen, die sich leidenschaftlich für ihre Mission einsetzen.
6. Listen and pay attention to every conversation
If this is not your first interview with the company, consider what has been said in previous interviews. Was there anything the recruiter or hiring managers emphasized or were happy about? Did you get any information that you can use to improve your answer?
The more you can adjust your answer based on the information you've learned, the better your chances of getting the job.
Sample answers to "What can you bring to the company?"
your reply to"What can you contribute to the company?"This depends on your experience and the company and position you are applying for.
Check out these sample answers for inspiration.
Example answer 1
"In my previous role, I was aRemote Software Engineernostreet process, our infrastructure bill was getting more and more expensive. My job was to think about how we could reduce costs while maintaining our best-in-class availability.
I proposed to switch from client-side rendering to server-side rendering to reduce the load on our databases and found a solution in a sprint.
In three months we were able to switch 35% of the website to server-side rendering and reduced the load on our databases by 50% and reduced our AWS bill by 25%.
This had the added benefit of increasing our organic traffic by 25% because it was cheaper for Google to crawl our site. I realize itInstacartIt also has a client-side rendering payload, so I think it might be useful to do something similar here if it were a priority. "
Why it works:The candidate applied the STAR method perfectly. They described the situation, task, action, and outcome, and then related how they could help the company they are applying to.
Example answer 2
“I think my experience building design systems from scratch fits perfectly with theproduct designerpaper insidePowerful. I have worked exclusively withFigurefor the past four years and I have a thorough knowledge of it, including the designs of the cars.
In fact, I developed one of thembest selling Figma UI kits in the worldused by hundreds of designers around the world. I also enjoy writing the first draft of the copy, which can reduce the time it takes to get things into production."
Why it works:Although this candidate did not follow the STAR method exactly, he described a sought-after skill required by the job description and linked it to a previous project. They've also opted for a secondary skill (drafting), which is an added bonus!
Example answer 3
“I read in the job description that an important part of the role is to improve employee retention.
When I started my previous role asproduct managernospaceship, our three-month retention rate of new users was 30%. My job was to improve new user onboarding and reduce customer churn.
I worked with our design team to create a new onboarding experience that guides new users through the platform and educates them about key use cases.
As new users learned to use the platform on their first visit, they tended to stay better and we saw the first cohort of users experience 50% retention after 3 months.
I actually went through the pre-interview onboarding, and there are definitely some quick wins that can be achieved in a sprint or two. I'm happy to talk to you about them if you're interested!"
Why it works:The candidate indicated that they carefully read the job description and highlighted a specific requirement that they felt they could help with. Added points for providing specific metrics and thorough pre-interview research!
Tips for optimally answering the question "What can you contribute to the company?"
Your goal is to appear competent, confident, and ready, so keep these tips in mind as you answer this question:
- Highlight your accomplishments:Show potential employers that you are the best candidate by sharing concrete successes from your previous jobs. The most effective tool you have is the STAR Method as it will help you tell a compelling and memorable story.
- Use data:Data increases the impact of your answer and provides real evidence of how much you have contributed in a previous role and what you can bring to the company you are applying to.
- Understand the employer's goals and values:Always use an example that is truly relevant to the position and company. The interviewer is trying to assess whether you have the skills required to do the job you are hiring for. If there are specific skills or qualities that you know are particularly important for the position or company, focus on those first.
- Just do it:Describe explicitly how your previous experience relates to the job and outline your best skills and how you can bring them to the company.
- Focus on the positive:Don't worry if you don't meet every point of the job description, most candidates won't. Focus on the skills and abilities you have and your ability to learn new things.
Mistakes to avoid when answering "What can you contribute to the company?"
Here are some things to avoid:
- Search for the company:A good answer to this question is based on research. Check out their website, listen to team interviews, and read their blog posts. If you know people who work at the company, talk to them about what the hiring manager is looking for. Be as experienced and prepared as possible. If you are looking for a remote job, use oursRemote corporate databaseto look for companies.
- Without answering the question:If you can't think of a single answer to this question, it's better to be honest than to answer another question. Most interviewers will give you the opportunity to answer a similar question, where you can give examples of how you've quickly improved your skills. However, if you can't bring anything to the company, you may be applying for the wrong job.
- Don't prepare:Many candidates don't prepare for this question, as common as it is. It's a lot easier to explain the impact it can have on the business if you do your research and think about it ahead of time. That's why research is so important.
- Ego:Your goal is to show the hiring manager what you can bring to the company and not come off as selfish and difficult to prove. Emphasize your strengths, but also show how well you can work as a team on other topics.
- Excess:Don't say you can help make the company profitable if you've never done it before. The hiring manager will most likely spot your lie if you are experienced anyway, and that will ruin your chances of getting an offer.
- Sharing irrelevant examples:When answering, focus on the job you are applying for. You want the hiring manager to understand what you bring to the table right away.
- vague answers:Don't say you're good at project management without providing a specific example of a situation where you demonstrated your skills. Ideally, it also includes data to support your claims.
- Long answers:You don't have to make a list of everything to bring, it's better to keep it short so it's memorable and they can remember it after the interview.
- Irrelevante Details:Avoid discussing skills or experiences that are unrelated to the job. Pick one or two examples and focus on them.
- Defects:Avoid sharing examples of missing the mark unless you're using it to highlight that you learned from it and now have the experience not to repeat it.
Possible follow-up questions
- Describe your work ethic
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
- Why do you want to work here?
- Why are you the best person for this job?
- Tell me about a time when you made a mistake
- Do you have a question for me?Keep reading our guideThe best questions in a job interview..
- What is your biggest weakness?
- any number ofBehavioral questions in the job interview. definitely usethe STAR methodanswers
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