This particular interview question, in whatever form it's asked, really scares a lot of job applicants. It's phrased as a very negative-sounding question. People have been known to be left speechless.

It's intended to be a tough, direct, interview question. Only very good, clear and comprehensive, interview answer will do the job. This one interview question can soon separate the good applicants from all the others. There's a practical reason for this approach, and it's based on checking the interviewee's knowledge.

Important:

• This can be a very high value interview question.
• It covers information which would otherwise be asked in other questions, so it's weighted accordingly.
• Interviewees are advised to expect this interview question, and put a lot of thought and care into their interview answers.
• The 'Why Should We Hire You?' interview question can occur at any point in the interview.

There are two elements to this question:

• The interviewee must define their understanding of the job's requirements, to show why they're suitable.
• The interviewee has to state their best claims for the job, to give a complete interview answer which matches job criteria.

Answering the 'Why Should We Hire You' interview question

The interview answer must provide enough information which clearly shows both high employment value to the employer and strong skills and experience.

The interview answer must:

• Set out a clear range of skills
• Show appropriate knowledge levels
• Show experience in the work required
• Show value to the employer

You can see why this interview question is so effective.

Set out a clear range of skills

This is the basic information required for any job. What skills does the applicant have?

Show appropriate knowledge levels

Depending on the job, knowledge levels come with degrees of difficulty. The applicant has to show the right level, when answering the interview question.

Show experience in the work required

Another basic requirement. The interview answer requires clear evidence of appropriate experience.

Show value to the employer

This is the part of the interview answer where you're really addressing the 'Why Should We Hire You?' question directly. Do you have additional skills the employer can use? Can you add more value to your work by having more skills than other applicants?

Example

The interview question is 'What makes you the right person for the job?'

'I have ten years experience doing all the work involved in this position. I'm qualified to the required level, and have a very good knowledge base. The quality of my work is described as above performance standards by my current employers. I have additional skills which add a range of related possible applications in the workplace.

Analysis

This interview answer demonstrates:

• Applicant knows job requirements
• Can prove experience
• Shows high work standards
• Qualified to required level
• Has a good knowledge base
• Has additional skills

The applicant has proven suitability for the position.