The below is just a guide, to prepare you for some of the commonly asked questions that are asked during interviews for various roles.

faqs

Commonly Asked Interview Questions

Why are you the ideal person for this position?

This is another common twist on the “Why should we hire you?” formula. With a question like this, the interviewer essentially wants to know what it is about you that makes you better than other people applying for the same job. It’s your chance to sell yourself, focusing on your most relevant skills, impressive accomplishments, or key features that set you apart. 

Here’s an example why should we hire you for this position best answer: “I believe I have all the necessary skills and experiences to succeed here, and I’m also very determined to prove myself with at one of Australia’s leading companies. I can bring the passion, motivation, and energy to not only fill this role, but excel in it.” 

Why are you a good fit for this role?  

Again, with a question like this, it’s important not to make the mistake of focusing purely on your skills. Instead, you need to tie them into the role, explaining how and why they make you the right person for the job. Think back to the job description and the list of relevant skills, explaining how your experiences and abilities match perfectly with the role.  

For instance, a graduate applying for an accounting job could try this why do you believe you are suitable for this role best answer: “I think my accounting qualifications, coupled with my organised, attentive nature makes me the ideal fit for this accountancy position.” 

What can you bring to this role?  

Here, you’ll want to focus primarily on your unique selling proposition and most valuable, relevant skills. It also helps to show enthusiasm, so you could say something like “My recent experience leading a team of 30 has helped me strengthen my leadership and managerial skills, which I feel would be of great use in bringing out the best in the people I work with.” 

How do you believe you can add value to our organisation?  

For this question, interviewers will want to know how you feel your skills and experiences will help the company itself. Talk about a key skill, and then explain how it will benefit the company, like “I believe my leadership experience will help me provide a significant boost to the firm’s productivity. I’ve led a team of over 30, where I’ve empowered everyone to achieve a big milestone of launching our company wide app, which now has over 3million downloads.  

How will your skills and experience benefit our team? 

The word “team” is the key part of this question. Here, an interviewer will want to hear all about what you can bring to their existing team. They’ll likely already have people with all the relevant skills and experiences, but they want to know how you can improve the vibe, make the workplace a better place to be, inspire others, and provide leadership or organisation. 

An example of this might be, “I believe my strong communication and team-oriented approach should help me settle in with the team and bring out the best in my colleagues. I also have history in conflict resolution, and I like to keep my colleagues happy and on the same page so we can all work well together.” 

Delivering your answer 

On the day of the interview, this is the moment to take all of your preparation and put it into action! If you’re prepared properly, it should pay off with an answer that is powerful, impactful, and effective. However, simply reciting your answer off-by-heart may not be enough to impress an interviewer. The delivery needs to be clear and confident, and you may have to adapt along the way. 

Stay confident and authentic 

Confidence isn’t always easy in an interview situation, as you may feel nervous or worried. However, having a confident manner is one of the best ways to make a great first impression. First it’s helpful to take a deep breath and try to stay calm when you walk into the interview room. Then,  try to keep eye contact with the interviewer as you speak, sit up straight with good posture, and speak with clarity and conviction. 

Adapt to the interviewer’s reaction 

It’s also important to pay close attention to your interviewer as you answer their questions. Listen closely to what they’ve asked up to that point and which skills or aspects of your character they seem most interested in. You can then adjust or tailor your answer accordingly to suit the situation. 

Similarly, if it seems like your answer is a bit too rambling, or you’re beginning to lose your interviewer’s attention, make sure to adapt. Cut out some of the longer sections and try to make your answer snappier and more impactful to regain their attention. 

Common mistakes to avoid.

When preparing your “Why should we hire you for this position?” best answer, there are some common mistakes that you might want to avoid. In this section, we’ll highlight some of the key pitfalls that you’ll want to try to avoid in your answer. 

Being too generic 

This is a common mistake that people make when they simply look for a “Why should we hire you?” best answer sample online and copy it without adjusting or enhancing it to suit the role they’re applying for. It’s really easy to make generic, blanket statements about “being a team player” or “being a good problem-solver” without actually backing them up. 

But, in order to make a real impact on your interviewer, you’ll need to provide more than a copy-and-paste answer. Cut out the clichés and generic statements and focus on actual skills and experiences from your working life to tell your story. And remember to tailor your answer to suit the role you’re applying for, with details that are relevant to the company and job description. 

Neglecting to mention accomplishments 

Remember, when it comes to how to answer, “Why should we hire you?” you really need to focus on selling yourself. That means highlighting and showcasing all of your proudest moments and most relevant skills and accomplishments so far. A common mistake that many people make is to actually overlook certain relevant accomplishments or fail to mention them. 

The interview is your opportunity to impress your prospective employer, so try to ensure you’ve told them abour what you’ve achieved in other roles that would be relevant or important in the job you’re interviewing for right now. Share your biggest accomplishments with data, insgights and stories to explain why those achievements are so special. 

Focusing solely on yourself 

This is another mistake that’s easy to make. After all, if you hear someone ask, “Why should we hire you?” it’s natural to focus on yourself in the answer, talking about the skills, abilities, and unique benefits you can bring to the table. However, you also need to link all of that to the actual company and role you’re applying for. 

Remember, the interviewer wants to know not only what makes you special but why you’re a good fit for the company. So, in your answer, feel free to mention your skills and achievements, but tie that together with how you hope to use those skills to help the company, contributing to their success and fulfilling the role to the best of your abilities. 

How does your background and experience prepare you for this role? 

For a question like this, you want to focus purely on your past experiences that are most relevant to the role in question. Think about moments in your career up to that point and roles you’ve had in the past that have given you valuable skills that will help you in the position you’re currently applying for.  

A why should we hire you best answer sample for this question could be: “I’ve spent over 10 years working for various marketing agencies in a range of roles, from junior positions all the way up to team leader. This experience has given me a thorough understanding of how marketing agencies work and the diverse skills needed to help them succeed.” 

Why should we hire you?

There are several key reasons why an employer might ask “Why should we hire you?” 

• Assessing your fit for the role: The most obvious reason why hirers ask why they should hire you is because they genuinely want to know what makes you the best person for the job. It’s not necessarily a trick question, nor is it designed to catch you out. The hirer wants to find out what you believe makes you special or different from other job seekers, and why they should employ you over other job seekers on their list. 

• Evaluating your enthusiasm for the company: When thinking about how to answer "Why should we hire you?" it's also worth noting that employers use this question to see how enthusiastic you are about joining the team. If you give a bland or generic answer, it could give the impression that you’re not particularly excited by that role and company. But if you can demonstrate genuine enthusiasm in your response and eagerness to prove yourself, that can help you score big points with recruiters. 

• Gauging your problem-solving skills: Another major reason the “Why should we hire you?” question comes up so often is that it gives hirers an idea of how well you think on your feet and deal with challenges. Often, they want to see how you react under pressure, and this question is perfect for helping you think outside the box. If you’re able to provide a strong response, it’s a great sign that you’re a dependable problem-solver and quick thinker.