How to Answer, What Motivates You - Walrath Recruiting, Inc.

How to Answer, “What Motivates You” - Walrath Recruiting, Inc. “What motivates you?” Before you’re in an interview, take the time to do a self-assessment. Ask yourself what motivates me? Is it money, is it relationships, new skills, hitting goals, leading a team, troubleshooting? Figure out all the factors that excite and motivate you before you get into the interview. That way if this question comes up â€" you already know your answer and can elaborate confidently. Money If money is a big motivator for you, great! However, this should not be the central talking point of your response. Its typically already apparent to the hiring manager that money is a probable motivator for you. But do not list this as your first or sole reason for motivation. There should be other underlying factors that run deeper than just the paycheck or the commission. So, hang onto this one. Relationships You enjoy building relationships with new clients. Whether it be a continuous customer base you will be working with â€" or new clients youll be meeting i.e.: business development, maybe this is one of your biggest motivators. If so â€" share that! The hiring manager will love to hear that you are a people person and that youre very focused on relationship building. Which regardless of your position, relationships are crucial for any company. New Skills/Learning Maybe learning new skills is what motivates you. Naturally, personal development is what challenges us and helps us grow. But this could be specifically one of the greatest motivators for you and maybe the role provides consistent skill-building and learning. If that’s the case, share that personal development is what motivates you. Projects and Goals Goal setting and completing projects are what drives you. Creating a target is enough to keep you inspired and on track until you see it through. You can share something such as, “I love taking on new projects. I love seeing a project from inception to completion and focusing my energy into the process”. If the potential position heavily relies on taking on continuous new projects â€" great! Expand on that! Leading Others Being a leader is motivating to you. Being able to encourage, teach and inspire others on your team â€" are what keeps you driven. Maybe this role possesses a lot of leadership responsibilities. If you do enjoy leading others, you should also share that you enjoy working in a team environment. If you have experience relating to this â€" share an experience that displays that you work well with a team and were able to successfully do so. If the role requires leadership, enjoying those responsibilities is a key factor for the hiring manager. Problem Solving Lastly, maybe troubleshooting and problem-solving are your biggest motivators. Let’s say your position holds a lot of problem-solving and is something you enjoy! Some employees may not necessarily enjoy dealing with daily issues. Whether the position is an IT-type role, or a customer service role that requires you to consistently problem-solve, or you are in a management position that will naturally require to problem-solve, if you enjoy this â€" share that! IT will show the hiring manager that constant issues will not deter you from your job satisfaction. Are there additional factors that motivate you? Comment below!