As an interviewer, what is one way a candidate should respond to your interview question “What can you bring to the company?”
To help candidates respond to the interview question “What can you bring to the company?”, we asked recruiters and hiring managers this question for their best tips. From showing that you’ve done your research to providing examples of professional success, there are several responses that hiring professionals look for when asking “What can you bring to the company?” in an interview.
Here are 13 tips for responding to “What can you bring to the company?” in an interview:
- Show that You Have Done Your Research
- Bring A New Perspective
- Focus On Controllable Inputs
- Be Yourself
- Focus On Who You Are as a Team Player
- Talk About Why You Love This Career Path
- Show Your Coachability
- Highlight Your Experiences That Uniquely Fit The Role
- Show Preparation and Insight
- Bring Diversity, New Knowledge, and Good Environment
- Show a Passion to Improve Lives
- Center Your Response Around the Company’s Objectives
- Provide Specific Instances of Your Professional Success
Show that You Have Done Your Research
From my experience in HR, when interviewers ask candidates what they can bring to the company, they ate looking for more than just a list of skills and qualifications. In my experience, this question gives you the opportunity to show that you’ve done your research. For example, you might say something like, “I’ve read about your company’s commitment to sustainability, and I’m passionate about working for a company that is making a positive impact on the environment. I know I can contribute to your efforts by…” By indicating that you’re familiar with the company’s mission and values, you show that you’re a good fit for the team and leave an impression on the interviewer.
Antreas Koutis, Financer
Bring A New Perspective
While you may be tempted to take the same old route and talk about the strengths and expertise you bring to the table so that it aligns with the job description, it doesn’t help you stand out from the crowd. If you really want to leave a mark, talk about your unique and fresh perspective and how that can pave the way for new innovations and strategies. The fact that you can see things in a new light and offer suggestions on the way things already work makes you an asset to any organization that’s committed to growing and evolving.
Harry Morton, Lower Street
Focus On Controllable Inputs
A candidate can respond by saying they will bring a relentless drive to discover the key levers of success for the business and then apply them to grow the company. In isolating the controllable inputs that lead to success, the candidate can focus on what they can do to improve performance, demonstrate alignment with the company’s vision, and add value.
Matthew Ramirez, Paraphrase Tool
Be Yourself
The candidate should try to come up with something unique. If they give an answer that they believe the interviewer wants to hear, this will be obvious. The candidate should ultimately be honest about their strengths and how they can utilize these strengths to benefit the company. For example, even if the candidate is an introvert, they may be very organized. So, they can say that they can offer their keen attention to detail and organization to keep the company running smoothly. Being yourself when answering this question is essential.
Drew Sherman, RPM
Focus On Who You Are as a Team Player
Focus on who you are as a team player. The hiring manager wants to determine if you’re a good cultural fit along with your skill level. Are you always willing to help others complete projects on a tight deadline? Share an example of how you’ve done that in the past and how you intend to do it for the company. Not only will they be able to determine your work ethic, but who you are as a colleague as well.
Natália Sadowski, Nourishing Biologicals
Talk About Why You Love This Career Path
Talk about your dedication and goals. When I ask “What can you bring to the company?” during an interview, I’m always compelled by the candidates who respond with their personal connection to the role. For example, if they tell me a story about the first time they realized they wanted to be in fashion, and how our company plays a part in realizing their dreams – I want that person on our team. By sharing their goals and love for the job during the interview, I can see how they’ll be dedicated to the company and add great energy to the team.
Karim Hachem, Sunshine79
Show Your Coachability
When you start a new role with a new company, you will not know everything. However you need to be open, willing to listen and learn from others. You always need to have the ability to be coachable. Coachable employees are excited learners and they are willing to learn how to improve their performance. They are open to new perspectives and ideas from their peers. Coachability means employees have a level of self-awareness and the desire to achieve new heights within the organization.
TK Morgan, Tuesday At 1030
Highlight Your Experiences That Uniquely Fit The Role
When asked this question, the candidates more likely to get hired all answer with a similar structure. They highlight their work experience and then explain what makes them uniquely fit for the job.
Chances are, at this stage in the interview, the resume has already been discussed, so the highlighting of experience should be brief. The key is the explanation as to why they’d be the perfect candidate for the role. This explanation usually has the candidate mention skills and proficiencies, but always mention soft skills and how they’d fit into the company.
The candidates who do research into the company will mention how the company culture is a perfect fit for them as they’d be able to thrive in that environment. If a candidate is able to do all of that confidently and convincingly, they usually end up on the shortlist and are invited to a final interview, granted that they’re the type of person the company wants.
Iohan Chan, Clark Staff
Show Preparation and Insight
I regularly am active in the hiring process of our company whether it’s hiring for our lab, office, or marketing department. The one thing that always impresses me is when interviewees should that they took the time to research your company or position that they applied for.
I had over 40 college students apply for an internship in our marketing department and the ones that stood out right away were the ones that came with suggestions or a plan for the position. When asked “What can you bring to the company” they had real suggestions or knowledge of the company in discussing the answer. It’s clear to distinguish between those who are just pulling answers out of thin air versus those who looked at our website and social media channels and give real input. I had one interviewee show me a video that she prepared for an ad for us and discussed optimizing our TikTok channel. I was very impressed and she got the position. Give real suggestions!
Seth Newman, SportingSmiles
Bring Diversity, New Knowledge, and Good Environment
It’s never easy to answer some questions when we need to go to job interviews.
I already did a lot of job interviews and one of the questions that is always present is “What can you bring to the company?” Most of them answer this question with the same responses. They are fast learners, or they want to bring organization to the company.
The best way to answer this question is by saying that the person will bring diversity in working methods, new knowledge as a fresh mind and improve the great environment in the company. Bringing diversity is always a good idea, because companies are always improving and learning new things to be on the top. A person who can answer this question with this answer will be a great hire for the company.
Stanislav Baciu, BuzzLogic
Show a Passion to Improve Lives
While every company requires a candidate to be passionate about their jobs and careers, some companies require candidates to be passionate about the impact their roles create too. In the health and wellness industry, individual drive and dedication are the cornerstones of each position. Even if their positions are relegated to behind-the-scenes, without individual passion, no employee can contribute the extra effort that our company needs to impact lives. So the first thing we need from our candidates is a genuine passion to change and improve lives.
David Northup, InShapeMD
Center Your Response Around the Company’s Objectives
The answer should center around the company’s objectives and long-term goals. The interviewee should have researched the company through its website, projects, undertakings, etc. For example, if the company looks for team players, you can say that you will bring a sense of unity and oneness amongst the people working under you. If the company is research-oriented, you promise on focusing on getting government grants and good projects for the company. The answer should integrate your own as well as the company’s objectives.
Chris Heerdegen, OnDemand Painters Midwest
Provide Specific Instances of Your Professional Success
Answering this question, candidates generally need to relate how their skills, experience, and personal qualities will be an asset to the company, and a good fit for the organization’s values and goals. It is also important to be specific when responding to this question, and to avoid using generalities. In essence, a candidate should bring up actual instances where they’ve exhibited these desirable qualities in their professional life, without having to be prompted by the interviewer for these specifics.
This is a sure-fire way for the candidate to demonstrate to the interviewer that they know the dance. They can additionally show that they value the interviewer’s time; by relating the information straight away in the desired format. Practical demonstrations of skills and values, and relating the results of these real-life case studies, are always going to be more useful than just stating that you possess the desirable attributes, and hoping for belief from the interviewer.
Alex Ugarte, London Office Space