If you are in the midst of the interview process, some common questions would have stuck in your mind by now.
An interview may look like an easy discussion that asks you to share more about yourself. However, the series of tricky questions wrapped up in the session is what makes it seem like a daunting task.
Now, one of these common yet very tricky questions is, what motivates you?
Even if you have a hundred motivating factors in mind, you’re most likely to go blank in front of the employer.
Some of the most common pitfalls occur at this time. These include taking too long to think about these answers, assembling sentences in your mind, or answering with something meaningless.
This blog will help you in structuring the perfect answer to this question. Keep reading to know more about why this question matters and what an employer expects from you.
“What Motivates You?” Why is This Question Asked?
The question examines more than one factor. Asking what motivates you isn’t about knowing the reason for your happiness and work. Instead, the interviewer wants to determine your inner strengths and the willingness you have to perform your best at work.
This single question holds the potential to let the employer know about your current and future performance. These include your professional behaviour, adherence to the mission and values, and the commitment you make to the company.
Moreover, the right answer can also demonstrate your ambitions. These include your work techniques, productivity levels, self-awareness, and your role in the success of the company.
You need to pay extra attention, as this question can be asked in several other ways. Common interview questions include:
- What brings out your best performance?
- How do you stay motivated in the daily work routine?
- What are your inspirations for accomplishing a goal?
- In a job role, what motivates you to perform better?
- What is your source of motivation when you’re stuck in work-related challenges?
- Does coming to work excite you every day? If yes, what is the key reason behind it?
Answering the question, What Motivates You?
Since you know that this question is the most significant part of the interview process, you need to remember it. Before the interview process, gather all the motivating factors in your mind.
If you can’t think of the best ones, read the following motivators to identify what pushes you to perform effectively.
Meeting deadlines: If you complete a task on time, plan and set goals for it, then this is one of the great motivators. Expressing your sense of responsibility towards a task can tell the interviewer that you are their best choice for handling tasks.
Achieving Goals together as a team: If you’re someone who loves to perform in a collaborative work environment, this factor is for you to mention. An employee who brings people together and believes in bringing positive outcomes together is always a golden asset of the organisation.
Discussing this factor will let the employer know that your efforts will be for the organisation and not just for personal achievements.
Leadership: Leadership is the core motivating factor in managerial roles. Sharing your leadership skills can let the employer know that you have the capabilities to bring out excellence in people.
Personal Growth: Getting motivated by growth opportunities indicates that you are open to new tasks, eager to learn, and willing to stick with the company in the future. This motivation shows that you are willing to advance in your career and bring growth opportunities for the business.
A few more motivating factors that you can mention include:
- Problem solving
- Learn and develop new skills
- Gaining new experiences
- Staying updated with current industry trends
While you prepare yourself to answer this question, don’t forget that a well-written and professional CV plays a key role in shaping your first impression. So, go well prepared with a CV that highlights your expertise and impresses the recruiter.
The Secret to a Perfect Answer – THE STAR METHOD:
The star method can help you create a compelling storyline regarding an experience. Individuals can apply it to describe their skills and motivation factors. Here is how to do it:
Situation: Discuss a situation where your motivation played an essential role in achieving the goal.
Task: Mention the task you were assigned.
Action: Explain the action you took by strategising the plan according to your motivation.
Result: Discuss the results generated by your action and how your contribution brought positive outcomes.
Examples for answering “What motivates you?“
What motivates me is teamwork and a positive work environment. In my last job role as a sales team lead, I identified the challenges faced by people working under me. I planned training sessions for them, which assisted them in identifying their weak points and improving the areas where they lacked expertise. As a result, we were able to achieve a 30% increase in our sales target.
I’m motivated by learning new skills and continuously thriving in my career. In my previous role, I asked my manager to assign me challenging tasks every month. This motivated me to navigate the complexities of my field and gain expertise in other skills, which will be beneficial for me. After 1 month, I was able to add 1 more skill to my CV.
Problem-solving tasks are one of the most important motivating factors for me. In my last job as a web developer, the website had some issues during launch. I was assigned the task of identifying the root cause and re-launching the website. The opportunity to work on such a challenging task was a big opportunity for me. I worked on website maintenance, performed its testing, and as a result, the website started to perform better and ran smoothly across all browsers.
Mistakes to avoid while answering the question:
- Getting confused while answering the employer.
- Thinking too long to answer.
- Sharing a negative experience with the previous company
- Not giving an example.
- Discussing motivating factors that are not related to the role.
- Considering money or other employability benefits as motivational factors.
While you’re busy preparing for the interview questions, keep an eye on other factors as well. Remember that a CV will be the first step to tell the employer about yourself.
However, if time management is an issue, you can always get expert help from professional resume writing services.
FAQs
The best answer example for ‘’ What motivates you?’’
My motivation comes from the fact that my work is bringing a change in people’s lives. In my previous role as a web developer created user-friendly websites that made the shopping experience smooth for people. I feel highly motivated when I see that my work is bringing a positive change to the lives of people.
What is motivation, and its examples?
Motivation encompasses all the factors that bring you one step closer to your goals. It is something that pushes you to do better and meet your target. For instance, making a positive impact with your actions is what allows you to work effectively every day.
What mistakes should I avoid while answering ‘’What motivates you?’’
Never go in too much detail. Always stay relevant to the topic. Don’t discuss money as a motivating factor. Don’t surround yourself with confusion, and always keep your key motivators in mind.
Final Word:
While you may feel nervous while answering this question, it is a great opportunity to reflect on your experiences. Structuring this answer correctly allows you to share your professional achievements and the change that you will be bringing to your new team.
Remember to stay original, talk about yourself, and always prepare for the interview in advance.