"Why do you want to work for us?"

We asked you about how you feel when you are asked this question as candidate.

Most didn’t find it meaningful.
Some told us outright—it’s just part of the game.

At Informed Decisions, we’ve seen this again and again:
This question mostly reveals how well someone prepped.
Not what truly drives them.

If you want to uncover motivation, ask better questions:
- What other roles are you exploring?”
--> Get the full context of their job search.
- “What did you like/dislike in your last role?”
-->See what actually energizes (or drains) them.
- Which aspects of this job excite or concern you?”
-->Let them connect your role with their reality.

And to dive deeper:
“If you had to choose between working in a highly collaborative team on a stable project, or working more independently on a complex, dynamic problem—what would suit you better, and why?”

This reveals how candidates prioritize environment, challenge, and autonomy.

Interviews aren’t theatre. Let’s stop asking for scripts.