Questions like “what can you bring to the company?” are the most common questions asked during a job interview. Unfortunately, while these questions may sound easy, they are actually tricky to answer.
The question ‘what can you bring to the company” is quite similar to “what value you can bring to the company?’, and “what can you contribute to this company?”.
So what is the best way to answer? In essence, the question will allow you to explain why you see yourself as the best fit for the available position and what makes you stand out among all other candidates.
If you are asked how you can provide an asset to the company, there is no need to panic because you can convince the hiring manager why you are the best candidate for your desired job.
When the interviewer asks, “what can you bring to the company?”
When the interviewer asks you, “what can you bring to the company?” they are actually interested in finding out more about your expertise, skillset, and background. In a nutshell, they want to figure out how you can offer a new perspective to the organization and what value you can bring to the table. Therefore, when asked this question, the best way to respond will be to explain your experiences, skills, and expertise that would enable you to contribute towards organizational goals.
Research the company
One of the best ways of preparing for any job interview is to conduct in-depth research on the company background, business operations, and objectives. Visit the company website and find information about the company’s business operations, achievements, challenges, and key personnel.
Find the company website’s mission statement to see whether your career ambitions and goals align with the company’s core values. Once you have information about the organizational core values, you will be to frame your response appropriately.
Visit the about us page on the company’s website and learn as much as possible about the culture, products, services, history, challenges, and achievements. Understanding the company’s challenges will enable you to identify how your professional expertise can benefit the company and solve underlying problems.
If the company website has individual pages for the company’s key members, such as the CEO, and upper-level management staff, then make sure to explore their profiles to get an insight into their long-term vision to figure out how you can contribute to help them achieve their goals.
Explore the company’s profile on social media and networking websites
Find any social media and networking accounts that the company operates. You may find useful information about the company’s recently launched products or services and get insight into their recent achievements.
Collect data about the company on independent review websites and online company pages to find answers to frequently asked questions relating to the work environment, salaries, training programs, and more. Any information that might help you to prepare your response will prove to be pivotal. For example, if the company offers training courses to learn new skills, then you can explain how you are always eager to improve your knowledge and benefit the team.
Carefully read the job description.
The job description contains valuable information about the role you applied for. Are there any requirements and responsibilities listed in the job description that match your skillset and experience? Ensure to establish a link between the skills you demonstrated in previous positions and the duties associated with this position.
You can shed light on soft skills such as attention to detail and hard skills specific to the job. For example, if you are a chemical engineer, you can talk about your expertise in PRO SIM, MATLAB, AUTOCAD, and more.
Work on your communication skills
Even if you know the answer to the question “what can you bring to the company” but lacks communication skills, you could fail to deliver the solution. Therefore, it is vitally important to practice your verbal and nonverbal skills before the interview and enhance your confidence level.
Make sure that you don’t exaggerate and panic when speaking. Your answer should be specific and narrow, and your body language should show that you are confident in what you are saying. Keep your shoulders back, sit upright, and maintain eye contact when answering the questions asked by the interviewer.
Using the STAR interview response technique
Learn about the start interview response method before attending the interview to explain how your experiences speak to your skillset. So what is the STAR technique?
START stands for;
Situation – Provide a brief overview of the situation
Task – Explain the task you were assigned in that situation
Action – The steps you took to address the issue
Result – Discuss and measure the outcome
Mistakes to avoid when answering the question, “What can you bring to the company?”
As indicated previously, the question “what can you bring to the company” may sound a simple one but it’s actually complicated. Here are some common mistakes that you should avoid when answering this question.
- It would help if you didn’t say anything that reflects negativity about other candidates.
- Make sure your answer is specific and to the point. Avoid going into too much detail.
- Maintaining eye contact with the interviewer and being confident in what you are saying.
- Be yourself. Your answer should be based on something unique.
- Showing a lack of interest in the services and products offered by the employer
What can you bring to the company – What the interviews really want to know?
In a nutshell, they want to find out whether;
- You are a team player and good at multi-tasking
- Passionate about the role you have applied for
- Bring an added value
- Possess subject knowledge
- Have strong organization skills
- Pay attention details
- Work hard but also smart
- Interested in the services the company offers
- Have the ability to evaluate challenging situations
- Have strong decision-making skills
- Possess interpersonal skills needed for the position
- You are creative and expert at bringing in new ideas
- Flexible
- Have a positive attitude
- Possess the required soft and hard skills
- You are skilled at the level corresponding to the position
- Have effective communication skills
- Interested in improving your knowledge and skills through training
- Self-motivated and enthusiastic
- Ability to deliver under pressure and meet stringent deadlines
- You are dedicated and determined to achieve organizational goals
How to respond to “what value can you bring to this company?”
Some of the questions like, “how can you contribute to the growth of the company?”, “How can you add value to the company?’, and “what can you do for the company?” are some of the most commonly asked questions in an interview.
These questions are asked for a specific purpose. Essentially, the hiring manager wants to evaluate your confidence in your abilities and check how humble you are.
The interviewer will not be interested in the content of your answer but rather how you respond to the question. You will be expected to relate your response to your experiences in previous positions and explain why you stand out from the crowd.
Your preparedness, humility, and confidence are the essential qualities the employer will be aiming to assess through this question.
Example answers – “what can you do for this company?”
The exact answer will depend on the company and your professional experience. But, here are some examples to show you how to respond to this question.
Example 1
“I firmly believe that I possess practical communication skills. Communication is not merely about having good verbal communication abilities, but rather it signifies the ability to remember when and how others want to communicate. With my communication skills, I can play an essential role in building teams and increasing employee loyalty.
Example 2
“I pride myself on my ability to quickly adapt, learn, and move ahead with overdue projects. I am sure I will be able to complete the pending company projects, so the investments don’t go waste.”
Example 3
“Executive leaders sometimes need employees who know how to execute quickly. While “quickly” isn’t always better. Sometimes it is necessary. I’m so familiar with being inside fast-paced environments that I pride myself on being an executor.”
