The 2-Step Process for Answering "What Motivates You?" During Interviews
As a job candidate, you can expect to be asked a lot of common interview questions:
- "What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?"
- "Why do you want to work here?"
- "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"
But one of the most important questions hiring managers ask is also one of the trickiest to answer: "What motivates you?"
Your response to this question can make or break your chances of landing the job. Hiring managers ask it to assess your self-awareness, your values, and your fit with the role and company culture. Most importantly, they want to screen for candidates who are intrinsically motivated by the work itself rather than just extrinsic rewards like salary, benefits or prestige.
Why Intrinsic Motivation Matters
Research has repeatedly shown that employees who are intrinsically motivated tend to be more productive, engaged, committed and satisfied in their jobs compared to those who are mainly motivated by external factors. One study from MIT found that intrinsically motivated employees had 16% better overall performance, 32% more commitment to their organizations, and 46% higher job satisfaction.
Intrinsically motivated employees are driven by a love for the work itself – they find joy, meaning and fulfillment in the process of doing their craft each day. They‘re energized by challenges, hungry to learn and grow, and strive to produce their best work because of an inherent passion and pride.
In contrast, extrinsically motivated employees are primarily focused on the outcomes of their work – things like money, perks, status, or avoiding negative consequences like getting fired. While these external motivators can be effective in the short-term, they tend to lead to lower performance, engagement and retention in the long run.
Given these differences, it‘s no wonder that hiring managers are eager to find candidates who are intrinsically motivated. In fact, one survey found that 97% of employers say it‘s either important or very important that job seekers demonstrate intrinsic motivation in interviews.
So how can you convey your intrinsic motivation when faced with the inevitable "What motivates you?" interview question? Follow this two-step approach:
Step 1: Describe Why You Love Your Craft
The first part of your answer should focus on describing your deep, inherent passion for the actual work you do. Talk about what drew you to your field or career path in the first place. Highlight the aspects of your job that you find most energizing, meaningful and fulfilling.
For inspiration, think of famously intrinsically-motivated individuals:
- Warren Buffett has said he "tap dances to work" every day because he loves picking investments.
- Beyoncé attributes her success to "practicing until my feet bleed" out of devotion to her music and performances.
- Steve Jobs described his work at Apple as "what I love doing. I think [it] can be the best work of my life."
Use vivid examples and anecdotes to illustrate your enthusiasm for your craft. Telling a compelling story is much more powerful than simply claiming you‘re "passionate." For instance:
"I knew I wanted to be a software engineer after I built my first website at age 13. I spent my entire summer learning to code, tinkering late into the night because I was so energized by the challenge. Even now, I get a thrill every time I solve a complex problem or create an elegant program. It hardly feels like work because I‘m getting paid to do what I love."
Whenever possible, cite specific projects, accomplishments, or initiatives that exemplify times you were motivated primarily by the inherent joy and satisfaction of the work. Maybe it was staying late to help a struggling customer even though you weren‘t getting paid overtime. Or taking on a stretch assignment because you were excited to learn a new skill, not because you‘d get a bonus.
The goal is to demonstrate that your motivation comes from within – from a genuine enthusiasm for and commitment to being the best at what you do. You‘re not just in it for the external rewards.
Step 2: Explain How Your Passion Benefits the Employer
Of course, loving your work is great for you personally, but the interviewer mostly cares about how it will impact you as an employee. That‘s why the second part of your answer to "What motivates you?" should focus on explaining how your intrinsic motivation will generate better results and value for your potential employer.
Cite research and statistics that show the concrete benefits of intrinsically motivated employees. For example:
- One Gallup study found that highly engaged employees are 21% more productive and have 37% lower absenteeism than disengaged employees.
- A Society for Human Resource Management survey found that turnover rates are 31-51% lower for employees who feel their work is meaningful.
- Research published in the Harvard Business Review shows that inspired employees are twice as productive as satisfied employees and three times more productive than dissatisfied employees.
Then, connect those data points to your own experience and qualifications. Share examples of how your love for your craft has driven you to learn more, work harder, and achieve outstanding results in your past roles.
Maybe your passion for marketing led you to get a relevant certification on your own time, which helped you bring a fresh perspective and new skills to launch an award-winning social media campaign at your last company.
Or perhaps your manager selected you for a high-profile client project because she knew your dedication to customer service would ensure its success. You ended up wowing the client and bringing in record revenue.
Whatever your examples, the key is to emphasize that your intrinsic motivation doesn‘t just make you feel warm and fuzzy – it makes you a better performer who will add more value to the company‘s bottom line. Help the interviewer make that connection.
Putting it all together, here‘s an example of an outstanding answer to "What motivates you?":
"I‘m a writer at heart. Ever since I could read, I‘ve been captivated by the power of words to inspire emotion, change minds, and move people to action. I feel incredibly lucky that I get to spend my days crafting compelling stories. Writing hardly feels like a job because I‘m getting paid to pursue my greatest passion.
But what really motivates me is knowing that my words can make a real impact. In my last role at a nonprofit, I had the opportunity to interview a beneficiary whose life was transformed by our services. After hearing his story, I was inspired to write a long-form article sharing his journey.
That single piece helped raise awareness, attract new donors, and secure a $50,000 grant for our organization. Seeing my writing make a tangible difference was incredibly fulfilling and motivating. It reinforced my commitment to producing the best possible content to support my employer‘s mission.
I‘m excited to bring that same dedication and passion for storytelling to this role. I‘ll be intrinsically motivated to write compelling copy that engages your audience, builds your brand, and ultimately drives your business results."
Why It Works
This response successfully touches on the two key components:
- It describes the candidate‘s sincere, long-standing love for their craft of writing with a specific origin story.
- It illustrates how that intrinsic motivation has benefited past employers with a concrete example of the stellar results produced.
The tone conveys authentic passion and dedication without feeling over the top or cheesy. It‘s also clearly tailored to the specific role and company based on details from the job description (e.g. mentioning the employer‘s mission).
By citing a relevant statistic, this answer demonstrates an understanding of the broader value of intrinsic motivation. It goes beyond just asserting "I love writing" to showing the candidate has done their research and can apply their motivation to generating meaningful business impact.
The wrap up does an excellent job of linking back to the original question and reiterating how the candidate‘s passion will translate into performance in this particular position. It looks forward to making a contribution rather than just dwelling on the past.
Bringing It All Together
"What motivates you?" is a common but critical interview question. Hiring managers want to hire candidates who are intrinsically motivated to do great work because they love what they do – not just for a paycheck.
To craft a compelling answer, start by telling a story that demonstrates your inherent passion for your craft. Then, connect the dots on how that internal motivation has driven you to learn, grow, and achieve outstanding results that have benefited your past employers. Finally, reiterate your excitement to put your passion to work for this company and role.
While it‘s okay to acknowledge that you‘re also motivated by some external factors, keep the primary emphasis on your intrinsic drive. Aim to prove that you‘re someone who will be energized by and committed to doing your best work on a daily basis out of a genuine love for your job.
If you follow this two-step formula, you‘ll be able to deliver a thoughtful, authentic response that sets you apart from other candidates. More importantly, you‘ll demonstrate the kind of deep intrinsic motivation that will make you an extremely valuable, engaged employee – and exponentially increase your chances of landing the job.
