An interview question that you might encounter during an interview with a graduate recruiter is ‘What motivates you?’. This is a type of open-ended question that is intended to provide the employer with the opportunity to learn more about your working style and your personality. The open-ended nature of this question means that there are endless ways to answer this question. That is why it is recommended that you prepare a response to this question before an interview so that you can provide an effective answer that impresses the interviewer. This article will outline why an interviewer might ask you this question, how to answer this question, as well as example responses to use as a guide. 

Why do interviewers ask this question?

An answer to this question can be incredibly illuminating for an employer. They are able to learn about what drives you in the workplace and whether that will be of benefit for you in the open position. In certain positions, an energised employee will be more effective in conducting the responsibilities and duties associated with the role. For example, if you are interviewing for a graduate lawyer position at a not-for-profit, being motivated by injustice will be an extremely beneficial quality to possess. Similarly, a lacklustre or unenthused answer to this question will reveal to the interviewer that you are not a very motivated or ambitious person. This might impact the efficiency of your performance in the workplace if you do not particularly care about the work you will be required to complete. Your answer to this question will reveal whether you will be engaged, productive or inspired. This question also allows for an evaluation of whether your personality aligns with the values and the mission of the company or the organisation. In some roles this will be a more important consideration than others. 

What are some other ways you may be asked this question?

There are some other ways that you may be asked this question in an interview. The interviewer may word it differently. You should answer the question using the same advice for answering what motivates you. 

Here are some ways the question may be framed:

• What motivates you in the workplace?
• What drives you in the workplace?
• What are you inspired by?
• What makes you excited about working in this role?
• Do you find your performance increasing when you care about the work you are doing?

What are some possible motivations?

Your motivations should be personal and specific to you and your life. However, here are some examples of motivations that might apply to you:

• Teaching others
• Achieving goals
• Helping others
• Overcoming challenges
• Learning new skills
• Enhancing your knowledge 
• Developing my expertise in my area of interest
• Creating new product
• Working towards a mission
• Being creative
• Working in a team

How to answer this question?

You should prepare what you would like to say in response to this question ahead of time to ensure that you answer it effectively. Here are some factors to consider when formulating your response: 

Consider past experiences

As a graduate, you are unlikely to have an extensive employment history. Nonetheless, one approach to answering this question is reflecting on your past experiences. Past experiences can be previous positions that you have held, clubs or societies that you have been a part of, or other projects or passions that you have engaged in. Reflecting back on these experiences, did you or did you not enjoy the work you were involved in? If you did enjoy it, what exactly was it that contributed to a positive experience? Was it the opportunity to work with other people? Did you like being creative and experimenting? Did you like that you were helping people and having a positive impact on others? And, if you did not enjoy that experience, what would have wished to have happened differently to make the experience more positive? By considering these questions, you can identify a pattern which will direct you towards your personal motivations. 

Consider the requirements for the role

Next, you should consider the expectations associated with the role. Is there a particular responsibility that you are looking forward to? Determining what attracted you to the role in the first place and what encouraged you to apply will provide you with factors that motivate you in the workplace. You should then pick one career-focused factor that is relevant to the role and the company and expound on a motivation associated with. 

Consider the industry

The position you are interviewing for and the industry within which the company operates is likely correlative with what you studied. This means that another approach you can take to answer what motivates you is considering what attracted you to working in the industry and why you chose to study to be qualified for the particular position. 

Be honest

When composing your response, you should ensure that you remain honest. Do not try to come up with the perfect response or what you think the employer would like to hear. It is difficult to fake a passion or interest, so you are likely to come across as mechanical or robotic when reciting your response. The employer is unlikely to give you the position if they feel that they are being misled. Nevertheless, even if you do manage to convince the interviewer of your sincerity, your lack of motivation is likely to be reflected in your work. 

Be personal

You should try to make your response personal. This will come naturally if you talk sincerely about your motivations and how they relate to the position. You may choose to use an anecdote or story about what got you interested in the subject matter of the work you will be required to complete and the industry you will be working in. However, being personal comes at a limit. Your response should still remain professional and appropriate for the workplace. 

Examples

Here are some example responses that you can use to base your response on to this interview question:

Graduate Lawyer - Not-for-profit organisation 

I am motivated by helping people in need. People who are less fortunate and disadvantaged have such a difficult time navigating the legal system so I believe that my motivations will make me excel in this role. In fact, I decided to pursue a law degree because of the injustice I saw in the world. My motivation to help others will allow me to defend my clients to the best of my ability and to receive the best outcome possible. 

Graduate Graphic Designer - Tech start-up

I have always been motivated with the passion to create. I love experimenting with different designs and ideas, and thoroughly enjoy the process of a product coming together. I think this motivation will have a positive affect on my ability to meet the expectations of this role due to the product design responsibilities associated with it.