Answering “What value Can You Bring to the Company?” - NIJobs Career Advice (2024)

Answering the “What value Can You Bring to the Company?” Interview Question

When answering ‘what can you bring to the company?’ it is all about outlining your value to the firm. A top answer will outline your experience, qualifications, and accomplishments, and explain how you plan to use them to assist the hiring company moving forward. Recruitment is expensive, so an organization needs to know that you’re a good match and an ideal long-term prospect.

How to Answer the ‘What value Can You Bring to the Company?” Interview Question

The only way to answer this common interview question effectively is to research the company, role, and industry thoroughly. Through this process, you can discuss your achievements while showcasing your knowledge of what the firm does. You are also able to tie in your experience and skills with what the job calls for.

When determining whether you are a good match, the company is looking to discover the following:

Whether you share the organisation’s values and its corporate social responsibility activities.

• • Your general enthusiasm for the industry, as well as for the role.

• • Whether your experience, skills, and achievements fit the job requirements. Your answer needs to provide examples of how you have used skills relevant to the job in the past.

• • If you are someone willing to continually educate yourself to remain up to date with the industry.

• If you are a candidate likely to remain at the company for the foreseeable future.

You have to strike a balance between selling yourself and not coming across as arrogant. Overall, you need to highlight any of your achievements that are relevant to the job, provide examples and hard data to prove your point, and opine how your skills could be helpful for the organisation and its goals.

Here is a sample answer:

“In my previous role, I used my vision to great effect and possess experience in several areas relevant to this job, including an increase in international sales. At my last company, I helped boost international sales by 35% in six months by creating a special offer that attracted, and kept, customers from abroad. My ability to plan for the future, coupled with my experience in sales, makes me an ideal candidate for expanding your company’s international reach.”

“What value Can You Bring to This Company?” Variations and Answers

As good answers involve details of what you have achieved in the past (make sure these accomplishments are relevant to the role and industry), it is worth falling back on the tried and trusted STAR method of answering the interview question. STAR is an acronym which means the following:

• Situation: Describe the scenario when you are telling your story.
• Task: What you elected to do to deal with the situation.
• Action: What was your plan of action?
• Result: What happened after you implemented your plan?

There are plenty of variations of this interview question, which are also similar to ‘Why Should We Hire You?” There is little discernible difference between them, and the STAR method works well in all cases.

“What Can You Offer the Company?”

“In my last job, I was involved in various innovations, including ways to improve teamwork. We were asked to conjure up ideas to facilitate better team working and communication, and my ideas were chosen as the best. Not only can I bring these ideas with me, but I am also a keen proponent of innovation in general as I believe it drives progress.”

“What Skills and Experience Can You Bring to This Role?”

“In my last role, I helped streamline my office’s processes. I created a new way to schedule client appointments, which reduced errors by 60% in three months. As well as bringing this tactic, I would bring my excellent organizational skills to the firm.”

“If You Join Us, What Do You Hope to Add to Our Team?

“In my last job, I was known for having outstanding attention-to-detail. When new products arrived, we had to set up a display. I became known as the person to use during this process because of my eye for detail. I was able to determine the best locations to place the designs to ensure customers noticed them.”

What NOT to Say When Answering“What value Can You Bring to This Company?”

As we mentioned above, there is a fine line between self-confidence and self-aggrandizement. While companies are looking for confident candidates, they don’t want egotistical ones who believe their method is the best way of doing things. There are a few other things to avoid:

• • Negativity about other candidates or your previous bosses. An interview is not the time to bemoan your last company’s lack of vision or to suggest that your rivals are inferior.

• • It is understandable if you are nervous, but a stuttering answer doesn’t do wonders for your chances of being selected.

• • Not providing relevant examples of how your skills match those required in the job. Believe it or not, you can ‘reframe’ experience to match the job requirements; it just takes a little practice.

• • A lengthy answer will only bore the hiring manager, and risks, including a lot of irrelevant detail.

• A boilerplate answer does nothing to help you stand out from other candidates.

Let’s look at an answer that does your chances no favours:

“I was the number one salesperson at my last company as I outsold everyone there by about 60% each month. The level of competition wasn’t terrific, but it felt good knowing that I was the best. Looking at your company’s sales figures for the last year, it seems as if guys could use all the help you can get. I’m definitely the man to take you forward.”

The interview question: “What value Can You Bring to This Company?” should not come as a surprise when you are asked. It is one of the most commonly asked interview questions, so a hiring team will expect you to be prepared. Remember, this question tests your suitability for the role, whether you are a good fit for the company, and can also determine whether you bothered to prepare.

Use the tips above and answer with the confidence of someone who believes they deserve the job.