Whether they ask you directly or assess it indirectly, your motivation will always be tested in the interviews. Because when we look the reality in the eyes, there’s nothing like an easy job anymore, and we humans are lazy in general. Hence hiring managers wonder what drives you forward at work, what gets you up in the morning, and so on. I will analyze these questions, and explain how to convince the interviewers about your motivation even when you lack any. We will also look at the other group of questions related to motivation in the workplace–your ability to motivate others.
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The Basics
- Most common interview questions belonging to this area: What motivates you at work? How do you motivate others?
- Less common questions belonging to the area: This job is repetitive. What will motivate you to do it well day after day? What gets you up in the morning? What drives you forward in life? Tell me about a time when you faced a crisis of motivation. How did you deal with it?
- Out of 10 random jobs, in how many cases will this area be tested during the hiring process: 8/10. In some cases they will assess the level of your motivation indirectly, from your answers to other questions, as well as from your presence in the interviews. However, eight out of any ten jobs, you will face at least one question related to motivation during the hiring process.
- Difficulty: 2/5. I consider questions belonging to this area relatively easy, though many people struggle with them greatly–especially when they work only for money, and secretly or openly hate their jobs. Sadly, in the Western world this is the case for 50% of workforce at least. But once you understand the right attitude to show, and what you can focus on in your answer instead of money, you won’t find the questions difficult anymore.
- Main goals of the hiring managers with questions belonging to this area: Assessing your level of motivation, understanding how easily you may quit when problems arise. With the second group of questions (about motivating others), the goal is to assess your ability to motivate your subordinates and help them overcome a potential crisis of motivation.
- Your main goals with answers to questions belonging to this area: Convincing the hiring managers that you see a meaningful purpose in the work you do, and do not work only for money. With the second group of questions, the goal is to convince them that you can motivate your subordinates, without a need to pay them more.
6 sample answers + special bonus
* Make sure to read also the “advanced info” below the sample answers, to understand what attitudes you actually show with this or that answer, the most common mistakes you should avoid making, etc.
Sample answer no. 1: Woman applying for an entry level position in a big international corporation:
I’d love to share the workplace with other young people from all around the world, improving my communication and interpersonal skills, learning how the business works. Such a company culture and working environment motivates me greatly. And since I want to progress in my career, I am highly motivated to try my best each day at work. Obviously some crises will always come, but I believe that when you keep your goals on your mind, you will eventually overcome any crisis of motivation.
- Quick thing to notice about this answer: Entry level corporate jobs are all about learning, meeting new people, and starting your career. These things are generally motivating for young people, and you can refer to them in your answer, when applying for your first real corporate job.
Sample answer no. 2: Man applying for a technical job in the automotive industry:
I like to see the results of my work, how the products we create together help people in their everyday lives. Seeing this connection motivates me to work hard, because I am finding purpose in my everyday work, and I do not think only about the money. Of course, one needs money to live, but it is a great feeling going to work and knowing that what we do here actually makes a lot of sense, and that our products make the lives of people better.
- Quick thing to notice about this answer: Meaningful purpose may be a buzzword, but it definitely works in the interviews. When you see purpose in your work, it is always great to mention it. Of course this is easier with some professions and harder with others, so this type of an answer works only in some cases.
Sample answer no. 3: Student applying for a part time job in a busy coffee shop:
I love to be around people, to feel the sense of integrity, of belonging somewhere. To achieve great results as a team motivates me to try my best every day in the job. Once you feel you belong somewhere, you want to do everything you can to help your colleagues, to be a valuable team member. To not let them down. This drives me forward each day, and it is also a reason why I want to work in a place like this one.
- Quick thing to notice about this answer: In some places (mostly small business, or retail stores, or restaurant environment) the sense of integrity, of belonging to the team and achieving results as a team is very strong. We are social beings, and to refer to this sense of integrity and responsibility for the team result is definitely a good answer to any question about motivation.
Sample answer no. 4: Manager applying for a corporate job
To sum it up, I am results-driven. When I see that the numbers add up nicely, when I feel that people grow under my leadership, it motivates me to work hard, and I also feel good in my job. Management is not only my profession, but also my passion. Of course, things aren’t always ideal, and numbers cannot grow endlessly. But in such occasions it only motivates me to try even harder at work, to make sure we get back on track quickly.
- Quick thing to notice about this answer: When you decide to go with positive results and good relationships as your driving force, it is also important to mention what happens when things do not go well. Because life is always up and down, and people who are motivated by great results in whatever they do may easily feel down or hopeless when things do not go according to the plan. Elaborate on your answer to assure the interviewers it isn’t your case.
Sample answer no. 5: A family oriented applicant:
Well, I have two kids, a young family. They are my main driving force at work. I’d be motivated to work hard and keep the job with you simply because of the flexibility it offers, and a great pay. Because I want my family to have a good life, and I want a career that offers a good life-work balance. For me this is enough to push through, to do my best even when things do not go according to the plan, simply to keep such a job, and all good things it brings to my life.
- Quick thing to notice about this answer: Referring to your family as your main driving force can do wonders sometimes, especially if women lead the interview with you (they can easily empathize with you). Just make sure to clearly show the connection (“…I want a career that offers a good life-work balance. For me this is enough to push through…”).
Sample answer no. 6: An answer to a question “How do you motivate others?”:
I always try to make sure that my subordinates see the connection between their personal goals, and the goals we have in the team, or in the business in general. For that it is important to know their goals, to show interest in them, and also to lead by an example. I also try to create a good atmosphere in the team, so people feel responsible for each other, and actually help each other. Having said all of it, individual approach is the key, and when I see that someone struggles with motivation, it is important to talk to the person in question, find the reasons why they struggle, and address them as soon as possible.
- Quick thing to notice about this answer: I tried to sum up different good answers in one. Leading by example, making sure people understand how meeting corporate goals will be good for their personal goals, strengthening team spirit, and last but not least, approaching each crisis of motivation individually, because no two people are alike. If you choose any of these techniques or a combination of them for your interview answer, you’ll do well.
Special point: Three cases when money as your main motivation is actually a good answer:
- Manual labor. When you apply for a simple manual labor – think stock clerk, picker, construction worker, etc, you can hardly find something motivating about the job, except of the salary you will get. It would make no sense to try to convince the HR managers that you enjoy carrying bricks on a dusty construction site, day after day. We apply for these kinds of jobs because we need money, and can not get any better position at the moment. Hiring managers know that, and it is fine saying that your primary motivation is the wage you will get for your hard work.
- Sales. In jobs of a salesman, sales representative, or account executive (which is more or less just a fancy job title for a salesman position), your salary depends on the number of sales you make each month. More sales means more business for the company, and more money for you. Interviewers often look for money-driven people in this industry, because sales are tough to crack, and the employee fluctuation is high. If you do not care about money, you will hardly keep a sales job for a long time.
- High-risk high-reward jobs. Working on an oil rig in the sea, in a quarry, or cleaning the canals of one of the world metropolises. These jobs are dangerous. Many people lose their lives, or injure themselves severely each year performing them. High financial compensation is the only reason why we apply for them, and HR managers do not expect to hear any lies from us in the interview.
Advanced information
Mistakes people make while answering questions about motivation
- Money, money, money. Obviously (almost) nobody would go to work if there was no pay. And it is all right, because we cannot live from love only (or can we?). In any case, except of the three types of jobs I mentioned in the previous section (manual labor, sales, high-risk jobs), you should not mention money, or the salary offer, as your primary motivation. Because hiring managers know that greed is very prevalent in people nowadays. When you are happy with 100K/year salary, next year you’d need 120K to stay motivated. And that’s not the situation they want to put themselves into…
- Talking good times, forgetting bad times. Many job applicants say that good results at work motivate them, or the feeling of belonging to a great team. It isn’t a bad answer, but the mistake they make is not mentioning how they deal with bad times. Results aren’t always good, and a great team on one day can turn into a team full of conflicts on the next one. Hence if you opt for one of these answers, it is crucial to explain how you motivate yourself when things do not go as expected.
- Relying on motivation from outside. It is a big mistake saying that you rely on your managers and superiors to motivate you at work. Motivation from outside does never work in a long run. Even when we speak about rewards and punishments. Only inner motivation works in a long run, regardless of what your main driving force is.
Few points from the perspective of the hiring managers/interviewers
- Your non-verbal communication and enthusiasm is absolutely pivotal here. What you say about your motivation has to correspond with the impression we have from meeting you. Interview question about motivation is one of the questions most job seekers prepare for in advance. They know what they want to say, regardless of what motivates them in reality. We know this, and will believe their words only if their non-verbal communication sends over the same message. Keep it on your mind, and try to pump yourself up, to convince yourself about your motivation for the given interview.
- With the way the corporations work nowadays, your motivation is often more important than your experience. Let’s face it. You need a degree to get an entry level job in most corporations, but you do not really need to have a bright mind, or the knowledge from the university, to handle the job. Entry level is often data entry, regardless of the fancy job titles. Hiring managers know well that almost anyone with average intelligence can do the job, after the initial training. What makes the difference between applicants then is their motivation, ability to deal with stress, challenges, etc. I am saying this to emphasize the importance of this area of questions. Do not underestimate it, relying on your working experience to get you the job.
7 keywords to remember when answering questions belonging to this area
- Enthusiasm, meaningful purpose, connection of business goals and your personal goals, mention both good and bad times, don’t rely on motivation from outside, money is the worst answer in 80% of cases and the best one in the remaining 20%, family can work as a motivation.
So that’s it! You’ve just covered area no. 4 out of 25 areas that cover 99% of questions you may ever get in the interviews. Just 21 areas left! Check the next one: Strengths and weaknesses, or go back to homepage for the full list of 25 areas and pick one you want to learn about and practice right now.
