clownbaby

Major Account Executive

If a recruiter asks me this question, I refuse to answer or I'll end the interview

"What makes you want to work here"

I know we've all gotten that question early in the interview process at some point. Sometimes a recruiter on the phone screen, sometimes it's in the first interview.

I know that they're looking for the research I did on the company before going into the interview, but it's an antiquated question.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's a fair question at the end of the interview process, because by then I should have some insight. What's important to me are a mix of company culture, the inner workings of the sales team as a whole, quota attainment, management capability and style. I'm not learning any of these things from a bit of research I've done. Sure, you can get some insights from Glassdoor and others, but those are such a mixed bag.

Also, I consider myself to be top talent (and I think all capable sales people should view themselves this way). Isn't it your job as a recruiter to tell me why I would want to work for your company? Or am I just being an asshole?

🗣 Interviewing

14

24 comments

Sort by:

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

13

☕️

Even if you are being recruited (no self-application), you should still have a reason for why you want to work at the company. If you didn't have a reason, you wouldn't have taken the call, right?

If I get a message from a recruiter, and the job sounds interesting, I'll do a quick-5 on the company. If I cannot find at least one small detail to get excited about (industry, VCs that invested, etc), then I'm not taking that call. I have no reason to want to talk to them, except maybe money.

Your talent level does not preclude you from certain questions. If you have no reason to want to work somewhere or learn more about the opportunity, simply don't take the call.

clownbaby

Executive

2

Major Account Executive

I see what you're saying. But you apply/recruiter reaches out. There's something there that piques your interest. Recruiter calls, you make small talk, they ask about your background, they tell you about the position in broad strokes, and then they ask that question. You can honestly give them a reason why you would want to work there? I don't know if I want to work there after a 15 minute conversation with a recruiter and a little bit of research. Sure, there's something that made me interested, but that's a long way from wanting to work there.

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

8

☕️

I don't apply for roles at companies I don't find interesting, and I don't entertain conversations from proactive recruiters if I couldn't see myself getting excited about what the company does. At that stage, that's the reason I want to work there, but I am sure I'll either find something deeper than that either keeps me excited or turns me off later on in the process.

clownbaby

Executive

0

Major Account Executive

I think that's fair. I guess I've just been looking it at it from a different view

Auracle

Executive

2

Enterprise Account Manager

"Even if you are being recruited (no self-application), you should still have a reason for why you want to work at the company. If you didn't have a reason, you wouldn't have taken the call, right?"

Wrong (at least out of the gate).

I'll take calls from internal recruiters at reputable companies I know I'd want to work at for reputation alone, but that doesn't mean I'm taking the call to express some hyper profound "why" for wanting to work for you.

If I'm being recruited and I've accepted an introductory call, assume the only reason is that you (as a recruiter) just so happen to work for a company that might be worth selling for.

9 times out of 10, I already have a legitimate "why" for wanting to work at the company but there's a time and a place for articulating that and it's not on a call with a new grad recruiter.

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

0

☕️

" I'd want to work at for reputation alone" there's your reason for why you want to work there.

A deeper reason will reveal itself as you continue on in the process.

Auracle

Executive

0

Enterprise Account Manager

You're not wrong, but that's a pretty poor reason for wanting to work for the company (at least it would be for me if I were a recruiter).

Everyone and their brother spits out reputation as the reason for applying and wanting to work somewhere, so the question at such an early stage of the process seems like a waste of time and breath to me.

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

1

☕️

Maybe so, but it's still the reason you want to chat.

funcoupons

WR Officer

4

👑

Eh, it's not the strongest question but I've been asked way worse.

Yes, we all work for money. Show me a person in sales that just "really loves the work they do," and I'll eat my fur coat. But there should always be another reason you can speak to about why you want to earn money at that company vs some other company. Could be the product, that you've heard great things about the culture, the leadership team, exciting moves they've been making etc. If you can't think of any reason why you'd want to work there other than money, it probably isn't the job for you.

Recruiters aren't expecting you to say you're 100% passionate about software, or machinery, or copiers, or whatever the hell it is that you'll be selling. They want to know more about your motivation as it gives insight into your personality.

TheNegotiator

Arsonist

2

VP of Sales

Do you actually have a fur coat? You monster. Could you imagine the furballs you’d cough up?

funcoupons

WR Officer

3

👑

Several. Fur accessories too. I love animals tho so they’re either vintage or faux.

SaaSam

Politicker

3

Account Executive

I agree, perfectly acceptable near the end of the process. This question always makes me feel like they're expecting me to have some kind of unbelievable passion for whatever it is they sell. Truth is, few companies have products that I would be passionate about, and I've never worked for one.

buckets1

Politicker

1

AE

@SaaSam great point. I’m dipping my toe in the job market and none of the companies I’m applying for or the one I current work for sell products I have a real passion for. However — I know the products drive business outcomes for the customers and I’m passionate about my own success. When those two things are true I can sell pretty much anything. Asking me to get jazzed about a data warehousing tool for example is pretty unrealistic.

SaaSam

Politicker

1

Account Executive

Exactly, if it's a good product I'll get passionate about the money I can make selling it.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

3

🦊

So then what do you say when a recruiter asks you this in the beginning?

clownbaby

Executive

4

Major Account Executive

I'm just upfront and honest with them. This is what made me interested enough to apply/hop on this call with you, but I'm not sure if I would want to work for your company. I'm interested enough to want to learn more to see if we'd be a good fit, but that's all I can say.
A couple years ago, a recruiter kept pushing for an answer beyond that, and I asked her to remove me from consideration. I look for reasons to not work at companies, and if they're so rigid on the questions they have to ask candidates, that's a red flag for me. Regardless of how petty that is on my side

Sunbunny31

Politicker

1

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

All good advice below.

You could also be snarky and say "why should I want to work here?"

But in reality, I wouldn't do that. There does have to be a reason you took the call, even if you don't know if the company is a fit just yet. I'd personally admit I am interested in learning more to see if it's a good match and somewhere I could be interested in working.

goose

Politicker

1

Sales Executive

Top talent wouldn't take random calls from recruiters without a desire to work somewhere.

Callbacklater

Contributor

1

Sales Manager

First recruiter call should be the recruiter selling the company to the sales person and the recruiter making sure there is basic alignment to resume/open position.

If there is a strong fit, the sales person's resume got them to the initial call and should get them to the hiring manager.

The proof is in the resume.

In this market, sales people don't need to brown nose the recruiter/company to get to the next step. These types of questions make me think the recruiter is trying to justify self worth in their position rather than recognizing they're just a paper pusher.

Recruiters have value but sometimes I feel they're nothing more than an order taker, scheduling meetings, without any real skill or substance.

CaneWolf

Politicker

1

Call me what you want, just sign the damn contract

"I don't know that I do. The company is potentially interesting and I'm seeing if it could be a fit." There you go.

Diablo

Politicker

0

Sr. AE

I always talk about the role, my experience and now the synergy makes me the good fit.

DataSlangah

Politicker

0

SAE

Dark Helmet : Who is he?Colonel Sandurz : He's an asshole sir.Dark Helmet : I know that! What's his name?Colonel Sandurz : That is his name sir. Asshole, Major Asshole!

sommelier2SaaS

Personal Narrative

0

Commercial AE

There are far worse questions than this. I get the sentiment behind this but at the end of the day, you’re pitching them on yourself a bit. They have a right to know why them.

Dman1b

Catalyst

0

Azure Specialist

Great fricken insight!! Much more intelligent than the turds who don't leave VM on their cold calls........

Bravado is a community of trusted sales professionals endorsed by their customers.

Products

The War Room Jobs Salary Guide Tech Sales U

Company

About Us How It Works Blog Bug Bounty

Contact

© 2024 Bravado Inc. All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy Legal and Privacy Center Sales Jobs

If you are hired as a contract sales rep by a Bravado customer, we may ask you to prove access to the employee email account provided to you by that customer. This data will be shared with customers to track your sales productivity; customers can use this data to confirm you meet the minimum activity requirements to pay out your ramp stipend and commission.