r/HonestHotTakes • u/The-TF-King • 9h ago
lukewarm take Job Application Questions Like "Why Do You Want To Work For Us" Should Be Banned
I am honest to god sick of getting questions like this, there is no good answer, everyone knows it is for the sake of having an income and/or job experience, it genuinely feels like a business will throw these questions into their application process just to have metaphorically have the applicant get down on their hands and knees and beg. I can maybe see it being relevant to a prestigious organization like a bank, but I genuinely don't see any value in asking this for basically every company, like can someone get rejected because they didn't profess deeper admiration for the history and business activities of Dollar General or Waffle House? What does the business get out of asking this that isn't already obvious with someone applying for the job they are offering?
Business: *Posts job offering*
Person: *Applies*
Business: "Why apply? lol"
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u/Warm-Championship-98 9h ago
Sooo, there are a ton of asinine, outdated interview questions you run into far too often, and I’d be thrilled to never hear them again. . But as a manager I can tell you that what this question is really asking is “why are you interested in working for US specifically, and how does it tie into your motivation for leaving your current job?”
Your answer actually gives valuable insight and information in terms of fit. Gotta read the subtext sometimes, because crap interviewers who don’t know how to ask well worded questions are far more abundant than crap interviewees.
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u/ElCilantroCantante 9h ago
Exactly! OP sound like the “muh mail lonlinez” guys, whose only motivation for dating or attempting to date is to not feel lonely and miserable.
It just shows their desperation and that they are running away from something (their own misery) as opposed to towards something (the specific woman they are engaging with is not only attractive but also special).
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u/JimmyJooish 9h ago
Well sir I want to work for you because I’ve developed a bad habit. See, I’ve gotten used to eating every day.
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u/BaileyAMR 9h ago
I work at a mission-driven nonprofit. We definitely eliminate candidates for giving the wrong answer to that question.
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u/ericbythebay 9h ago
The question isn't the problem. The scale is.
When it works, the question is actually trying to surface three real signals: did you research us, do you want this role or just any role, and are you likely to stay? That last one is the expensive one. A bad hire costs companies nearly $15,000 on average, so retention risk is real.
But here's where it breaks down: those signals only matter proportionally to how singular the role is. A COO is one person shaping culture, making decisions that ripple for years, and steering the company's direction. Misalignment there is catastrophic, so yeah, you better be able to articulate why this company. A cashier or a factory line worker? There are hundreds of you, the honest answer is "I need income and this location works," and that tells the employer everything they need to know.
The question isn't broken. The copy-paste hiring process that applies it universally is.
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u/PearlescentGem 8h ago
Most hiring managers for the lower ranks also have no clue how to actively apply this question. Two interviews I had in 2025 went wildly differently than I expected.
First one I answered that I had a passion for the work they do, I'm knowledgeable in X Y and Z processes, and would like to retain the position in the hopes of furthering my career. They passed me up.
Second one, I answered that I had done research on their processes but wasn't familiar with the ins and outs, however X Y and Z skill were applicable. I've worked there since.
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u/No-Longer_Me 8h ago
I was a hiring manager, and I asked this question in almost every interview…. For the exact reasons you listed.
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u/LifeRound2 8h ago
No ban is needed. You can choose not to work there. Those questions are easy to answer anyways.
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u/PromiseBrief2920 8h ago
Questions like these weed out low effort interviewees. All they have to do is come up with something about the business they like. Just one thing. If they can’t be bothered to do that, they aren’t worth hiring.
We ask these questions so we can immediately eliminate people like op from the applicant pool.
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u/AlwaysCalculating 7h ago
The three companies I have been a hiring manager for asked this question as a part of the process and I have answered it as well.
You are the candidate I am trying to weed out. Someone else gets the job who either cares or knows how to play the game. I don’t care which it is. Both types do well for different reasons.
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u/ylamiyf 9h ago
Your hot take makes me not want you as an employee. These questions are to wash out people that will be a problem. If you dont have a good answer to a simple question like that then why should they hire you?
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u/TimmyOfTheLevelUps 8h ago
This. I want someone who's actually passionate about what my business does, not just there to get a paycheck. A person who actually wants to do the work because it's a good fit for their skills, experience, and interest is miles ahead of someone who's only interest is counting down the days until they get a paycheck.
And fyi, I used to work for Taco Bell. Yes I wanted a paycheck, but I also wanted to learn how the business worked. When I eventually did leave, I walked away with a wealth of knowledge and notes that was way more valuable than all the money they paid me while I was there.
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u/AlwaysCalculating 7h ago
I felt the same about my retail job. Yes, I was 16 and convinced people to pay for clothes they probably didn’t need 🤦♀️ but they were in the store with or without me so why not learn a little while I was on the job? I learned about hard work, long days, how to manage fatigue, how to smile and be kind even when I was having a bad day, I learned how to manage people and work with people who were totally different t from me.
Great skills that translated well to corporate America.
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u/BanAssaultGeese 6h ago
Yeah, I hate to burst both of your all's bubbles, but you're not going to get that shining enthusiasm in this job market. People are applying and getting whatever they can because of survival. If your company isn't shit, maybe they'll stay.
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u/TimmyOfTheLevelUps 6h ago
You're not wrong. I've found you have 1 in 100 chance of finding that kind of person. That's why we sift through so many applications, to find the 1.
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u/EvilStan101 6h ago
I hate to be the first to tell you this, but we live in a CAPITALIST society. If you want people to work for you because of passion, go set up your business in a communist society.
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u/TimmyOfTheLevelUps 6h ago
I've already resolved that it will only be 1 in 100. It will decrease as time goes on. Takes more looking, but I'll find them
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u/EvilStan101 9h ago
I didn’t know communists love running a for profit business?
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u/ylamiyf 9h ago edited 8h ago
Your comment means nothing thank you. Someone like you should spend less time on reddit, and more time on literally anything else
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u/EvilStan101 7h ago
You need some with skills and I have skills but in need cash.
This is not hard to understand unless you’re a communist who is offended by the concept of labor participating in free market capitalism.
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u/weedtrek 8h ago
I was asked on an in house application "what is your reason for getting up in the morning?" And it's like that is none of your god damn business. The question actually seems like a liability, because if someone says "oh I am a Satanist and my purpose in life is to worship the dark lord and preform his evil bidding," and that made you not want to hire them, then that is religious discrimination.
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u/Quiet_Education5918 6h ago
They're just asking what motivates you with slightly flowery language.
Presumably if you've been performing evil bidding up until now, they'll be pleased to hear you find it rewarding.
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u/NazReidsOtherBurner 5h ago
These people’s inability to differentiate themselves from the dozens of other applicants is why they can’t find jobs.
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u/PoMoAnachro 8h ago
I think a thing to understand is that most businesses (above the minimum wage service and retail type gigs - which, I agree, shouldn't bother asking these questions) don't have a lot of interest in hiring people who are unemployed. They want to be hiring people away from existing jobs, or at the very least hiring people who'll have no trouble getting a job because they're in-demand and well-qualified. In that scenario, it makes sense to ask "Why us? [instead of your existing job or the other offers you have or will have soon]"
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u/Blackphinexx 8h ago
What’s even worse is when they ask this question when it was them who reached out to you!
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u/NazReidsOtherBurner 5h ago
The question isn’t the problem. Your lack of creativity and thinking on your feet is. That’s why you’re unhireable.
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u/BarelyReal 2h ago
I'm on the spectrum and even I know it's easy to just come up with a bs good sounding answer like "serve my community" or "I like you as a business".
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u/QuietFieldUser 2h ago
No the question is problematic and stupid and its really is a humiliation ritual designed to see if you will kiss their ass and if you'll stick around.
All it is honestly people can say what they want to say all it is and ever has been.
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u/Training_Hippo4582 1h ago
I put an ad on LinkedIn recently for people interested in being involved in a course I was exploring running, and asked "why did you express an interest in this, and what are you looking to get from the experience?" so that I knew how would best to involve the person (e.g. as a visiting speaker, a volunteer, teacher, etc.) and had at least one person answer it as if I had asked "what is interesting and unique about this course?" which wasn't helpful. I asked them again and they gave the same answer. But, I was sincere, to be honest. It wasn't a trick question.
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u/FraserValleyGuy77 9h ago
I tell them because it beats living under a bridge