What motivates you the most in your current role?
The interviewer wants to know what keeps you excited in your current or most recent job. The goal of your response is to highlight the responsibilities that make you feel the most enthusiastic. This way, the hiring company can assess if the job will excite you long-term.
"I feel motivated when I have the opportunity to help others. This year, Company XYZ asked me to assist in a new training program for our outside sales reps. I helped our new hires feel comfortable and learn about our products and taught them how to cold call and prospect effectively. It felt wonderful to see these individuals flourish and find great success in the weeks after their training was complete. When I saw your job posting for an Assistant Training Manager and read that much of the role is training and coaching new hires, I knew I needed to apply."
"When I meet and exceed my goals and targets, I become incredibly motivated. I love to make a plan, put it into action, and then reap the rewards. For instance, last month, I exceeded my sales goals by 25%. As a result, I earned a spot in the top three Customer Service Reps out of 200 company-wide. The feeling was so rewarding that it motivated me to do even better this month. I was excited to hear that your organization offers clear performance targets with a strong incentive program for team members who exceed their targets."
Avoid speaking negatively about your current or most recent role. If 'nothing' motivated you, the interviewer might get the impression that you focus primarily on the negative. Instead, consider even a small part of your role that makes you feel happy or proud, such as learning a new skill that you are ready to take into your next opportunity.
Situations that keep you motivated at work could include:
- Learning new skills
- Coaching others
- Exceeding targets
- Troubleshooting complex problems
- Coming up with creative solutions
The interviewer needs to see your enthusiasm for what you do, and one of the best ways to express this is by providing a specific example of your motivation in action. Consider telling a brief story around your most significant motivating factor. Then, connect these motivating factors to the new job opportunity.
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
The ability to coach others, meeting new people, and seeing the engagement in associates.
Rachelle's Feedback
These are excellent motivators that show off your true leadership skills! Do you have an example of how you've successfully coached others in the past?
Anonymous Answer
When I meet and exceed my goals and targets, I feel incredibly motivated. It feels amazing to take the plan, put it into action, and then reap the rewards. For instance, in my previous workplace, I was in the top 5% in my department in performance indicators. The feeling is so rewarding that it motivates me to do even better in the following performance tests. I appreciate that your organization offers clear performance targets and then incentives based on exceeding them.
Rachelle's Feedback
It must have been very rewarding to be in the top 5% of your department. Utilizing the MQ framework, you give the interviewer a clear idea of the ways you are best motivated in the workplace.
Anonymous Answer
Exceeding goals and targets and seeing results. Knowing that my hard work and perseverance will help me achieve greater professional success keep me going. I feel that aligning the company visions and values with my own is one way to do that.
Rachelle's Feedback
It is apparent that you are highly dedicated and driven in your career. This is a well thought out response. Great job!
Anonymous Answer
Knowing that I am helping someone improve their quality of life. In that, the work I do will benefit them and their families.
Cindy's Feedback
Nice! Set the context by explaining what you do and how you help others and then explain why it's satisfying.
Anonymous Answer
I am results-oriented. I like getting things done and I aim to exceed expectations. I am very motivated by making my team a success. Working together with the shared goal of improving patient outcomes, making the physician's job easier, and assisting with any challenges faced as a team.
Stephanie's Feedback
It sounds like you make a wonderful team member! My only suggestion for improving your response is weaving in the phrase "self-motivated" (since you clearly are self-motivated!)
Anonymous Answer
I am very passionate about working in the healthcare industry since it enables me to touch the lives of people by providing them with better products and services.
"I feel incredibly motivated to see positive trends in my daily management and exceed goals and targets.
"Winning trust and leading impactful, high-priority global industrial transfer projects or acquisitions, or setting up new sites while being successful.
"Helping my team on troubleshooting complex problems.
"Coaching successors
Marcie's Feedback
These are all great motivators to mention. Be sure to answer in such a way that you aren't just listing items; instead, make your answer conversational and explain each motivator. Consider emphasizing one as your biggest motivation (perhaps touching the lives of others) since the question specifically asks about what motivates you the most. Great job!
Anonymous Answer
Knowing that I have been able to support our customers effectively to build strong relationships and contribute towards helping those HCPs and the patients they are caring for. I love going into nursing homes and being able to help the carers really understand dysphagia and how our product is best used to improve patient care. I love hearing the feedback that the session has made things much clearer for them, as they were often using the thickener incorrectly, which was putting their patients at risk. I found great motivation in helping support them and improve patient care.
Marcie's Feedback
Excellent. You come across in this response as genuine and passionate about helping others, which is great. Discussing the fact that you're very customer-driven will leave a good impression on the interviewer. It also sounds like verbal and written praise greatly motivates you. You might consider directly pointing this out in your answer. Great job!
Anonymous Answer
When I am entering data or reviewing a spreadsheet and I find a mistake. I am a very meticulous and thorough person and even the highest executive can make a mistake. When I can point out what I found and let them know it needs attention it makes me feel accomplished and also that they can count on me to deliver results and always be on my A-game.
Marcie's Feedback
Wow! It sounds like you are extremely detail-oriented, which is great. Just be careful not to come off like someone who enjoys catching others making mistakes (like a tattletale). Consider rephrasing your answer like below:
I am very motivated by the satisfaction I gain from submitting accurate work. I pride myself on being very detailed, and I always strive to produce high-level, polished documents and spreadsheets. Sometimes I notice the errors of others. Naturally, making mistakes happens to all of us! While I am always careful not to step on anyone's toes, I quietly make any necessary corrections so our work is top-notch and completely correct. My colleagues know that they can count on me and that I am always on my A-game. Knowing that we are producing the best work we can, motivates me tremendously.
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