If hired here, how long do you believe you would stay at our company?
"I see this as a long-term position for myself. I understand that there are many growth opportunities with your organization and I look forward to proving myself here, first as a retail sales associate, and eventually into a district manager."
"I am looking for a company with which I can grow. It's been fascinating and informative to hear how you have some employees that have been here for over ten years, and how they've grown throughout their tenure. I loved learning that there are mentoring opportunities and hope to get involved as soon as I start. My professional goal is to earn my way into a territory sales position with your organization, in the next few years."
"I would like to stay with your company as long as you will have me! I am just starting my career and want to have proven tenure, from the start. It sounds as though you have many professional development opportunities here that will keep me engaged, and challenged."
"I appreciate you taking a risk when it comes to hiring me because I do not have current tenure to which you can refer. I am a loyal person, which you can see in my related athletic commitments as well as the volunteer opportunity I have committed to for the past three years. I plan to stay long-term."
"Working for your company would be a dream come true! I have had my eye on your agency since I started earning my Marketing degree. I would be a dependable and long-term addition to your team. You will be hard-pressed to find another candidate more enthusiastic than I!"
"It's important to me that I join a school where I can carve out a long-term career. My wish is to nurture long-term relationships with these students, their families, and this community."
You may not know the answer to this, for sure, but the interviewer still wants assurance that this role is not just a short blip on your employment radar. It's expensive for an employer to hire and adequately train new employees and they need assurance that their investment of time and money will offer a return.
Rather than giving them a time frame, you may want to share your career goals. You can say, "I am working towards becoming a sales manager, and I would be thrilled to lead one of your teams here one day."
By sharing that you have a vested interest in the company, they will feel reassured that you are indeed going to stick around for a while.
"I am working towards becoming a sales manager, and I would be thrilled to lead one of your teams here one day."
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