You have crafted your CV to fit a job you are interested in and have been invited for a screening interview. You sit on your desk, browsing through some questions you can be asked by the hiring manager/employer. As you may have now discovered, one of the most commonly asked questions by recruiters is “what can you bring to our company?”
As straightforward as the question may seem, a great level of tact is required to provide the perfect response to this delicate question. Many hiring managers ask this question to properly understand the attributes, abilities/capabilities, and credentials that distinguish you from other candidates and make you a perfect fit for the position in question. Generally speaking, a hiring manager is interested in recruiting someone who is not just concerned about the benefits of the job alone but has what it takes to accomplish their duties in the company, as well as be creative enough to introduce useful and fresh perspectives that move the company forward.
Having said that, your answer to the question must demonstrate that your skills and experience will make you an asset to the company. It must also prove that you have the recipe to progress and possess qualities that align with the company’s vision, mission, and values.
So, here’s how to successfully answer the question ‘what can you bring to the company?’
The first step is to research and gather as much information about the company ahead of your interview as possible. You may want to visit the company’s “About Us” page on their website or even its social media pages to learn about its vision, mission, core values, and general mode of operation. Doing this gives you insight into how you can positively influence the company ultimately, thus giving you the right answer to the question.
Many companies have information about their Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or the Chief Operating Officer (COO) on their websites. Consider checking the website of the company you intend to work at for information about some of the executive-level managers. Learning about these upper-level members could provide additional insight on the goals of the company and how you can contribute towards attaining them.
Your communication skills can be said to be the extent to which you can effectively convey or share your ideas. Working on enhancing your verbal and non-verbal communication skills (posture, touch, eye contact, body language, etc.), will enable you to provide answers concisely and accurately, which in turn will boost your confidence. And most importantly, effective communication skills will help the hiring manager understand you better and see you as someone that is capable of adding value to the company.
Here are some verbal and nonverbal communication Dos and Don’ts:
Do:
Don’t:
Your answer to this question depends on the kind of company and position you are applying for, in accordance with the skills you possess. However, the examples below could serve as a template or a source of ideas and help you perfectly answer this question:
An answer for a social media management role may sound like this:
"As I read in the job description, Torcy Group is looking to increase its brand awareness through social media. Working with this company, I'd bring my experience and skill set in social media marketing and advertising to expand Torcy Group's recognition market to real estate agents. In my past role at Lumi Agency as the leader of a team of 8 social media marketers, I played a big part in developing and implementing strategies that helped customers recognize the brand under several conditions. In three months, our 8-person social media marketing team helped increase traffic to our social media pages by 67% and attracted 20 more advertisers."
An answer for a graphic designer job may sound like this:
My experience with UI/UX design will make me an asset to your company. Working with Mag Designs, I had extensive experience -about 4 years of experience- working with several design and UX research software, while doing adequate UX research and developing contemporary interfaces with brilliant visuals, colors, and typography. Working with your company, I'll make sure to always surpass the set expectations by incorporating my remarkable technical and visual design skills and my passion for creating stellar graphic designs. Additionally, my skills in marketing will enable me to create graphic designs that boost the sales of your garage doors, ranking you above your competitors and building brand loyalty for your company.
An answer for the job of an editor may sound like this:
In my conversation with Tina at the initial stage, she mentioned that the magazine wants an editor that returns each article to the writer as soon as possible, so corrections can be made quickly, and the work approved before the deadline. This is exactly what distinguishes me as an editor - my keen eye for details and my ability to provide great editing in the shortest time possible. Additionally, the magazine will be gaining a resourceful employee, who is skilled at giving constructive feedback and recognizing ways in which writers can improve their work.
