Motivation & Fit · UK 2026
How to answer "Why this company?"
Interviewers also phrase it as:
- "Why do you want to work here?"
- "What attracted you to our company?"
- "Why us?"
Why interviewers ask
Different from 'why this role' — this question tests whether you understand the company's mission, market position, or culture specifically. Interviewers want to confirm you didn't just apply because the JD matched your skills; they want evidence you'd choose this company over similar roles at competitors. Strong answers reference specific things about the company that are publicly verifiable. Weak answers are interchangeable across employers.
Model answer
Two reasons specifically. The first is [specific thing about the company's market position, mission, or strategy that's publicly stated]. I've been following [related industry trend] for the last year or so, and your approach to it stands out from competitors I've also looked at — particularly [specific differentiator]. The second is the team you've built. I've spoken to [name or function] previously, and the calibre and the way the team operates is the kind of environment where I do my best work. Plus your engineering blog (or careers content, or leadership LinkedIn) suggests a culture that's serious about [specific value] without being heavy-handed about it.
What to avoid (common bad answer)
Your company has a great reputation and I've heard good things from people in the industry. The work you do is really exciting and innovative. I think I'd fit well here. This is interchangeable with literally any company. Hiring managers can't distinguish you from candidates who applied 30 minutes before reading the JD.
Structure of a good answer
- 1 Two specific reasons — quality over quantity
- 2 Reason 1: Mission / market position / strategic direction — verifiable from their public content
- 3 Reason 2: Team, culture, or product specifics — drawn from research, not hearsay
- 4 Show you compared them to competitors and chose them deliberately
- 5 Avoid generic praise vocabulary (great, exciting, innovative)
Common mistakes
- ✗ Praising the company's brand in generic terms
- ✗ Citing salary, location, or remote work as the answer
- ✗ Mentioning competitors negatively — flags poor judgement
- ✗ Saying 'I love your product' without specifying which feature or aspect
- ✗ Comparing the company favourably to your current employer in detail — uncomfortable for the interviewer
Recruiter pro tip
Read the company's most recent product launch announcement and one piece of leadership thought-content (CEO's LinkedIn, founder's substack, latest engineering blog). The 30 minutes you spend on this is the difference between a memorable answer and one that gets you politely rejected. UK hiring managers are tired of candidates who treat 'why this company' as a warm-up question.
FAQ
What if the company doesn't have much public content to research? ▼
Smaller companies often don't. In that case, reference specifically what they've said in the JD or what the recruiter said in the screen — and ask 'what drew you to the company?' as a question back to them.
Is it OK to mention the company's funding or growth stage? ▼
Yes, but as evidence not as the reason. 'You're at the inflection point where Series B teams have the most leverage' is fine; 'You just raised £40m which is exciting' isn't.
Should I mention values or culture statements from their careers page? ▼
Only if you can connect them to specific behaviour you'd bring. Quoting their values back at them without context reads as sycophantic.