Hiring managers often want to know about the factors that demotivate you. Your response to the “What demotivates you?” interview question can significantly impact a hiring managers’ decision. Understanding why employers ask this question and preparing your response in advance can help you appear confident and positive during the interview. In this article, we discuss why interviewers ask you about demotivating factors and how to respond to the question, along with some example answers, to help you create your own.
Sarah_Smith – What de-motivates you in the workplace?
How to Answer “What Motivates You?”
Take some time to research the company and the job prior to the interview. The more you know about the organizational goals of the employer, the better equipped you’ll be to respond.
It can be hard to think of a good answer for this question on the spot since it requires a bit of self-reflection. To prepare your answer, think about the jobs you have held in the past:
Whether it was a successful meeting with a client, a complex project wrangled into submission, a new skill you mastered, or anything else, keep these positive moments in mind when conceptualizing your answer.
Tips for Giving the Best Answer
Keep the job in mind. When preparing your answer, also think about the skills and abilities that will be the most useful for this job. Try to highlight these in your answer. For example, if you are applying to be a manager, framing an answer around relationship building and helping others succeed and meet goals might be a stronger answer than a discussion about learning new things or working with clients.
Consider the company culture. If the company emphasizes the camaraderie of its staff, for example, you might mention how achieving goals as a group motivates you. If you don’t know much about the company culture, do some research before your interview to learn as much as you can.
Share an example. You might want to include an example from your previous job to explain the kinds of projects or tasks that motivate you. For example, if you say that you are driven by results, give an example of a time you set a goal and met (or exceeded) it.
Make sure the example demonstrates a time you used your motivation to add value to an organization in some way.
For example, perhaps you saved a company money, completed a project ahead of schedule, or solved a problem for an employee. Telling a story about your achievements is always a good way to show the interviewer your accomplishments. This will help the interviewer see how your motivation can benefit the company.
When you answer this question, be honest. If you tailor your answer to exactly what you think the employer wants to hear, you will likely come off as insincere.
Giving an honest answer will also help you see if you are a good fit for the job and company.
Furthermore, keep your audience in mind. While you may be most motivated by receiving a regular paycheck, that answer is not very inspiring from an interviewers perspective.
What the Interviewer Wants to Know
In asking this question, interviewers hope to figure out what makes you tick. The hiring manager wants to know what drives you to succeed. They also want to determine whether your motivators will be a fit for the jobs duties and the companys culture.
For the hiring manager, its important to learn whether your motivators are inline with the jobs responsibilities. If youre motivated by a challenging workplace, for example, you may not be the best fit for a routine data entry job.
Honest answers can help reveal what circumstances help you feel excited and enthused. (Another common variant of this interview question is, “What are you passionate about?” which also tries to determine what makes an interviewee feel excited and fulfilled.)
Providing insight into the forces that motivate you at work can be a window into your personality and work style, thereby helping your interviewers understand you as both a person and a potential employee.
Theres a big difference between the candidate whos motivated by building teams and establishing strong relationships with coworkers, and the candidate whose best day is working independently on a report that improves the companys bottom line. Both candidates bring with them strong advantages, and this question can help interviewers narrow their pool down to the individual who is the best fit for the position and the company.
Watch Now: 4 Ways to Answer “What Motivates You?”
Talk about factors that don’t impact your job
Its best to talk about small, insignificant demotivating factors that dont have a major impact on your work. For example, if you say that unpleasant coworkers and inefficient leadership demotivate you, it may be interpreted as lacking teamwork skills. Similarly, considering something essential for your job as a demotivating factor may disqualify you for the position. For example, if a job involves traveling or report writing, you may want to talk about something unrelated as your demotivating factor.
Example answers for the “What demotivates you?” interview question
Here are some examples for answering what demotivates you:
Answer with confidence
Hiring managers observe your confidence level throughout the interview. Answering this question confidently also hints at your honesty. So, sit straight, remain relaxed and make intermittent eye contact with the interviewer while sharing your motivating and demotivating factors with them.
Lack of a clear strategy example
“I find it conducive to work in an organization that has clearly defined goals and strategies. Frequent changes in policies cause confusion as to what the management wants from you. It demotivates the employees and makes them lose interest in their work.”
Common Demotivating Factors at Work
Theres no right or wrong answer to this question, so its important to be honest. But if youve never pondered what demotivates you, it can be tough to know where to even start. Learn about common demotivating factors and whether they ring true for you.
According to Lifehack, stress or fear is a major culprit behind demotivation at work, and it comes from many sources. Some employees constantly feel pressured due to micromanagement or a perceived lack of job security, which in turn saps enthusiasm and motivation. Other times, employees will feel demotivated when they feel like their hard work is going nowhere. Maybe they had high hopes of a promotion or raise, and it hasnt materialized.
Forbes points out that it can also be hard to put in your best effort when you dont respect company leadership. Maybe they constantly make decisions that affect you negatively or that you dont agree with, and its made you feel like your work isnt as important as you once thought. You can feel the same way about your coworkers. Finally, sheer boredom can demotivate anyone and lead to a lackluster performance.
Why They Ask “What Motivates You?”
It’s a broad question, and there is no one right answer. However, there is a way to answer it correctly.
When an interviewer asks what keeps you motivated?, they are really asking: What drives you to succeed? What makes you tick? What energizes you? What inspires you?
This question is deeper than how it appears at face value, and your response answers more than just the base question.
Your reply to the motivation question tells them how you would fit in with the company culture.
On top of that, the interviewer gains insight into how you would be as an employee, which is crucial. After all, these interviews are designed to find the company the best possible candidate.
Pro Tip: All candidates being equal, answering this question correctly will put you on the top of the call-back list. Make sure you’ve got a great answer planned out!
This is an important question, for sure, but there are many others you need to get right, as well. Check out this article to get familiar with them: Common Job Interview Questions and Best Answers
Hiring supervisors typically would like to know about the factors that demotivate you. Your reaction to the “What demotivates you?” interview concern can considerably impact a hiring supervisors’ decision. Understanding why companies ask this concern and preparing your action beforehand can help you appear positive and favorable throughout the interview. In this post, we talk about why recruiters ask you about demotivating factors and how to react to the question, together with some example responses, to help you develop your own.Why do companies
FAQ
What Demotivates you in your job?
According to Lifehack, stress or fear is a major culprit behind demotivation at work, and it comes from many sources. Some employees constantly feel pressured due to micromanagement or a perceived lack of job security, which in turn saps enthusiasm and motivation.
What are your biggest demotivators?
How do you answer what motivates you in an interview?
- learning new things.
- acquiring new skills.
- meeting deadlines, goals and targets.
- coaching others.
- improving processes, finding ways to solving problems.
- leading a team or being a part of a team.
- completing a difficult project.
- overcoming challenges.
How do I demotivate my best employee?
- Making a lot of stupid rules. …
- Letting accomplishments go unrecognized. …
- Hiring and promoting the wrong people. …
- Treating everyone equally. …
- Tolerating poor performance. …
- Going back on their commitments. …
- Being apathetic. …
- Follow the platinum rule.
