When interviewing candidates, hiring managers often ask several common questions, including “How long will you stay with us?” These types of questions help companies and organizations determine how dependable candidates may be in the long term if they hire them. If you’re searching for roles and expect to interview for positions, it may be helpful to learn how to answer a question regarding how long you plan to stay with a company.In this article, we explain why employers ask “How long will you stay with us?”, discover how to answer this type of question and explore example answers for this common interview question that you can reference.
How long would you stay with us, if hired? Job Interview Question and Answer
What the Interviewer Wants to Know
Interviewers ask this question because they are concerned about whether a candidate is interested in a long-term position or will move on from the job sooner rather than later. Hiring and training new employees is an expensive process. By bringing you on board, the company is investing a significant amount of time and money into you.
An interviewer may pose the question in one of several ways:
Dont be caught off guard. Sometimes, candidates will blurt out that they are only looking for a short-term stint as they are looking to move across the country or go back to school. While upfront, those responses are not likely to impress an interviewer, and they can swiftly get you removed from the candidate list.
The employer wants to know that their investment will pay off, not that their money will be wasted if you plan to quit in six months.
Examples of the Best Answers
Try out these responses to the question, “How long do you expect to work at our company?” These answers are a safe way to respond to the question. They do not give a specific timeline, but do demonstrate your enthusiasm for the role and the company.
Example Answer #1
Im excited about the research and innovations your company has delivered in the past few years. Ive been looking for a position with a dynamic company engaged in the community, and your organization certainly fits that description. I think this role is a great match for my skills and experience and that it would offer me a chance to grow professionally. I expect to be here for as long as I can contribute.
Why It Works: This answer works because the applicant ties a forward-looking organization’s research and development to the skill set the applicant possesses to let the interviewer know that they plan to remain with the company as long as it is a good fit.
Example Answer #2
Because my spouse is in the military, we will likely be moving in two years, but I would like to work here steadily until then.
Why It Works: This answer works because you are being honest with the interviewer about your situation, but you are also expressing your desire to work.
Example Answer #3
I would prefer to stay long-term, if possible. I like the flexible hours you offer, which would work well with my other commitments, such as my studies (or children, family, etc.).
Why it Works: This is a good answer because it reflects the applicant’s good fit with the company culture.
Example Answer #4
I dont have any immediate plans to move on. Id like a job where I can have continuity and be part of a team.
Why It Works: This expresses commitment to the company and the team that you’ll be working with. It also shows the interviewer that you plan to stay with the company.
Tips for Giving the Best Response
Focus on the Positive. Say something positive about the company, that you are excited to interview for the position, and that you would be happy working there.
Talk about the aspects of the job that appeal to you and would encourage you to stay.
Mention Company Culture. Mention that the company culture seems to be a good fit for your skill set.
Discuss Recent Developments. Talk about a recent industry or company development and how that fits in with your goals.
Consider References. If you are applying for a retail or service position, be as honest as possible when you answer. You dont want to mislead a potential supervisor, as you may need to use him or her for a reference at some time in the future.
Answers to Avoid
Refrain from giving vague responses when interviewers ask how long you plan to stay with the company. If you say that you want to work there “forever” or “for as long as possible,” employers may think you are lying about your intentions. Also, only discuss your goals for the next five years or less to avoid giving too many details about your plans.
Account for Changing Plans
Employers understand that outside situations may change your plans of working with them long-term. If you are likely to experience a move, deployment, or a similar event within the next year, it may be helpful to discuss eventually relocating to a different branch. That way, you can assure interviewers that you are committed to joining the company despite changing circumstances.
Sample Responses for “How Long Do You Plan on Working Here?”
Inquiries about your future with the company can catch applicants off guard. Use the following examples to help you prepare an acceptable answer for this interview question.
Sample Job 1 – Assistant Teacher at a Daycare
“I plan on staying with the company for quite a while. Working with children has always been a passion of mine, and I am looking forward to connecting with all of the kids. I am currently studying Early Childhood Education at my college and would love to have my own class here someday once I finish my degree.”
Sample Job 2 – Server at a Restaurant
“If I get hired, I intend to work here for at least the next two years. My spouse is in the military, so we will likely be moving after that. In the meantime, though, I want to have a steady job that I enjoy. Since I love working with people and have an extensive customer service background, this job seems like a perfect fit.”
Sample Job 3 – Cashier at a Retail Store
“My goal is to work here for a long time. The various career advancement opportunities are what drew me to this position in the first place. I figured I would start with a cashier job and hopefully move up to a sales position within a year or so. From there, I would like to expand my skills until I am ready for a supervisory position. Eventually, I would like to have a management job with the company.”
How to answer “How long will you stay with us?”
Here are some steps you can follow to answer this question effectively:
Example answers to “How long will you stay with us?”
Here are four effective example answers to the question “How long will you stay with us?” that you can reference in preparation for an interview with a hiring manager:
Example 4
“Im only planning on living in this location for two years due to my wife stationing here, but I hope to positively contribute during my time here. While I can only work with the company for a shorter period of time, I possess extensive experience with establishing short-term project success and plan to use my expertise to ensure that your company can achieve greater success over the next two years.”
Why employers ask “How long will you stay with us?”
There are a few variations of this question that you may encounter in an interview, including:
Be optimistic, clear, and honest. If there are any compelling reasons why you don’t think you would stay on the job, avoid using language that would lead the interviewer to believe that you want to be with the company long term if you sense that’s what he or she is looking for. If you do want the job, let your genuine enthusiasm come through.
Alan is the creator of Interview Success Formula, a training program that has helped more than 80,000 job seekers to ace their interviews and land the jobs they deserve. Interviewers love asking curveball questions to weed out job seekers. But the truth is, most of these questions are asking about a few key areas. Learn more about how to outsmart tough interviewers by watching this video.
Sample Answer: “I am looking for a long term position and if there are opportunities for advancement and growth here then I want to stay for a long time,” Mr. Githaiga states.
He further notes that, “The advice on handling these type of questions is to make sure you show that you will commit and be sincere as much as possible.”
Sample Answer: “I would like to work for you as long as I can grow professionally and that I get exposed to more challenging tasks.”
3.Friendly work environment. This is the time to show that you are really interested in working for the company, tell them about the background search you have done on the company.
Sample Answer: ‘I will stay as long as it takes and my performance will continue progressing for the greater performance of the company’
7 Answers 7 Sorted by:
Id say “I expect great things for working with you over the years in terms of career opportunities, exposure to company challenges and promotion to positions where I can be of high value to you. If these things happen as I have every reason to expect, I see no point in arbitrarily ending my relationship with you simply because I have worked for you x number of years”
The difference between my answer and yours is that you thought that the question was exclusively about you and you gave your answer without giving any thought to the company. The company, not unnaturally, gives plenty of thought to the company.
Your answer is defective in that you tossed out an arbitrary number and the company still has no idea as to why youd stay and why youd leave. Lets say that they interviewed a slew of candidates who said theyd leave within 5-6 years and in the experience of the company, they actually leave within two years. Well, your stock answer just gave you the same level of credibility as these candidates whether you like it or not. And you just disclosed that you are leaving the company no matter what.
Put yourself in that somebodys shoes before you answer the next time they ask you a question. If you never ask yourself why theyd ask the question and what they are trying to get at when they ask the question, there is a chance that youll burn yourself answering it. Especially if they were looking for a red flag when they asked you the question.
If I were interviewing, I would ask this question simply to see if the candidate was capable of saying, “I dont know” to a question which they dont know the answer to. Having people who are able to say, “I dont know” is valuable to decision makers. It is so common for people to just make stuff up when put on the spot, take guesses and present them as fact, try to appear more knowledgable than they are, etc.
Clearly, its great to qualify that with something like “I dont know, but Id hope that things would work out well for us long term”.
Basically this points to them wanting to know two things:
As for the answer: dont give precise years – nobody knows; in further interviews, if confronted to the same question, express that you want your collaboration to be long term, all things considered. But that you are mostly interested in the “now”, and you dont want to quantify in years precisely because that is not how life goes. Something around that at least.
I think I would have answered “there are too many factors outside of my control for me to possibly answer that. However, as long as my work is challenging and rewarding, and the company has a bright future, I dont see any reason why I would look to leave after a set time span.”
Id give a literal answer to the question: “Ill stay until either you decide or I decide that we should separate. Ill do my best to make you want me to stay, and I hope you do the same. “
I would have answered the question just based solely on my own personal career history (giving about the same answer). I would have explained that rationale to the interviewer.
If that answer doesnt tell them the information they are really looking for, they are welcome to ask a follow up question or a clearer question. “Mind reader” is not listed as a skill on my resume, so if they have an expectation that I am going to answer questions they didnt really ask, thats their problem and not mine.
If the interviewer doesnt like my answer, they are welcome to reject me. I go into most interviews assuming I will be rejected, because most (more than 51%) of the time in the past, I have been rejected; and the vast majority of the interviews I have conducted, I have rejected the candidate. When I am rejected I do think about what I could have done better, but I dont get hung up on any one answer or interaction because the truth is, you just have no way of knowing why you were rejected. Even if you ask and are told something, what you are told could be true (or not) but its probably one reason among many. And there is a lot of randomness and arbitrariness in any interview process.
In situations like this, ask yourself, how would Johnny Rico answer? He would say:
FAQ
How long will you stay with us interview questions?
- Remain honest and positive. Whether you plan to stay at a company for a short time or long term, try to ensure that your response is positive and honest. …
- Discuss company accomplishments. …
- Highlight your previous work experience.
How long do you plan to stay with the company answer?
How long do you want to work with us?
How long should you stay in a role?
