What Do Companies REALLY Want?

I’m sure you’ve been there before. Find the perfect job online, write an awesome application, but never hear back. Or you get an interview but it goes nowhere.

It’s time to consider what do companies really want when hiring, and what they’re looking for in their new employees…

What is a “Mission”?

You’ve seen them. Pretty much all companies have them. A mission is generally a short statement which makes the goals (what) and purpose (why) behind the business.

Usually, they’re things like:

“Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis” – Patagonia

“To create a better everyday life for the many people” – Ikea

“To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy” – Tesla

You see, missions are basically the strategic way that the companies make money. If you are able to put into words how you will help to achieve this mission (i.e. make the company MONEY)…

You’re hired!

Speaking of money…

The person hiring you most often controls the budget for hiring new employees. Show them how you will make that budget spend worthwhile and…

You’re hired!

So… How do I actually do this?

Ok so there’s a few questions you can ask yourself first.

What is the problem or issue this company tries to solve?

What is the product or service they sell?

What does this company value or hold really important?

Most often you can answer these questions with a little bit of research on the company website or LinkedIn page. And once you know the answers, you can go about using them to your advantage.

How can you be the person to align yourself with what this company is doing and where they are heading?

First…

Find their mission and use some of these keywords in your cover letter. Make sure you talk to these points when you do a follow-up call and in your interview.

Remember that you want to show them how you are going to help them make MONEY!

Second…

Boost your confidence and competence in one by specifically referring to their purpose, their product, or their key values.

Use the language they use.

Show them you’ve done your research and that your professional and personal traits align with the direction they are heading.

Next…

Don’t lie. This is really important. If you read about their mission and their goals and their values and feel like you have to lie to align yourself with them… then maybe this isn’t the job for you.

Hiring managers are generally pretty good at picking up on bluffs too.

Something I ALWAYS go back to is that if you can’t see yourself there long term, it’s not a career – it’s a job. So to avoid job-hopping, make sure that you truly can align yourself with this company.

Lastly…

If you’ve found your dream job and need some help in linking up your existing skillset and personal traits to match the company’s mission…

We’ve got your back. We’ve got so much experience in matching up key selection criteria, role responsibilities, and business objectives with your employment experience.

This is what we do.

Book a free consultation to find out how we can help!

Kate