Welcome back to Hublr.

Recruitment season is well underway in the UK, with some companies opening their applications as early as July and August.

Which means some of you might already be making your way through the HireVue process.

And, let’s be honest, talking to yourself through a screen is nobody’s idea of fun.

You can expect questions that assess competencies such as teamwork, leadership, communication and problem-solving. But you may also come across motivational questions, particularly:

This question can look straightforward. It is not.

From my own experience, as well as having interviewed a fair number of candidates within financial services, there are a few things I would keep in mind.

What is the recruiter actually trying to find out?

When a recruiter asks “Why us?”, they are not simply asking whether you like the company.

They are trying to understand:

1. Have you actually researched us?

Or did you apply because you saw the job on LinkedIn and thought, “Why not?”

2. Why this company specifically?

Could your answer be copied and pasted into an application for five of their competitors?

3. Do you understand what you are applying for?

They want to see that you have looked beyond the job title and have some understanding of the role, business and industry.

4. Is there a genuine reason you want to be here?

You do not need to have dreamed about working for the company since childhood. But there should be something specific that genuinely interests you.

So, what makes a good answer?

The easiest way to think about it is:

Company → Specific reason → Personal connection

For example, Amazon has 16 Leadership Principles, including Customer Obsession, Ownership, Invent and Simplify, Think Big, Bias for Action and Earn Trust.

Instead of saying:

You could identify one of its principles that genuinely resonates with you and explain why.

Perhaps you have repeatedly demonstrated ownership in previous experiences. Perhaps you are particularly attracted to Amazon's emphasis on innovation and thinking big.

The important part is not simply mentioning the Leadership Principles.

It is explaining why one of them matters to you.

The same approach works outside of Amazon.

Take UBS.

UBS highlights collaboration, development and belonging as important parts of its culture. Its early-career programmes include mentoring, technical training and networking, and the firm has 60+ employee networks globally, which are open to all employees.

If you are genuinely interested in building a career in an environment where employee networks and belonging are important to you, that could form part of your answer.

The key word here is genuinely.

Do not mention an employee network simply because you found it on the website five minutes before your interview.

What should you avoid?

I would stay away from answers such as:

There is nothing inherently wrong with these statements.

The problem is that almost every other candidate can say exactly the same thing.

And if your answer could be used for Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, HSBC, Barclays, UBS and Morgan Stanley with only the company name changed, you probably have not researched the company deeply enough.

Think beyond the surface.

Instead of:

“I want to work here because you are a global leader.”

Try:

“I am particularly interested in X because…”

Then explain:

• something specific about the company

• something specific about the role or business area

• and why that connects to you

That final part is what turns research into an answer.

Your 10-minute research test

Before recording your HireVue, ask yourself:

Can I answer these five questions?

• What does this company actually do?

• What does the team/business area I am applying to do?

• What differentiates this company from its competitors?

• What is something specific about the company that genuinely interests me?

• Why does that matter to me?

If you can answer all five without opening another browser tab, you are probably in a much stronger position.

And remember: the recruiter does not expect you to know everything about the company.

They want to see that you have made the effort to understand where you are applying, why you are applying and why you could see yourself there.

So before you press “Start Recording”, do not just prepare your competency examples.

Prepare your “Why us?” too.

You might only get 90 seconds to answer.

Make them count.

Before you go…

Recruitment season is already underway. If you are applying for internships, graduate schemes or early-career roles, do not wait until you reach the interview stage to start preparing.

At Hublr, we are here to help you navigate every step, from finding the right opportunities to submitting your application and preparing for interviews.

Explore opportunities, access career resources and stay ahead of recruitment season at wearehublr.com.

And if you found this useful, subscribe to the Hublr newsletter for more practical career advice, opportunities and honest insights every week.

Until next week,
Hublr