Any fresher interview question is generally common and simple. However, it can be hard to respond to. After all, “simple” does not mean “easy”! One such dreaded question that all freshers face in their interviews is, “how long will you work for us?”
For freshers, it’s a difficult interview question to answer. They are just starting out to explore the professional world. They are excited but unclear on how to shape their career. They are in the process of understanding what they like doing to earn money and build their careers. It is the starting point for them to become independant. Imagine someone asking you for commitment at that stage! It can feel like getting stuck.
So committing to one organization for years can be daunting. Companies, on the other hand, seek their recruits to stick with them for at least 2 to 3 years since the recruiting process is expensive. A typical employee departure costs 33% of their annual pay!!
The interviewers try to determine whether the applicant would put their full effort into the organization by asking this question. They want to know how serious you are about the role offered!
Here are a few tough questions in the minds of freshers …
Now, do you give a number that sounds realistic, or do you go with something more optimistic?
And what happens if you’re offered the job? What if your circumstances change, and you can’t commit for the length of time you promised?
In this blog post, we’ll explore some tips on answering this question effectively. Stay tuned!
Similar questions to, “How long will you work for us?”
This same interview question can come across you in multiple ways. Let us look at a few of them…
How Long Will You Stay With Us?
How Long Do You Plan On Working Here?
How long will you work for us if hired
How long do you see yourself holding this role if hired?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
How long do you expect to be employed by this company?
How long do you expect to remain employed with this company?
How long do you think you will be in this role?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Why does the Interviewer ask this fresher interview question?
It can cost a company anywhere from $1,000 to $4,000 to onboard a new employee. In the Indian context, the cost of employee acquisition for fresher roles can easily be between Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000. This includes costs such as preparing and conducting interviews, background checks, issuing offer letters and negotiating salaries, and training the new employee.
However, many smaller costs add up, such as travel and hotel costs for training sessions, orientation materials like welcome packets or websites, and payroll and HR processing fees.
This is why “How long will you work for us” is a common question asked during fresher interviews. The interviewer wants to know if you’re in for a short-term or long-term.
If you’re looking for a short-term gig, the interviewer will likely move to the next candidate. However, if you’re looking for a long-term commitment, the interviewer will likely ask you about your career goals and how the company can help you achieve them.
Few reasons why the interviewer is asking this question:
1. The interviewer wants to get an idea about how committed you are to the job and whether you will be working for them for a long time.
2. The interviewer may want to know if you are expecting a job offer elsewhere and whether they need to consider extending an offer to you soon.
How to answer, “How long will you work for us?”
The answer to this question will depend on the individual and the company. However, a good answer would be something along the lines of “I’m looking for a long-term career opportunity with a company that values its employees and provides job stability.”
The interviewer is likely asking this question to get an idea of your commitment level and whether you’re planning to stay with the company for a while. So it’s important to come across as someone who is enthusiastic about the job and wants to be there for the long haul.
Here are a few tips to help you formulate your response:
1. Do your research! Find out what the average tenure is for employees in your field. This will give you a good idea of what the interviewer is looking for.
2. Take into account your current stage in life.
3. Express gratitude for the opportunity and state that you are excited to commit long-term to the company.
4. If possible, think of a practical and reasonable timeframe.
Points To Remember while answering this fresher interview question
It’s important to know what the company expects from the employee regarding tenure before answering this question.
Some companies expect employees to work for a set number of years, while others do not have any specific time frame in mind.
If the employee is unsure how long they plan to stay with the company, it’s best to give a range rather than a specific number.
In some cases, the answer may depend on the company’s performance and whether or not the employee feels like they are benefiting from their job.
It’s important to consider the following factors while answering:
1. The employee’s current workload and responsibilities
2. The company’s work culture and the employees fit within the company culture
3. Salary and benefits offered by the company
4. Commute time and whether or not the commute is manageable
5 Sample Answers for, “How long will you stay with us?”
“As a fresher, I am looking to work for your company for at least 2 years. I want to gain good experience in this field and learn as much as I can. I think that first 5 to 10 years are crucial in anyone’s career. My focus is on learning and building the fundamental skills that can help me in long term with my career. So as long as possible, I want to grow with one company and avoid switching jobs.”
I am motivated by prospects for growth and advancement. I hope that there are plenty of opportunities for the same at your company. I would be happy to work with a company for as long as it can provide me with the experiences to boost my learning and skill building.
I would be happy to stay for a long time if there is enough work to do and learn from. I enjoy being productive and feel satisfaction from completing tasks that deliver value. I am looking foryour company to provide me with opportunities that challenge me and can be fulfilling.
As a graduate, it’s been my ambition to work for your firm since I was young. So if I’m chosen, it’ll be an honor, and I am gunning to deliver my best. I have a feeling that I can build a very long term career here with the kind of possibilities I see for myself in this company.
I want to continue working for this company as long as my services are needed and appreciated. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute my skills and experience to this team, and I look forward to continuing our productive work experience.
Tips for Giving a Convincing Answer
When answering the question, “how long will you work for us,” it’s important to be realistic and honest. Remember that the interviewer is looking for a good long-term fit for the position and the company. So be sure to carefully express yourself while being truthful.
You want to make sure that you come across as someone interested in the position and enthusiastic about the opportunity. Be realistic in your answer. If the interviewer presses you for specifics, provide a reasonable timeline.
Here are a few tips to follow while answering this question:
1. Be specific about the role you are interested in and how long you are ideally looking to stay in that role.
2. Show that you have researched the company and indicate what caught your attention about them.
3. Express your enthusiasm for the position and explain what makes it a good fit for you.
4. Frame your answer more about what you can offer the company, than what they can offer you.
5. Be realistic about your availability while indicating that your natural inclination is to work long-term.
Mistakes To Avoid While Answering This Question
- Avoid short one-line responses or being specific
When an interviewer asks how long you plan to work for their company, they are looking for a sign of your commitment level. A good thoughtful answer will reflect your enthusiasm for the role. It indicates that you see yourself staying with the company for the foreseeable future.
If you use one-liners, it will be hard for you to showcase it. Imagine if you can really express yourself in one line about such a topic. Plus, if you use a specific number, it may show your lack of maturity or they can show overconfidence.
Instead, try responding with something like this: “I’m interested in staying with the company for as long as possible. I think your company has a lot of potential, and I’m excited about what I can learn here.”
- Don’t indicate that your continued work with the company is based on salary
Don’t say that your continued work with the company is based on money. This makes it sound like you’re only there for the paycheque and that you’ll leave as soon as something better comes along.
- Don’t make promises you can’t keep
If you’re not sure how long you’ll be able to stay with the company, don’t commit to anything. It’s always better to underpromise and overdeliver than vice versa.
If you make a commitment and then have to leave, it can reflect poorly on you. So it’s always better, to be honest, and upfront about your intentions.
- Don’t lie about your intentions
Don’t lie about your intentions while answering how you will work for us. It’s important, to be upfront about your goals and motivations to create a productive working relationship.
If you’re looking for a job that will help you advance your career, be clear about that while answering. If you’re looking to learn new skills, be clear about that too. Employers want to know what they hope to gain from the experience to assess whether it’s a good fit for both parties.
On a side note, both parties need to be honest and realistic to make the best possible decision for everyone involved.
- Don’t volunteer too much information
It’s important to be clear and concise when answering questions about how you can help a company or organization. The interviewers mainly focus on what you can do for them, not what they can do for you. Plus if you inadvertently speak something that indicates that you may lack in cultural fitness or something that turns the interviewer off because of his own preferences, you unnecessarily put your selection for the position at risk.
The Bottom Line
Statistics say that employers in the United States spend $2.9 billion every day searching for new employees. So that’s almost $1 trillion each year, which is quite expensive.
This is why the interviewer wants to know how long the potential employee plans on working for their company.
This question gives you an idea of their commitment level and shows that you are looking out for the best interest of both parties.
If you have any other questions, feel free to talk to us, and we will be more than happy to explore them in our upcoming articles.