Why Employers Ask “How Did You Hear About the Position?

Resume Tips
#1

First, they honestly want to know. They’re curious.

You see, employers post jobs in many different places, and if they find a candidate they like (you), they’re curious how you found them.

For example, maybe they posted their position on two job boards, and also created a YouTube video about their hiring needs. They want to know which of their efforts are most effective, so they’ll often begin an initial phone interview by asking a question like, “how did you hear about this job?”

There’s one more reason they ask, too… And this is where you can make a mistake if you’re not careful…
They’re asking you how you heard about them because they want to hire someone who’s being targeted and specific in their job hunt. Employers want to hire someone who knows what they want.

They don’t want someone who will accept any job they can get. They’d much rather get someone who’s excited for THEIR specific job… because they think that person will be more motivated, more energetic, etc.

This is also why employers ask questions like, “Why did you apply for this job?” “why do you want this job?” and, “what do you know about our company?”

So you need to make sure your answer shows that you have intent and purpose in your job search, and you didn’t just stumble onto their job randomly, along with 1,000 other jobs you’ve applied for.