Interview Q How Long Do You Expect to Work for Us

Interview Q How Long Do You Expect to Work for Us As a business, having high turnover rates can be incredibly challenging to deal with. It takes an immense amount of the budget to continue to rehire and retrain employees. Whether the leave was the employees choice or not it still costs the company out of pocket. This interview question is a way to mitigate that turnover. Well discuss how you should respond when asked about your intended stay with a company. Talking Tenure As previously mentioned, the business is attempting to uncover one thing: are  you a sound investment? If you plan on staying a  short time, a company wont go out of their way to hire you. Most companies are looking for someone with long term commitment to their business and cause. To start thinking about this question, it is important to make sure you know the length of the position. Most offers will be full time permanent, but you may also be in consideration for a contract position. In this case, just state you intend to work for the duration of the contract. Tie your answer into something about the company that makes you excited to work there. If you are a candidate for a permanent position, answering can be more dubious. You know you may not plan to stay forever, but this doesnt mean youll leave after a brief stint. When they are asking this question, interviewers are generally looking for a general mindset opposed to a definitive timeline. An acceptable common response is that you plan to stay as long as you are able to grow and benefit the organization. Any variation on this response is great. It illustrates that you want to learn and are dedicated to the company. Tie this in with something positive that excites you about the company and you are good to go. Mistakes to Avoid As with almost any interview question, there is the possibility of you shooting yourself in the foot in some way. There are a few common response to avoid with this question. To start, dont lie. If you only plan on staying for a short time, dont say youre in it for the long haul. When you leave well before you are expected it will reflect poorly on you and your manager wont be happy. This will destroy your likelihood of receiving a positive reference and hurt your future career. Also, make sure you understand the story your resume tells. If your resume shows youve only stayed for one year at your past three jobs, you would be a hard sell as along term employee. If your resume shows loyalty and dedication, emphasizing that is a good way to answer this question. Lastly, if you are in a situation that requires you to travel, disclose it clearly to your potential employer. If you have a spouse in the military or are for another reason constantly on the move be honest. If you keep the above advice in mind  without making any of the previously mentioned mistakes, you should be well prepared to encounter this question in an interview.