How Long Do You Expect to Work for Us if Hired?

Job Interview Question & Answer: How Long Do You Plan on Working Here?

Reasons For Asking And How To Respond

As hiring new employees costs time and money, employers ask interviewees about the expected timelines of employment to gauge how beneficial an investment job candidates may prove. Honesty remains an important factor in responding, as candidates planning to leave eventually should strive to exit the company on good terms. To answer the question well, hopefuls should prepare a brief statement but avoid curt few-word responses. Relating answers back to the well-being and best interest of the company allows job seekers to leave favorable impressions with hiring personnel.

Talk About Goals
As part of interview preparation, job candidates should reflect on career aspirations. Consider how the company fits into such goals and truthfully assess how long the company can effectively support individual aims. Additionally, acceptable answers vary from industry to industry, so consider the type of work when preparing answers. Food service industry interviewers, for example, expect a higher rate of employee turnover. Several months to one year persists as an acceptable employment duration, and interviewees maintain the option of relating longevity back to education goals.

What If I Need To Relocate?
Lastly, job seekers who must relocate often should disclose the possibility to employers. For instance, individuals with spouses in the military may move every two years. Assuring employers of commitment until such a deadline remains an acceptable way to deal with imminent relocation. Furthermore, interviewees unsure of future plans may use any permutation of a response which reassures employers of plans to stay as long as growth continues to serve the needs of the company and job hopefuls.