What motivates you? How to answer in a UK interview, with an example

In Evident's view, a good answer to "What motivates you?" names one or two things that really drive you in your work, backs one of them with a true example and links it to what the job involves. Several UK sources say the answer should be honest, relevant and specific, and they differ on money, on whether to use the STAR method and on how much to prepare. Everything you say must be true, because the interviewer can ask for the example behind it.

This guide draws on UK recruiters, job boards, universities and public bodies, listed under Sources, and shows where they disagree. It includes a fictional worked example built from an evidence sheet. It focuses on the day-to-day question of what drives you, although some pages blur it with why you want the job. If the question is why you want this particular employer, see our guide to answering why you want to work for us.

What the interviewer is checking

Several UK pages describe it as a check on fit and drive. Bright Network says interviewers want to know what drives you and whether you are right for the role and the company, and adds that what they want to hear depends on the kind of candidate they are looking for (Bright Network). Totaljobs says the employer wants to know whether you will be driven to do a good job, and Careers Wales says employers want to find out whether you will be motivated in the job (Totaljobs, Careers Wales). Reed frames it as whether you are passionate about the position or just in it for the pay cheque (Reed, Reed career goal questions).

Other pages stress self-awareness. Indeed UK gives two reasons across its articles: to judge your self-awareness, and to see whether your motivations line up with the role or the company's vision (Indeed UK, Indeed UK second article). Live Recruitment adds work ethic, and PurpleCV, a CV-writing and coaching service, lists culture fit and, among ten possible reasons, predicting whether you will stay with the company long term (Live Recruitment, PurpleCV). targetjobs says the question helps recruiters find out more about you as a person and is commonly used in strengths-based interviews (targetjobs).

The question also appears on pages written for hirers. Totaljobs lists "What motivates you to work?", Hays lists "What motivates you to perform?", and Robert Half GB lists "What motivates you when work gets tough?" among its second-interview questions (Totaljobs for recruiters, Hays, Robert Half GB). No page we read gives data on how often the question is asked or how much weight the answer carries. Bright Network and Give a Grad a Go call it one of the most common interview questions, and Totaljobs includes it in its 20 most common, but none of the three gives figures for it (Bright Network, Give a Grad a Go, Totaljobs).

Evident's view: you cannot know which of these a particular interviewer has in mind, so aim for an answer that works for all of them. It should be true, about the work itself and backed by one example.

A structure for your answer

No UK page we read sets out one agreed formula for this question. PurpleCV and Careers Wales point to STAR, and Hannah Salton and Internwise give short formulas for related questions, so the three steps below are Evident's synthesis of what several say.

1. Name one or two motivators in plain words. Bright Network and Indeed UK both say to stay with the top one or two and not to ramble, while Hannah Salton, a career coach writing about questions such as why you want to work for a firm, suggests two or three reasons (Bright Network, Indeed UK, Salton).
2. Show it happening with one true example. targetjobs says to back the answer up with an example from your studies, work experience or extracurricular activities, Indeed UK says to have an anecdote ready, and Live Recruitment says the example does not have to come from employment (targetjobs, Indeed UK, Live Recruitment). For those questions, Salton adds that you should explain why each reason matters to you personally (Salton).
3. Tie it to the job. Indeed UK suggests reading the job description and gives the example of an advert that asks for a proactive team player, where you could say you are motivated by completing projects with others (Indeed UK). Bright Network says to re-read the description and tailor the answer, and that for a role with repetitive tasks it will not help to say that new challenges motivate you. targetjobs says the answer should relate to the skills and aptitudes the job needs (Bright Network, targetjobs).

On the STAR method, sources differ. PurpleCV recommends it, and Careers Wales says its model answer for this question can follow it (PurpleCV, Careers Wales). The Defra recruiter's blog says strengths questions do not need STAR and should not be rehearsed, and Reed says strengths-based questions rarely need structured examples (Defra blog, Reed). Evident's view: you do not need four labelled parts. A short account of what happened and what you did is enough, and our STAR method guide is there if the interviewer follows up.

No UK page we read gives a length for this question with data behind it. The Defra blog says answers to strengths questions typically take two minutes at most, and Internwise suggests around 30 to 60 seconds for the related "What are you passionate about?" question (Defra blog, Internwise). Evident's view: one motivator and one example is short, so stop once the point is made, and follow any time limit the employer gives.

Choose a motivator you can prove

Several pages describe parts of this process, including Bright Network, Indeed UK, Imperial and Kent. The order below is Evident's method.

1. List your good days. Write down moments at work, in study, volunteering or caring when you were absorbed or proud of the result. Bright Network asks about your strongest performing days and what made them great, and Indeed UK asks about your best day on the job and the periods when you loved coming to work (Bright Network, Indeed UK, Indeed UK second article). Imperial says that even if you did not enjoy an experience overall, you can break it into parts and note what gave you satisfaction or pride, such as solving a problem or working in a small team (Imperial).
2. Look for the pattern, and for its opposite. Bright Network suggests looking for a pattern in what drove you and weighing the parts of your day you love against the parts you dislike, for example enjoying time with clients but dreading endless emails (Bright Network). targetjobs lists "what do you find draining or tiresome" as a typical companion question, so know the opposite too (targetjobs).
3. Mark the advert. Underline the responsibilities and any skill it repeats, then keep the motivators that overlap with what the job involves day to day. Our guide to tailoring a CV to a job description shows how to read an advert this way. Bright Network says not to just say what you think they want to hear, and that your honest response will be the right one for a role that fits you. Evident's view: if none of your true motivators fits the advert, that is useful to know before you apply.
4. Attach one true story. Write the facts: what you did, what happened and who noticed. Choose the motivator you can prove over the one that sounds best.
5. Test it. Could you answer "What exactly did you do?" Is every fact one you could point to on your CV? Would a different true motivator fit the advert better?

Motivators UK sources suggest

The pages below print lists of example motivators. These are the publishers' examples, not data on what employers prefer or what candidates usually say. Grouped by theme:

• Results, goals and deadlines. Bright Network (results, deadlines), Careers Wales (finishing a task on time or ahead of a deadline, seeing the results of your hard work), targetjobs (meeting deadlines, targets or goals, seeing a difficult project through) and Give a Grad a Go (working to deadlines, a sense of achievement) (Bright Network, Careers Wales, targetjobs, Give a Grad a Go).
• Helping people and customers. Bright Network (customers and clients), Careers Wales (satisfaction from helping others), Indeed UK (a teacher watching students grow, or making a difference at a non-profit) and Give a Grad a Go (helping others, good customer service) (Bright Network, Careers Wales, Indeed UK, Indeed UK second article, Give a Grad a Go).
• Learning and growth. Bright Network, Careers Wales and targetjobs all list learning new things or skills, PurpleCV lists developing new skills and personal growth, and Give a Grad a Go lists professional growth (Bright Network, Careers Wales, targetjobs, PurpleCV, Give a Grad a Go).
• Solving problems and improving things. Bright Network and Careers Wales list problem-solving, targetjobs adds spotting errors and coming up with creative ideas to improve something, and PurpleCV lists stimulating challenges (Bright Network, Careers Wales, targetjobs, PurpleCV).
• Working with others. Bright Network (teamwork), targetjobs (working well in a team, mentoring and coaching others, leading a team to success) and Give a Grad a Go (working with other people) (Bright Network, targetjobs, Give a Grad a Go).
• Responsibility and being trusted. Careers Wales lists taking on responsibility and being trusted, and PurpleCV lists responsibility and leadership (Careers Wales, PurpleCV).

Some pages tie a theme to a kind of role. Bright Network says a teamwork answer is ideal for jobs where you will work in a team and that a learning answer suits entry-level roles in larger firms, and targetjobs says that for a sales role you might talk about achieving targets or happy clients (Bright Network, targetjobs sales). None gives data on which themes employers prefer.

Bright Network, Indeed UK, targetjobs, PurpleCV and Live Recruitment all frame a strong answer by honesty, relevance to the role and a real example, not by a ranked list of motivators (Bright Network, Indeed UK, targetjobs, PurpleCV, Live Recruitment). Evident's view: pick the theme you can prove and the job actually uses, not the one that sounds most impressive.

Motivators sources warn about

• Fear or escape. Bright Network says not to say you are only motivated by fear of trouble with your boss, and Indeed UK says your motivations should be things you enjoy, not ways to avoid losing your job. Reed says trivial motivations such as more convenient hours, or dislike of your current job, are unlikely to impress and should stay with you (Bright Network, Indeed UK, Reed).
• Friends and social life. Bright Network says to keep it about how professional relationships help you do the job, not about finishing on time to go to the gym or the pub together (Bright Network).
• Beating colleagues. Totaljobs says not to describe anything counter-productive to the team or overly competitive against others in the company, with an exception for competition within a sales team. Indeed UK suggests saying you enjoy exceeding goals rather than being better than everyone else (Totaljobs, Indeed UK).
• Vague, arrogant or negative answers. PurpleCV lists generic answers, sounding arrogant, focusing on negatives and criticising previous employers among the traps, and gives "I just love working hard" as an answer that adds little. Live Recruitment warns against answers that could apply to any candidate (PurpleCV, Live Recruitment).
• Saying you do not know. Give a Grad a Go says this implies you have no motivation, do not know how to keep motivated or did not prepare (Give a Grad a Go).
• A mismatch with the job. Bright Network's example is a role with repetitive tasks and an answer about new challenges. For a remote role, Reed says there is a fine line between being motivated to do well and being motivated to stay home for an easier life, and suggests making clear that a quiet, independent setting is what motivates you (Bright Network, Reed remote working).
• Long-term career goals. Sources split. Give a Grad a Go says to keep to what will motivate you in this role and leave long-term goals for another question, while WikiJob says your motivations will likely tie in with your career progression, and Reed files the question under career goal questions (Give a Grad a Go, WikiJob, Reed).

One tension is worth knowing about. Bright Network says not to say what you think they want to hear, while PurpleCV says to choose a motivation the interviewer will like the sound of and also to be honest (Bright Network, PurpleCV). Evident's view: honesty first. A motivator you cannot back with a real example is hard to defend in a follow-up question.

Money and this question

Sources disagree, and some disagree with themselves. Bright Network says not to say that money motivates you to do your job, because interviewers will think you will leave as soon as you find a better-paid job. Indeed UK, Careers Wales, Totaljobs, Michael Page, Give a Grad a Go and PurpleCV also advise against giving money as your motivation, and Indeed UK, Totaljobs and Give a Grad a Go name salary too (Bright Network, Indeed UK, Indeed UK second article, Careers Wales, Totaljobs, Michael Page, Give a Grad a Go, PurpleCV). WikiJob says not to list money or fame unless it is a fundamental part of the industry, and suggests talking about being motivated by a challenge even if the salary attracted you (WikiJob).

Others are more permissive. Reed says it is ok to say money, especially for a sales role, and targetjobs says that for a highly target-driven, competitive role such as sales, financial rewards would not be out of order. Live Recruitment says that if you are motivated by money, success or the prestige of a job title, you should say so (Reed, targetjobs, Live Recruitment). TSW, a training provider, tells apprentices that people are either motivated by money and achievements or by the work itself, and that a blended answer shows you have thought about both (TSW). Reed's own pages are mixed: its career goal page gives "This job pays the most out of all of the ones I applied to. Which company is this again?" as a wrong answer, and its remote working page gives "Well, thinking about the money helps" as a wrong answer to "How do you stay motivated?" for a remote role (Reed career goal questions, Reed remote working). Reed's page on changing careers, which is about choosing a career rather than interviewing, lists creativity, flexibility, salary and stability as things to think about and says to be honest (Reed).

Evident's view: lead with something true about the work itself. If pay is part of why you are applying you do not have to deny it, but it is rarely what makes this answer convincing, and a question about salary expectations is a different question. Do not claim that money does not matter to you if it does.

A worked example: a motivator proved by one story

The advert, Amara and her evidence sheet below are invented for illustration. We found no UK page that works through an evidence sheet for this question, so the example rests on the general advice above: choose a motivator the job involves and back it with one true story. It is an illustration, not a model answer to copy. Your motivator, your story and your wording must come from your own evidence.

Fictional advert: customer support advisor at a UK online homeware retailer. Essential: clear spoken and written communication, patience with customers who are worried or frustrated, and accuracy in keeping track of many open queries. Desirable: experience of handling complaints.

Fictional candidate: Amara. Amara is applying for her first office-based job. Her evidence sheet says:

• She has worked Saturdays for 20 months at the front desk of a bicycle repair shop, taking bikes in and phoning customers when repairs are ready.
• Last spring, customers kept ringing to ask whether their parts had arrived. She started a list of everyone waiting for a part and phoned each person as soon as the shop knew the delivery date, including when the date was later than they had hoped. The owner asked her to keep the list going. She says this is the part of the job she enjoys most: sorting something out for a customer so they can stop worrying about it.
• She likes to finish a shift with her task list cleared.
• Last winter she did a six-week online spreadsheet course in the evenings.
• She needs a steady weekday income, which is part of why she is applying.
• She has never worked in a support team or used a ticketing system and is not claiming she has.

The first version is the kind of generic answer that Live Recruitment and PurpleCV warn about, gives no example and ends on pay. The second follows the three steps above: one motivator, one true story and a link to the job. Evident's reading: the advert's wording about worried customers and keeping track of many open queries points to the waiting list rather than to the tidy task list or the spreadsheet course, which are also true but fit less well. The answer says plainly what she has not done. It leaves pay out because a stronger, job-related story was available, which is Evident's view and not a rule from a source. If you use this approach, use only facts that are true for you.

If you have little work experience, are changing career or are returning

The pages we read for this question are mostly written for graduates or people with work history. What they say for other situations:

• Little or no paid work. Prospects says strength-based interviews are useful for people without much work experience, that examples can come from studies, work, volunteering or extracurricular activities, and suggests preparing four to six diverse examples (Prospects). Live Recruitment says you do not have to use an employment example and mentions competitive sport, volunteering and side projects (Live Recruitment). Bright Network says jobs and time studying are both relevant experience, and the sample answers on Give a Grad a Go draw on university projects and societies (Bright Network, Give a Grad a Go). For questions about your work history, the National Careers Service says examples can come from outside work, including volunteering (National Careers Service).
• Apprenticeships. TSW, a training provider, is one of the few pages we found aimed at school leavers. It suggests showing that you are motivated by a challenge rather than nervous of it and that you enjoy learning, and says it is okay to say you are driven by success because you enjoy feeling accomplished, then describe your wins (TSW).
• Changing career. CharityJob, writing about the "why are you changing career" question, says to keep your reasons positive and focused on the future, and that if you want a more meaningful role or one that fits your values, you should lead with that and refer to the organisation's work (CharityJob). Evident's view: a motivator such as solving problems or helping people can travel between jobs, so state it in terms of the work, and take the example from your old job. See our career change CV guide.
• Returning after a break. We found no UK page on this question for returners. Career Returners, in an article about telling your story after a long break, suggests going from your earlier work, to the break, to where you want to go, without apologising, and asks whether you have always enjoyed helping people develop or solving difficult problems in a team (Career Returners). Evident's view: those questions are also a way of finding your motivator. Our guide to returning to work after a career break covers the rest.

Other ways it is asked

• "What makes you tick?" and "What are you passionate about?" Indeed UK lists these as other ways to ask, along with "What pushes you to go to work every day?", PurpleCV adds "What brings out the best in you?" and "What inspires you?", and Give a Grad a Go lists "What drives you at work?" (Indeed UK, Indeed UK second article, PurpleCV, Give a Grad a Go). For the passion version, Internwise says to pick something honest that has taught you a useful skill or habit, and suggests two to four sentences (Internwise).
• "What motivates you to get up in the morning?" The Defra blog gives "What motivates you to get up in the morning?" as an example strengths question (Defra blog).
• "What motivates you to do a good job?" and "What demotivates you?" Give a Grad a Go lists these among more than two dozen phrasings, including "What motivates you at work besides a paycheck?" (Give a Grad a Go).
• "What motivates you when work gets tough?" Robert Half GB lists it among its second-interview questions for hirers (Robert Half GB). See our guide to second interview questions.
• "How do you stay motivated?" Prospects lists it as a strength-based question. Reed's remote working page says that for remote roles it tests whether you can work without constant direction (Prospects, Reed remote working).
• "What do you enjoy most about your job?" Totaljobs says the interviewer listens to your tone and attitude towards your current employer, that speaking negatively can show your personality in an unfavourable light, and that you should focus on aspects relevant to the position and give examples (Totaljobs).
• Not always the same question. targetjobs says the motivation question is not asking what motivates you to apply for this role, and Prospects groups "What motivated you to apply for this job?" with "Why do you want to work here?" Other pages blur the two: Reed says a recruiter wants to know why you are applying for the role, Careers Wales says to think about what motivated you to apply, and Give a Grad a Go lists "What motivates you to work for us?" among its phrasings (targetjobs, Prospects, Reed, Careers Wales, Give a Grad a Go). Evident's view: listen to how the interviewer words it, and if they name the role or the company, answer about that. "How do you motivate your team?" is also different: Indeed UK treats it as a behavioural question about leading others (Indeed UK).

When it is asked as a strengths question

targetjobs says questions about motivation are commonly used in strengths-based interviews and lists "What motivates you?" among typical strength-based questions, and Manchester lists it among the questions to ask yourself when preparing for one. Prospects lists related questions such as "How do you stay motivated?" and "What energises you?" (targetjobs, targetjobs strengths page, Manchester, Prospects). Strengths-based interviews focus on what you enjoy and do well. The Cabinet Office describes the strengths in the Civil Service Work Strengths Test as what you do regularly, what you do well and what motivates you (gov.uk). Indeed UK's page on Civil Service strengths lists "What motivates you at work?" and suggests mentioning how you stay motivated on challenging days (Indeed UK).

Pages disagree on preparation. Prospects says many recruiters believe it is impossible to prepare for a strength-based interview, but that you can still research the role and list what motivates you, and Manchester says the way to prepare is to reflect on your own strengths beforehand (Prospects, Manchester). Kent and Prospects say interviewers note your tone and energy, and Reed says strengths questions are more about how you say things than what you say (Kent, Prospects, Reed). Evident's view: prepare the evidence, not a script. Know your one or two motivators and the facts of your story, and say them in your own words.

The same kind of short answer also appears as a four-sentence sample in lists of phone interview questions, such as Robert Walters's, which gives only a sample answer and no guidance (Robert Walters). Youth Employment UK, writing about showing motivation in general, says to back claims with evidence and focus on outcomes (Youth Employment UK).

Practise it and check the evidence

Say the answer aloud, then ask yourself the follow-ups an interviewer could use: What exactly did you do? What happened? Can you give me another example? Every claim must be something you can explain. Keep the answer consistent with your CV: our CV personal profile and skills for a CV guides help keep the written and spoken versions aligned. The motivation question can come up alongside tell me about yourself, and it pairs with weaknesses, since both ask how well you know yourself. For competency questions, see competency-based interview questions, and for the end of the interview, questions to ask at the end. Our guide to mock interview questions gives you more to practise with.

FAQs

Why do interviewers ask "What motivates you?"

Bright Network says they want to know what drives you and whether you fit the role and the company. Totaljobs says the employer wants to know whether you will be driven to do a good job, and Indeed UK says they look at self-awareness and whether your motivations match the role. No page we read gives figures on how often the question is asked or how much weight the answer carries, although Bright Network and Totaljobs describe it as one of the most common.

Should I say money motivates me?

Sources split. Bright Network, Indeed UK, Careers Wales, Totaljobs, Michael Page and Give a Grad a Go advise against giving money or salary as your motivation. Reed says it is ok to say money, especially for a sales role, and Live Recruitment says to say so if it is true. Evident's view: lead with something true about the work, and do not deny that pay matters if you are asked directly.

How long should my answer be?

None of the UK pages we read gives data for this question. The Defra recruiter's blog says answers to strengths questions typically take two minutes at most, and Internwise suggests around 30 to 60 seconds for the related passion question. Bright Network and Indeed UK warn against rambling. Follow any limit the employer gives and stop once your point and example are made.

What if I have no work experience?

Prospects says strength-based interviews are useful for people without much work experience and that examples can come from studies, volunteering or extracurricular activities. Live Recruitment says the example does not have to come from employment. Evident's view: start with what you have done, not with an apology, and choose a motivator you can back with one true story.

Is it the same as "Why do you want this job?"

Not always. targetjobs says the motivation question is not asking what motivates you to apply for this role, and Prospects groups what motivated you to apply with why you want to work here. Reed, Careers Wales and Give a Grad a Go treat the two as overlapping. Evident's view: if the interviewer names the role or the company, answer about that, and if not, answer about what drives you in your work. Our guide to answering why you want to work for us covers the employer-specific question.

Do I need to use the STAR method?

Sources differ. PurpleCV recommends STAR and Careers Wales says its model answer for this question can follow it. The Defra recruiter's blog says strengths questions do not need STAR and should not be rehearsed, and Reed says strengths-based questions rarely need structured examples. Evident's view: a short true account of what happened is enough, with the STAR guide there if the interviewer follows up.

How Evident approaches this

Evident reads your CV and the job advert, then asks up to five targeted questions. It drafts wording only from your answers, and you approve it line by line. You can also try the CV scan.