What are some tips for answering the question "what motivates you"?

In answering this interview question, the best approach is to identify genuine factors of a work setting or position that motivate the interviewee to perform well. In general, the hiring manager wants to see that the candidate is a self-driven person, and that the work environment is a good match.

Aligning a response to the position is a good strategy. In a role with heavy teamwork, a candidate might say, "I've always enjoyed working with colleagues to achieve goals, such as when my current project team developed an award-winning product." For a customer-oriented position, a person might say, "My passion is to help customers have a positive experience."