The short answer: name one real thing that motivates you at work, show it with a short example of a time it drove you, and connect it to what this job involves. “I’m motivated by solving problems customers can’t solve themselves. At my last job I…” works; “I’m motivated by success” doesn’t, because it could mean anything. Choose a motivator the job can actually give you, and keep it to about a minute. Below are how to find yours, 12 motivators with the wording to use, six example answers, and what to avoid.
What the interviewer wants to know
- Will this job keep you engaged? If what drives you is variety and the role is steady and repetitive, you may not last.
- Do you know yourself? A specific, honest answer shows self-awareness.
- What will you be like on a hard day? Motivation is what keeps you going when the work is difficult.
Finding your real motivator
Psychologists distinguish between intrinsic motivation (doing something because it’s interesting or matters to you) and extrinsic motivation (doing it for a reward, a grade or an evaluation). Self-determination theory, developed by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, adds that people tend to be most motivated when three needs are met: autonomy (having a say in how you work), competence (getting better at something and seeing it) and relatedness (being connected to the people you work with).
That gives you a useful way to find your answer. Think of a time you were fully absorbed in your work, and ask:
- Was it the problem itself, a result you could see, or the people it helped?
- Was it getting better at something, or being trusted to do it your way?
- Was it the team, or the moment you finished something?
Your answer is the motivator. Interviewers hear “money” and “success” a lot; the specific, intrinsic reasons are the memorable ones.
How to answer in three parts
- Name the motivator. One sentence, specific. “What motivates me most is seeing a process work better because of something I changed.”
- Show it with an example. A time it drove you, with a result. “Last year I noticed our invoice approvals took two weeks, so I mapped the steps and cut three of them. Getting it down to four days was the most satisfying thing I did all year.”
- Connect it to this job. “This role is about improving operations across the whole company, which is exactly that kind of work.”
About 45 to 60 seconds.
12 motivators, and how to say them
| Motivator | How to say it |
|---|---|
| Solving problems | “I’m motivated by problems that don’t have an obvious answer.” |
| Learning | “I’m most motivated when I’m learning something new and can see myself getting better.” |
| Helping people | “What keeps me going is knowing my work makes someone’s day easier.” |
| Results you can measure | “I like having a clear target and seeing the numbers move.” |
| Building something new | “I’m motivated by building things from scratch and seeing them used.” |
| Improving how things work | “I get a lot of satisfaction from making a process faster or simpler.” |
| Teamwork | “I do my best work when a team is pulling together toward the same goal.” |
| Ownership | “I’m motivated when I’m trusted to own something from start to finish.” |
| A mission you believe in | “I want my work to contribute to something I believe in, like [the organization’s mission].” |
| Developing others | “Seeing someone I’ve trained succeed is one of the best parts of my job.” |
| Challenge | “I’m motivated by work that stretches me a little beyond what I’ve done before.” |
| Craft and quality | “I care about doing work I’m proud of, down to the details.” |
Pick the one that’s true for you and that this job can offer. Then find your own example for it.
Six example answers
Examples are illustrations, not quotes from real candidates. Use your own motivator and your own example.
Sales
“I’m motivated by clear targets and seeing the results of my effort. Last quarter I was behind on my number with a month to go, so I went back through every lost deal from the past year and found twelve that had gone quiet rather than said no. Five of them came back, and I finished at 108% of target. This role has the same kind of measurable goals, with a bigger territory, which is what I’m looking for.”
Nursing or healthcare
“What motivates me is the moment a patient or family understands what’s happening and feels less afraid. On my unit I started spending five extra minutes at discharge walking families through medications, and our readmission calls for medication questions dropped noticeably. This role is on a unit with a lot of family contact, and that’s the part of nursing I care about most.”
Software engineering
“I’m motivated by hard problems where the solution isn’t obvious, especially when they affect real users. At my current job our checkout page was failing for about 1% of users and no one could reproduce it. I spent a week tracing it to a race condition in how we loaded payment options. Fixing it recovered real revenue, but honestly, the satisfaction was in finally understanding it. Your team works on reliability at scale, which is full of problems like that.”
Customer service
“I’m motivated by turning a frustrated customer into a happy one. Last month a customer called about a billing error for the third time, very upset. I stayed on the case until it was fixed and called her back myself to confirm. She wrote in to thank the team. This role is focused on escalated cases, and that’s where I feel I make the most difference.”
Student or entry level
“I’m motivated by learning and seeing myself improve. At university I joined the debate team with no experience, lost most of my first rounds, and kept going to every practice. By my final year I was captaining the team. I’m looking for a role with a strong training program where I can learn quickly, and yours is one of the reasons I applied.”
Manager
“What motivates me most is developing people. Two of the analysts I hired as graduates now lead their own projects, and watching them grow has been the best part of my job. I run weekly one-to-ones focused on what each person wants to learn next. This role involves building a new team, which is the part of management I enjoy most.”
What to avoid
- Money as the main answer. Pay matters to everyone, and interviewers know it. As your only motivator, it suggests you’d leave for a better offer.
- Vague answers. “Success”, “challenges” or “being the best” say nothing without an example.
- A motivator the job can’t offer. Constant variety for a steady role, or working alone for a job that’s all teamwork.
- Negative motivators. “Fear of failure” or “proving people wrong” can be true, but they raise questions. Choose a positive one.
- No example. The example is what makes the answer believable.
Related questions
- “What drives you?” or “What gets you out of bed in the morning?” The same answer works.
- “What demotivates you?” Pick something that isn’t central to the job, such as unclear goals, and say how you handle it: “When goals aren’t clear, I ask for a quick conversation to agree what success looks like.”
- “What are you passionate about?” Stay close to work, or to a personal interest that shows a relevant quality.
- “What kind of work environment do you do your best work in?” Use the same motivator: “Where I’m trusted to own my work and the team shares what it’s learning.”
For the full list, see our guide to the most common interview questions.
Frequently asked questions
How do I answer "What motivates you?" in an interview?
What is a good example of what motivates you?
Can I say money motivates me?
What are examples of intrinsic motivation at work?
How do I answer "What demotivates you?"
Sources
- Center for Self-Determination Theory, The Theory. Read on 30 September 2026.
- Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78.
