Why Should I Work for Your Company?

Around 30 members of the four Nordic Chambers of Commerce in Thailand were quiet as mice when Tom Sorensen, Grant Thornton Thailand, told about the job candidate who during the interview asked the bold question “Why should I work for your company?”

“Well,” the managing director started. “We are an international company, and we have a nice office, here downtown on Sathorn Road…”


And while the managing directors eyes searched the back of his head for more good reasons, the candidates eyes floated out the window to rest on the building opposite.


Tom’s message was, that if a company wants to attract the best and the brightest, they will have to seriously focus on what value the company has to offer their employees.


It is rather urgent, because in a surprisingly short time there will be less people coming into the labour market each year and with a shortage of people to chose from, we will all have to compromise when employing new people. If you cannot attract the best and the brightest, then how about the second best and second brightest?


WIell, it depends on your EVP – your Employee Value Proposition.


This fundamental change in the labour market, which happens in Thailand in 2015, is accompanies by other trends that equally affect the landscape of employment. People these days wait around 6 years before they get married compared to twenty years ago. Then they get fewer children, so the crunch on new people to enter the labour market is not just temporary. But then they live longer…


And they behave differently. One scary example of the change in behaviour of the young generation is that in one market, I have happily forgotten which, people had in average worked in 13 companies before they reached 36 years of age.


“What you have to do is work as hard as you did when you worked out your business plan. You need to develop that EVP of yours if you want to attract, retain and engage quality people. You must brand yourself as employer of choice within your market,” Tom Sorensen said.


Here are the questions, your EVP must answer:



  • Why should anyone come and work for you?

  • Why should someone, who is good at this type of work, want this particular job?

  • What does this job offer that is unique or makes it most attractive to a potential candidate?

  • Why is doing this job at your company better than doing the same job with a competitor?

  • Why do people come to work at your company and why do they stay?

  • What is your competitive compensation and benifits?

Have the question “What’s in it for me?” in mind when evaluating your company on the following points:



  • location / condition of premises

  • career opportunities – realistic?

  • corporate social responsibility

  • atmosphere and culture, safe and challenging?

  • social events – is this a fun environment where people make friends?

  • flexible hours, flextime/telecommuting

  • democratic management style / freedom from controls


It should maybe be added, that Tom was not selling any service that he offers as a Partner at Grant Thornton Thailand. His business is in the executive recruitment end of the market. It was just a friendly advice.


About Gregers Møller

Editor-in-Chief • ScandAsia Publishing Co., Ltd. • Bangkok, Thailand

View all posts by Gregers Møller

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