How to Answer the "Why Deloitte?" Interview Question
If you're preparing for a Deloitte interview, you may be wondering how to answer the common question, "Why Deloitte?" This article provides tips and strategies for crafting a compelling response that showcases your knowledge of the company and aligns with your career goals.
Posted March 12, 2024
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As one of the largest audit, consulting, tax, and advisory firms in the world, Deloitte is known for its innovative approach and agile thinking. It's no surprise then, that many job seekers are eager to join the ranks of this dynamic and forward-thinking organization. However, getting a job at Deloitte can be a highly competitive endeavor, with thousands of applicants vying for a limited number of positions. Being able to answer the “Why Deloitte?” question effectively–both the exact question and other related questions–will help you stand out and make a compelling case for why you are the best candidate for the job.
The "Why Deloitte?" Question
Companies want to hire candidates who actually want to work for them. This improves the odds that you’ll succeed in the role, be happy there, and “fit” with the culture and teams; it also decreases the chances of them having to rehire for the role again, a time-intensive process. With the “Why Deloitte?” question, the interviewer is trying to gauge how well you understand the role, team, company, and culture, and they’re giving you a chance to make the case for why Deloitte needs you.
Sometimes this question is asked explicitly. Other times, a version of it is asked. Other questions are completely different but still benefit from your understanding of why and how Deloitte is a good fit for you.
Variations of this question that actual candidates have received in their interviews with Deloitte include:
- Why Deloitte?
- Why are you interested in working for Deloitte?
- Why do you want to work for Deloitte?
- Why do you want to join Deloitte?
- Why did you choose Deloitte?
Questions that are slightly different but still give you a chance to make a case for Why Deloitte/Why choose me for Deloitte include:
- What do you know about our company and the services we provide?
- Why should we hire you?
- Why did you apply to this role?
- Why are you interested in this position?
- Why this specific team?
How to Answer “Why Deloitte?”: Step-by-Step
Now that we’ve covered why this question is important and the variations that you may see, let’s talk about how to go about preparing to answer it. The perfect way to approach it and the best way to answer will be highly dependent on the specific region, team, and role as well as your background and goals, so take these steps and personalize them so they make sense for you.
1. Understand the company and the team
In order to answer this question effectively, you need to have a really solid understanding of the company as a whole and the specific team you will be joining. This should not be surface-level knowledge, but rather detailed and thoughtful. In other words, a cursory search on the internet is not sufficient. Here are some of the things to know about Deloitte. In addition to these, you may want to research the company's history, industry rankings, notable achievements, employee satisfaction scores, diversity initiatives, and any recent news, among others.
What does Deloitte do?
Deloitte is part of the "Big Four" accounting organizations, alongside PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst & Young (EY), and KPMG. Deloitte’s core services include:
- Audit and Assurance: Deloitte provides auditing services to ensure the accuracy and compliance of financial statements and information, helping organizations meet regulatory requirements and enhance trust among stakeholders.
- Consulting: The firm offers consulting services to help organizations improve their performance, solve complex business challenges, and transform their operations. This includes strategy and operations, technology integration, and human capital advice.
- Financial Advisory: Their financial advisory services include mergers and acquisitions advice, restructuring for distressed companies, economic consulting, forensics, and corporate finance advice.
- Risk Advisory: They help organizations identify, manage, and mitigate risk to protect business value. This includes cybersecurity and risk management services, regulatory compliance, and financial risk solutions.
- Tax: They provide tax services to help companies navigate the complexities of domestic and international tax laws and regulations. This includes tax planning, compliance, and controversy services.
- Legal: In some countries, Deloitte offers legal services that complement its other service lines, providing advice in areas such as corporate law, labor law, and litigation.
What is Deloitte known for?
As mentioned above, Deloitte is primarily known for its membership in the “Big 4” accounting companies. Outside of its ranking and industries, it is known more specifically for an emphasis on collaboration, a massive workforce of over 450,000, a highly meritocratic promotion system, a large percentage of female employees, rapid technological adaption, and a widespread international presence (especially in emerging countries).
What are Deloitte’s most profitable services/sectors?
As of its most recent fiscal year, Deloitte’s consulting branch is growing the fastest and bringing in the most revenue. It was recently ranked the number one consulting service provider worldwide by revenue in the Gartner Market Share report (for the sixth consecutive year). The other high-growth businesses among Deloitte’s many services include Risk Advisory (17.5% growth year over year) and Audit & Assurance (1.38% growth YoY).
The highest-growth region is the Americas, followed by EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa).
What are Deloitte’s values?
On its website, Deloitte explains its purpose as impact. It says, “Our existence is driven by one purpose: to make an impact that matters. To us, that means lasting results for our clients and their businesses, ideas and actions that look out for the greater good.”
The Shared Values that drive its purpose include the following.
- Lead the way: We are not only leading the profession, but also reinventing it for the future. We are also committed to creating opportunity and leading the way to a more sustainable world.
- Serve with integrity: By acting ethically and with integrity, we have earned the trust of clients, regulators, and the public. Upholding that trust is our single most important responsibility.
- Take care of each other: We look out for one another and prioritize respect, fairness, development, and well-being.
- Foster inclusion: We are at our best when we foster an inclusive culture and embrace diversity in all forms. We know this attracts top talent, enables innovation, and helps deliver well-rounded client solutions.
- Collaborate for measurable impact: We approach our work with a collaborative mindset, teaming across businesses, geographies, and skills to deliver tangible, measurable, attributable impact.
Put more succinctly, Deloitte cares about leading the industry and shaping the future, earning and keeping trust by doing the right thing, having each other's backs with a focus on respect and growth, valuing everyone's unique contributions to bring out the best ideas, and teaming up to make a difference that you can actually see.
What is its culture?
Culture is very team and region-dependent, but the culture Deloitte tries to foster is one that is professional, supportive, meritocratic, and diverse. There are very clear paths to promotion, fairness is encouraged, and inclusivity and integrity are of the utmost importance. They also try to offer a lot of opportunities for growth and personal development.
Deloitte cares about the well-being of its employees and this value is apparent in its vast employee benefits. For example, some of the benefits include:
- 16 weeks of family leave (for birth, adoption, or family member with a serious health condition)
- Adoption and surrogacy reimbursement
- Dependent care support
- Sabbaticals
- Comprehensive healthcare coverage, including gender dysphoria coverage
- Life insurance
- Well-being subsidies
- 401K with one of the best employer contributions of similar companies
- Student loan refinancing support
2. Dig into the job description
The “Why Deloitte?” and “Why this role?” questions are inexorably intertwined. In answering one, you can answer the other and make a case for both at the same time. The job description of the role you’re applying for can also give you great fodder for answering the “Why Deloitte” question.
In the job description, look for specific soft skills mentioned, any company-wide descriptions, and the context of the role (how it fits into the broader team and organization) to get started.
3. Talk to someone
The best research comes from a primary source. In other words, you should talk to someone who works or used to work at the company; ideally, someone from the same team you’re applying to, but at least someone from the same region and subsector. This will not only give you great insight into the past experiences of real employees but also help you prepare thoughtful questions to ask your interviewer.
Think about it this way: Almost every single person interviewing at Deloitte will get some variation of the “Why Deloitte?” question. Every one of them has access to the same internet and research tools that you do, which means most people’s answers are going to be similar. First-hand information that’s not easily accessible and is very accurate/current will help you stand out far and above anyone else interviewing for the same position.
When talking to these past and present employees, ask them what the culture was like and what they liked most (and disliked) about the role, team, and company, along with any questions specific to your background and the position. As a small aside, the best interview questions are those that can’t be answered with a Google search–keep that in mind when conducting your research.
4. Align to your background and goals
As we mentioned in the beginning, the best answers to the “Why Deloitte?” question are personal. They aren’t asking why Deloitte is great in general, because they already know the answer to that question. They’re asking, “Why is Deloitte the right place for you?”
To start aligning your response to this question with your background, here are some steps to take.
- Outline your career and personal goals over the next 5-10 years. What are you hoping to achieve?
- List the main things you’re looking for in your next position. What matters to you in terms of work environment, responsibilities, the team, geographic location, manager, benefits, etc.?
- Draw connections between the points you’ve listed in answering the two questions above with what Deloitte offers.
- In what ways will Deloitte help you reach your career and personal goals?
- What does Deloitte offer that you care about?
As a general rule of thumb, if many other people could answer the “Why Deloitte?” question in the exact same way as you are, it’s probably not specific enough.
4. Remember the purpose of the question
There are many different ways of approaching and answering this question. As you do your research and formulate your response, it’s important to remember why they’re asking you this question in the first place: Deloitte, and your interviewer, are looking for candidates who care. They want to hire people who genuinely really want to be there, and have demonstrated that by spending time researching the company and thinking thoughtfully about what they will gain from being there. They look for this trait because the individuals who most want to be there are also those who have the highest likelihood of succeeding and staying with the company for a long time.
In preparing your answer to this question, take a moment and reflect on your response to make sure that you have a response that shows these characteristics and serves the purpose.
Get Interview Help From an Expert
The best way to prepare for interviews is to do work with an expert who can help you brainstorm answers, prep your responses, and do a mock interview to make sure you’re good to go on interview day. Mock interviews, especially, are the number one thing you can do to give yourself the greatest chance of success. Below are several popular consulting coaches, browse all of them (including past hiring managers at Deloitte) here.
Common Mistakes in Answering “Why Deloitte?”
During an interview, it's easy to get carried away and make mistakes. Common mistakes when answering the "Why Deloitte?" question include giving generic or vague responses, sounding insincere or uninterested, or failing to relate your goals to Deloitte's vision. Avoid these missteps by crafting your responses thoughtfully ahead of time and practicing speaking them out loud with confidence and authenticity.
Another common mistake when answering the "Why Deloitte?" question is not doing enough research on the company. It's important to have a good understanding of Deloitte's history, values, and current projects. This will allow you to tailor your response to the specific aspects of Deloitte that align with your own interests and career goals. Additionally, demonstrating knowledge of the company shows that you are genuinely interested in working for Deloitte and have taken the time to learn about the organization.
Example Responses to “Why Deloitte?”
Here is one example of a response to the “Why Deloitte?” interview question, for a role in the consulting branch.
“My interest in Deloitte stems from a blend of personal career aspirations and a deep appreciation for the firm’s unique ethos and values. Having spent the last five years in management consulting, where I led a diverse team through several successful digital transformation projects for multinational corporations, I am committed to leveraging technology to drive business efficiency and sustainability simultaneously. This experience underscored for me the importance of working in an environment that prizes both innovation and ethical standards, both qualities that Deloitte embodies.
Deloitte's reputation as a leader in consulting, with its cutting-edge solutions and commitment to making a real impact, also aligns with my future goals. I hope to specialize in sustainability within the consulting sector, focusing on helping organizations navigate the complexities of integrating sustainability with their overarching goals and strategies. Deloitte’s position in the market and emphasis on sustainability present an unparalleled opportunity for me to contribute to and learn from the best of the best, something I am passionate about. In a conversation with [X], a past Associate on this team, he explained how sustainability practices are deeply intertwined with Deloitte’s business practices. Specifically, [real example from the conversation here].
My decision to pursue a career at Deloitte came from both these past experiences and my ambition to be at the forefront of sustainable business consulting. I'm very drawn to Deloitte's culture of excellence, its commitment to making a lasting impact, and the opportunity to be part of a firm that is not only leading but also redefining the future of the consulting industry. Joining Deloitte would not just be a career move; it would be a step towards fulfilling my long-term goal of contributing to a more sustainable and ethical business world and it’s where I feel I could make the greatest impact on the [X] team.”
Following Up After the Interview: What to Do Next
After your interview, make sure to follow up with a thank-you note or email for your interview. In this thank-you, reiterate your interest in the position, your enthusiasm for Deloitte, and how you feel you could make an impact. See it as an opportunity to address any topics that were discussed or points you forgot to mention. But above all, make sure your gratitude for the interviewer’s time is also clear.
Good luck!
Here are additional articles and resources to help you land a job at Deloitte:
- Cracking the Code: The Deloitte Assessment Test Unveiled
- Deloitte Management Consulting Salary: A 2023 Overview
- How to Prepare for Deloitte Management Consulting Networking Calls?
- Freshman's Guide to Securing a Deloitte Discovery Internship
- Deloitte Behavioral Interview Questions: Preparation and Best Responses
