It can be ultimately beneficial for you to research the company you are about to interview for. Not only will you gain a deeper understanding of their business which will help you answer questions better, but you will also show up more confident, prepared and ready to impress. Employers will value your effort and knowledge!
Here’s how to research your prospective employer, step-by-step.
1. Start with a few Google search’s
Click on links including their website and any publications about them in the media. A lot of information can be found out from this simple search. Click through each page on their website, especially their ‘About’ page. This will often link to other useful information. Make sure to try and cover off the following details:
- Who are the key representatives of the organisation? (Have you heard of these people before, do you need to learn more about them?) Tip: You can even search these key players social media such as LinkedIn which can help reveal more about the company.
It can also help to research the exact people who will be interviewing you, simply type their name in Google and see if any publications pop up. Be wise when viewing their social profiles as LinkedIn often notifies users who is viewing their page.
- What skills and experience do they value? (Think about how you can offer what they need or what they are looking for)
- What are their company values? (Do these align with the culture you want to work in? Would you be a great fit for them?)
- What do they do? (Make sure you have the best understanding of what exactly it is the company does, whether it be learning about products or services or both. You should know about what your job might entail or require you to have knowledge about!)
- Recent news and events, what have they been up to? (Is there something you can discuss with them around recent events, or something you admire? Were you at a recent event, or would have loved to go?)
- Any key initiatives the business is driving (Do you identify with any of their key initiatives? Are you motivated to work for a company with specific diversity/environmental/other initiatives?)
- Who are their competitors? (Think of how you could offer them a competitive advantage or at least understand what they are competing with in the market and the level that requires you to work on.)
- What are the businesses goals? (If you can find this information it can be incredibly helpful for you to position yourself as someone who can assist them with their goals.)
2. Search for the company on Glassdoor
Glassdoor is predominately known for employees being able to review companies they have worked for. This is super helpful for you to get an idea of what it’s like inside the workplace. There are also some helpful links that can show you what interview questions might be asked, what average salaries are for specific roles and what their benefits are.
3. Do a Social Media search
Search the company on all social media! See what the post about and what they like to share. This is another way to find out more about the personality of a company as well as latest news, what they’re up to, staff events, campaigns, initiatives and more. As mentioned earlier it can also be helpful to do a social search on individuals you know might be at the interview so that you can gain some insight and maybe relate to them about something they have shared.
Covering the above three steps in depth should help you gain a new perspective as a candidate and might just help you stand out in your interview if you use the information you learnt wisely.
Good luck with your next interview!
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