We all know that when preparing for an interview, researching the company is one of the most important steps. This can seem difficult or time consuming but if you know where to look it could make the process a lot easier.
Even if you are the perfect candidate for the role, failure to research the business can cause the interview to go wrong very quickly.
There are many different aspects of a business you can brush up on before your interview, but this may be overpreparing. Learning just the key factors will be enough to show that you have prepared well and are able to ask the questions that make you sound like you’ve already been working at the company.
- The Basics.
This includes details such as the products they sell, what is performing the best, where they sell it, and where it is manufactured.
If they’re a service-based business, find out the full range of services they provide and who their primary users are.
Where the company is based.
This information can usually be found readily available on company websites in their ‘About’ section.
- Their Mission, Culture, and Values.
This can also usually be found on the company’s website. Either in their ‘About’ section or in the ‘Careers’ section where they may state the type of candidates they look for.
Culture may be a bit harder to locate if it is not clearly stated, however if you read the website thoroughly and try to get a feel for the types of things the company values most, you should be able to get a good idea.
As well as their website, a company’s social media handles may also be a great way to find out what they are working on.
- Where the Company fits into Their Industry
Look at the industry the company is in as a whole, from the top leading businesses to the brand-new start-ups. Try to find where your company fits into this spectrum. Once you scope out the size and maturity of the business compared to the rest of the industry, try to find out how it’s position their affects them, whether they are beating their competition or they are fighting to pass them.
This will give you the best knowledge to work on when deciding your end of interview questions for the interviewer.
- The Company’s Ethical and Financial Health.
Check news websites to find out if there have been any articles about the company. Perhaps the CEO was being investigated by the IFRS? If you find something that is strongly against your ethical boundaries, you may even decide you would rather step away from the interview altogether.
If the company is publicly traded, their financial reports will be available on their website. This is a good place to find a lot of information as commonly, there is far more than just financial information in their annual reports such as industry performance and CSR data.
After the Interview
When the interview process is over, you should take some time to research further to figure out if the company is actually right for you. Remember if successful, you are likely to spend a lot of your time there so you it would be good to make sure you will be in safe hands.
- Understanding the Employees.
You may have already met a few of the employees while being interviewed, you can find out a lot about them through their LinkedIn profiles such as their past experience and whether they are new to the company or not.
- Find out About the Work Environment.
By the looking at the company’s social media, you can see who has been commenting on their posts and how the company responds to those people.
- The Connections in your Network
Whilst finding out more about the employees you met on LinkedIn, you can also check the common connections you have.
It may also be helpful to check the accounts linked to the company and find out how long people generally stay there, or more specifically, in the role you have applied for. This may give you good insight into the trajectory of the role.
This information may give you good knowledge to work on whilst discussing things like pay, benefits, and your career growth when appropriate.
Before taking the job
If you have been successful through the interview process and got a job offer, there are still many things you may still want to learn before actually doing the job.
- Pay and Benefits Related to Others in the Company, Industry, and the Specific Job.
You may be able to browse the other job listings on the company website to find out what the other roles salaries are and determine where yours sits within them. You can also look at other similar businesses and search for the same thing. This can help you when it comes to salary negotiations when appropriate.
- What Employees Say About the Company.
Social media can be a good place to find out. Past and present employees’ interactions with the business can tell you a lot. Past employees may be able to provide insight on how their time at the company was.
Now that you have the job offer, you may be able to ask past or present employees directly about their time at the company.
- The Details.
If there are any clear issues present that may hinder your ability to do the role, such as, not being able to be available at certain times, these should be sorted out beforehand. Even seemingly little things that may not seem like much of a problem can add up to ultimately sully your experience as an employee at the business. For example, you may prefer a small quiet lunch area or an on-site cafeteria, you should ask about these things.
You may also want to find out about what the training plan for a new hire is at the business. Whether you’ll be training under somebody at first and for how long.
After taking all the steps in this article into consideration, you should be well equipped to find out exactly how easily you will fit into a new role and be able to take steps to fully integrate into it.