How to Research a Company for An Interview
As a potential employee, you should know as much as possible about the company and your job. Knowing your employer gives you an edge in the interview process. With the right research, you can be better prepared for the interview process and make a lasting impression on the hiring manager.
Our guide to researching your potential employer will help go into your interview prepared and improve your chances of landing the position you’ve applied for.
Start with Their Website
The company’s website is the first place to go when starting your research. Read through the information on their About pages to learn about the company. Here, you’ll find the company’s mission, values and history.
Knowing the company’s mission and values helps you understand how your personality fits in with the company culture. In a similar light, knowing a company’s history helps you understand how the company started and how it grew to become what it is today.
The about pages also provide great information that will help you come up with your follow up questions for the interview. Use information about the company’s history and central mission to ask questions about the day-to-day experience working for the company.
You’ll also want to take a look at the company’s products, blog and staff pages. The more you know about the company, the better you can understand the job you’re going for and what life is like working there. With realistic knowledge of the role, you’ll be better prepared to discuss your qualifications in your upcoming interview.
Check their Ratings
Besides their website, the best way to understand your potential employer is through reviews and ratings.
The Muse and Glassdoor are two websites that host company profiles. Current and former employees leave reviews and ratings on these profiles.
The reviews provide first-hand information on what people think of the company, their CEO and the interview process. Glassdoor even features information about the interview experience.
This interview information is highly valuable, for obvious reasons. With this information, you have access to questions that were asked and information on what the interview experience was like. Outside of these company profiles, it can be difficult to get honest feedback from current employees.
Look through the Company’s Social Media
Checking the company’s social media provides a different perspective about the business. If the company you’re applying for is active on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn or Facebook, you can easily see how they communicate with customers.
Do they use social media to promote products? Do they use these platforms to manage customer relationships? Answering these questions using evidence from their social media shows you the company’s interests.
Social media also reveals how the company engages with employees. If they put on events and parties, social media is where you’ll see these events. If they don’t, then you might want to ask the interviewer what the company does to build morale and encourage work relationships.
Your Ready For Your Interview!
With the company thoroughly researched, you now have a wealth of information to use in your interview. Be sure to have a list of questions ready, and bring them into the interview. For more help on applying for jobs and the interview process, look through our resource center.
