Let’s face it – Interviews are daunting! What’s worse is that hiring managers and recruiters already know quite a lot about you. Nerves, stress, and sweaty palms can ultimately result in a resounding failure if you don’t know everything about the company beforehand. Most people believe that they can ‘wing it’ and talk their way through an interview. Do not fall for this. Company research is essential before any interview.
Hiring managers and recruiters always look for candidates who are well-versed in company policies, mission and vision statements, and company culture beforehand. You should also be fully aware of the role, job descriptions, primary responsibilities, and critical areas before applying for the position. Candidates who blindly apply for jobs they are not eligible for are usually rejected in the selection/interview process’s first round. They are also not considered for any other available roles. As a candidate, you should always be well prepared and complete your due diligence.
Let’s look at why company research is essential and how you can prep for it.
Shows Interest:
Researching the company you’re interviewing shows interest in your willingness to work there. Recruiters are always more impressed with candidates who do their homework before the interview and know the company’s necessary information. Researching about the company allows you to learn and prep for frequently asked questions before your interview. Doing this also ensures you do not fall victim to ignorance and are not caught unaware when asked a question by the hiring manager.
- Knowing about the company helps boost your confidence in the role applied and increases your comfort level during the interview.
- Learning about the departments, projects, past work, and profile will help you steer the interview into a conversation. You can now have a candid discussion with the interviewer.
Your willingness to learn about the company and spend time researching will reflect positively during your interview and help make you a memorable candidate.
Understand Company Mission and Values:
Almost all the information you may need is available on the website of the company. Most businesses take pride in the work culture, ethics, and values and will showcase it. They prefer hiring people that are aware of these core aspects. Generally, all candidates have a clue about what the business does. Still, the mission and vision of the company give further insight beyond just essential daily work. Businesses are more than only products and services; they believe themselves to be a brand and a favorable work environment.
Recruiters and hiring managers always keep in mind the candidate’s right fit according to the company work culture and policies. Mental proficiency, ability to meet deadlines, cultural diversity, equal opportunity, and a non-judgmental outlook are just a few generic things amongst all known businesses.
Prioritizing knowing these things before your interviews and ensuring you fit with the company values will help the recruiter select you for the next steps in the process.
Showcase Yourself to the Company:
For recruiters, a suitable candidate is one that will fit seamlessly into the company. Knowing information about the business before your interview will help showcase yourself to the values of the company. Most people also like researching the company in great detail to talk about these points during the interview and impress the interviewer. Many times, candidates are a good fit, but they just do not know how to showcase themselves.
Companies prefer candidates who have dealt with adverse circumstances and have found a friendly way to overcome the issues. Suppose you realize that the role you are applying to will have conflict management or expect you to deal with diverse, multicultural teams. In that case, you could state an example where you faced a difficult task and how you managed to work with others to find a solution.
- The example does not need to be perfect. It needs to be real and believable.
- You could also talk about experiences that led you to believe you are the right fit for a senior role.
Hiring managers that can envision you in the job are more likely to select you. Strategically align your skills and experience to fit the company culture dynamically. On top of that, the recruiter should have no doubt that you are the best fit.
Ask Meaningful Questions:
At the end of the interview, 99.9% of the time candidates are asked if they have any questions they would like answered. Researching the company and having a few meaningful questions ready beforehand will help to impress the interviewer. Do not ask obvious questions pertaining to the inception of the company or about its founders. Instead, ask questions that help get more information about your job role. Something on the lines of values and core integrities of the company should do the trick.
- Meaningful questions like how a particular core value of the company aligns with the job role could be a good start.
- You could ask questions about the career growth of the job role and future prospects that the company offers.
- Asking questions about employees’ long and short-term goals can also be an excellent place to begin your questions.
These questions can only be asked when you have a firm knowledge about the business, its growth curve, different departments or verticals, and whether it has a good standing in the market.
A Good Fit:
It is not useful to only project yourself as a great candidate. When you are researching the business and the position, you should also assess whether the company would be a good fit for you. Since most adults spend most of their lives working, you should enjoy and love the company where you work. Take a call on whether the business is employee-friendly and whether they have good training and development schemes.
Ensure you see adequate professional growth and maintain a healthy work/life balance in the long term. Do extensive research and check feedback from ex-employees before applying.
Knowing all this information can help you decide whether you want to work for the company before the interviewer can determine if you are a good fit.
