Importance of Company Research

Having a perfect resume and great working experience is always the first step to ensure a successful interview. Proper research and preparation on the organization is usually what leads to a job offer. Having key details, facts or inside information about an organization is what gives a candidate the competitive advantage over the competition. Knowing nothing about the role you’ve applied to, the organization, or sometimes even the hiring manager will sabotage your chances of getting hired no matter how impressive your background is. This is often viewed as a lack of initiative on your part and can frustrate the hiring manager or decision maker. You are likely to ask questions that can easily be found online or, even worse, you could be getting hired into a job you vowed you’d never do again.

In today’s internet-driven and highly competitive world, performing a basic search is easy, placing all kinds of information in the palm of your hands. So take advantage of this opportunity before your interview. Take notes and organize them for each company you apply to. Often times, interviewers or hiring managers ask their candidates what they know about the company just to see how passionate they are about working there. Those who have little to nothing to say typically don’t make the cut. Don’t be that person. If you’re still not convinced or don’t want to invest your time in research, here are some ideas that might change your perspective.

1. Allow yourself to tailor your responses to the company’s culture, needs and areas for opportunity: Being specific with your research enables you to position yourself as the best possible candidate for the job by tailoring your responses to align with the company’s mission and values. For example, if your research shows the company’s principal value is strong customer service, and you’re questioned as to what you have to offer, you can answer in terms of how you would assist the clients amiably, patiently and in a timely fashion. Alternatively, if the company focuses mainly on bringing innovation to the industry, you may inform them of your strong research skills and passion for ground-breaking design and discovery. Company needs or areas of opportunity are also a good topic to focus on when tailoring your responses during an interview. Social media can help shed some light on the areas of opportunity at a particular organization. Sometimes, following a company or a CEO’s social media handles and checking out their previous posts can reveal ups and downs for the company. You can then cross reference that with employee past posts, as well, to get a clearer sense of what the company has been through and how they operate.  

2. Research gives you a foundation to ask all the real questions: The only way to know what questions to ask is if you’ve done your research. Often times, the interviewer will ask for you if you have any questions for them. Understand that this is not them being polite but actually a strategic way for the interviewer to get more information about who you are, how you think and how well you’ve prepared for the interview. The more company-focused and job specific your questions are, the better impression you will leave. Having a strong understanding of the company’s background can also help you prepare some meaningful and deeper questions which reflect your underlying research into the organization. For example, knowing that the company was started in a particular country or during certain times can help spark questions like relocation or travel options that are relevant and specific to the needs of the company.

3. Research helps you know your interviewer: All the greatest players of any sport typically study their opponent before stepping into ring, court or field. Similarly, to war, the army that prevails usually knows the enemy’s strengths and weakness before going into battle. Having the internet at your disposal, you not only have the power to get to know the company itself but also the person interviewing you. Using your connections and especially social media sites can make this process fast, efficient and incredibly accurate. Things such as finding out what they’re interested in and using a few of those interests to build a rapport during your interview is a great start. In addition to this, it’s also likely that you may have something in common such as attending the same school which can be cleverly leveraged as a talking point allowing room for both parties to feel comfortable. Also, there’s no shame in running a background check on your interviewer since he/she’s probably done the same. Background checks are relatively cheap and can be done without consent. Websites like www.backgroundchecks.com and www.instantcheckmate.com are a great place to start. Always remember that your interviewers are looking for candidates that fit the company culture and meet all the listed requirements for a given position. They’re not in search for those who are simply desperate for a job and meet the minimum requirements.

4. It enables you to know who the key players are: The key players in an organization are those who hold immense value, expertise, qualification and experience. These are most likely to be the managers, team leads, directors, president or the CEO of the company. Research about these players in the organization can be done on the About page or in employee bios. Always make sure to check and try to learn as much about what these key individuals say on their social media profiles like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. However, be cautious when trying to connect with these key players while you are in the interview process. It could come off as pushy or an obligation and you may not get a response right away or worse. Instead, strategically connect with these individuals long before you apply to the organization or even better, before you’re unemployed so your intentions appear more neutral and less conspicuous.

5. You get to know about updates, news and events: It’s always a wise idea to be knowledgeable about the latest news and updates regarding the company. Several companies keep a separate page on their websites, entirely dedicated to news relating to company events and community engagement. These may include but are not restricted to new and old events, the press, what they’re planning next etc. Undoubtedly, if you strategically use this page to find out relevant information regarding the company’s latest news, it can serve as an added talking point during the interview which further displays your level of interest in the company.

6. You get insight on the company’s mission and values: All job seekers must confidently be able to affirm that they’re a suitable fit for the company’s mission during the job interview. As a matter of fact most human resource professionals believe that identifying and matching a candidate to the mission and core values of a company is one of those key factors that they look for during their hiring process. Apart from researching the employer and the interviewer, learning about the company’s goals is also imperative. If you are working with a company whose goals match you own personal ambitions, you will be driven to work far more enthusiastically and with purpose. You will feel like the work you’re doing actually matters and that your work is actively contributing to the industry or company.

7. You get the inside scoop: Inside information is the best way to gain a competitive advantage. That is why it’s illegal when trading stocks or company assets as an investor. However, when job hunting the same rules don’t apply. Websites such as GlassDoor can help discover inside information such as salary figures, authentic reviews, details about the hiring process, company culture, etc.

8. Research the field and the company’s competitors: Apart from already knowing as much as possible about the place that you’ll be interviewing, it’s just as important to be able to talk about the industry as a whole. Proper research gives you this advantage. You’ll sound impressive when talking about competitors which shows an understanding of the bigger picture. After discussing the company’s competitors, you will also be able to back up your own reason for wanting to work with the same company that has called you in for the interview. An added bonus is you get the opportunity to express what you think makes the company distinctive and express your zest, while showing off your knowledge.