 Company research is an essential step in the interview preparation process. The question ¡§What do you know about our company?¡¨ is one of the most frequently asked questions by employers. By investing some time to research the company, you will not only be able to answer the question posed but also gain information about your prospective employer and what the company or industry has to offer.
Sources of information
The most obvious place to start gathering information is through the company¡¦s website. The ¡§About Us¡¨ section usually provides the company profile information such as the products and/or services it offers, its mission statement, vision and values. This tells you about the company¡¦s culture, which you can use to your advantage by highlighting why you might be a good fit for the company if you are faced with the ¡§Why should we employ you?¡¨ question.
¡§News¡¨ and ¡§Press Releases¡¨ sections are also helpful as they provide details about new projects and other changes in the company. This knowledge can give you a competitive edge over other candidates about the company¡¦s latest developments by showing that you are up-to-date with what the company has been involved in, and gives you an opportunity to discuss your thoughts and ideas about future contributions you can make as an employee.
Researching information about the company¡¦s competitors can broaden your understanding about the company¡¦s industry or sector. Not only does this provide you with background information to determine whether this is the best company to work for in the industry, but from a practical point of view, you can use this information to prepare insightful questions about the strategic direction of the company to ask in your interview.
Show that your research is thorough by doing some research about the interviewer. He or she may have been recognised by the industry, contributed or provided some quotes to an article relating to the company or industry, or was a speaker at an industry event. The interviewer may be impressed, perhaps even be flattered that you spent the extra time to find out more about his or her role in the company.
Questions to ask
Once you have done your research, you should make a list of questions to ask at the interview. Do not ask obvious questions that could have simply been answered by going to the company¡¦s website. Also, try to ask questions throughout the interview process, not just at the end of the interview.
Sample questions to ask:
- What are the challenges facing this company?
- In the current economic climate, what type of growth do you see for the company in the next few years?
- Why is this position available?
- What are the long and short-term goals to be met for a person in this job?
- How would you describe the corporate culture?
Source: Wilda Fong, Elite English Learning Centre
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