Why Researching a Company Prior to Interview Will Give You the Upper Hand

Researching a company prior to interviewing for their open role is one way to gain the upper hand on your competitors. It will allow you to offer insightful questions, uncover company culture and familiarize yourself with your interviewer(s). Your interviewer will be attentive to your knowledge and excitement about working with the company and a lack thereof can be mistaken for uninterest and ill preparedness. In this blog, you will uncover exactly how and why we recommend researching a company.

 

How to research a company

Prior to attending an interview, thorough research of your interviewer(s) and the company you are interviewing for is recommended. Begin by researching the company website where you can find a company’s history, mission, services offered, and in some cases a list of company executives. From there you may find it helpful to search social media accounts where you will likely discover more about how the company represents itself to consumers. Like and follow the page for consistent updates where you may be privy to information you otherwise wouldn’t be. Additionally, researching the company’s LinkedIn account may give you insight into open jobs amongst other things.

 

Why is researching a company important prior to attending an interview?

First and foremost, researching a company will allow you educate yourself on aspects of the company including history, mission, services and often a list of executives, giving insight into the company’s culture. While you should always answer questions honestly, it is helpful to do so in a way that aligns with the company culture. When accepting a role with a new company you are inadvertently representing their values and beliefs so it’s important that you agree with them. Failing to research a company prior to an interview is failing to prepare and will be obvious to your interviewer.

Additionally, thoroughly researching a perspective employer will allow you to prepare questions that you may not have otherwise had. When time allows, asking insightful questions will give you a competitive advantage to others who are vying for the same role. Offering points of interest discovered through the company website will show the interviewer you came prepared and are eager to work with the company. Moreover, researching a company will also let the interviewer know that you are capable of completing the simplest of tasks, and you do not view yourself as being above a task.

Simply knowing your interviewer(s) is not enough. Prior to the interviewer, you should familiarize yourself with your interviewer. Research their background including their length of time with the company, their work ventures prior to their employment with the company and how they represent themselves through posts and activity – all of which can be found on their LinkedIn profile. Offering points of interest that you may share with the interviewer may help break the ice and build rapport. Furthermore, if you are interviewing with a department head versus an employee of HR more in-depth questions about the department or the position may be available to you.

Researching a company prior to an interview is one way to get an edge up on your competition. It will allow you to create a deeper connection and likely leave a more lasting impression with your interviewer which may ultimately land you the job.

For more information, please give us a call at (518) 275-4816 or email us at jobs@walrathrecruiting.com.

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