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With access to information more readily available than ever before, researching ahead of an interview has become an increasingly confusing task. With this in mind, our team have put together some top tips for candidates to be fully prepared when it comes to interviewing.
Research the Company Website
Ensure you have thoroughly looked through the website for the company you are interviewing for. It is important not to just skim read the ‘About Us’ page, but look further into the business as a whole. Depending on the information available, if accessible, ensure as a minimum you review:
- Company Home Page. This provides an overview of the company, what they offer and any recent announcements.
- About us page. Generally, this gives a broader background into the company and it’s history.
- The team, although this page is not always available, it can be useful to understand the structure of the business you are interviewing for.
- Clients, Case Studies and testimonials. Again, depending on the company and whether these pages are available, the information shared in this area of the website can build more of a picture of the organisation. If you have done your research in these areas it can show your interviewer that you have done your homework!
- News Page / Blog. We would recommend to review at least the past 3 months. This is to ensure that you are up-to-date with important information regarding the company you are interviewing for.
Most business’ will have a business profile on LinkedIn. Be sure to follow the company and start reacting to any posts. As well as being a good source of information, it will also show you have gone above and beyond to understand the business before you interview. We would always recommend ‘Linking In’ with your interviewer if you know their name. Not only does this show professionalism, but it can help in leaving that ‘lasting impression’.
Glassdoor
If the company you are interviewing for is on Glassdoor, you will have access to unbiased reviews of the company by past and present employees, interview reviews, benefit reviews, office photos and more! Whilst you need to keep an open mind of the reviews you read, it can provide a source to help understand the culture of the organisation and potentially, from this, may prompt some questions you may wish to ask on an interview.
Research the industry
If you are interviewing for an unfamiliar industry we would always recommend doing some further research. Review any latest industry news articles and updates that may be relevant. These can be found on google via the news pages, or through industry professional bodies, such as the Chartered Institute of Marketing, for example.
Research key competitors
Another great way to go above and beyond is to look into the company’s competitors. Depending on the industry this can demonstrate a better understanding of the market. It can also show your interviewer that you have done your research.
You can identify competitors by asking your consultant as well as googling similar products and services to their offering. If you have any questions we are always here to help.
For more interview tips, read our previous blog post on top tips for interview success by our Permanent Division Manager, Samantha Chambers.
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