Professionals are generally cautious & apprehensive before a job interview which is perfectly fine. Whether you are a graduate seeking your first job, looking to take up a role after a long break or sabbatical or looking for options after having spent a considerable amount of time in a role or company, researching about the company is the most viable action you should understand before the “ big interview”.
Going for the interview with detailed research on the company, its history, facts & figures & working environment always acts a big boost & positively impacts your body language in a big way.
Following steps will help you gather comprehensive information about the company & would give your a level playing field while interacting with the interviewer:
1.) Basic detailed information about the company
The first & foremost step is to visit the company’s website & have a glance through the company’s mission & vision statement, its history, milestones, products & services, markets, management & organization structure. You should portray yourself as a professional who is prepared with basic research about the company before coming up for interview. Besides, you should also go in detail & check out its social media pages on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter & Instagram. Also check the recommendation & reviews section to know about how the company has handled customer complaints. Even better to follow the company’s social media pages to get updates on various initiatives & activities undertaken right up to the date of interview.
2.) Know the culture
While checking social media, visit the company’s blog section. The content & communication through its blogs & articles portrays a lot about the company’s corporate culture. Is it casual, welcoming or non-engaging/plain? Also check if they are engaged in some sort of community building or CSR initiatives? Do they promote employee engagement & diversity?
3.) Figure out the financial position
It’s always good to keep yourself updated with useful financial information about the company. It the company is listed, it is easy to find our basic financial information such as average earnings, revenue profits, EPS etc., on the Investor Relations section. If it’s a startup or small sized company, you can find relevant financial information on owler or crunchbase.
4.) Check LinkedIn
Visiting the LinkedIn page of the company is a must do activity since you get to know about the profile of the company’s key personnel, new hires, promotions & job advertisement. You also get an opportunity to connect with the HR team & /or interviewer. It’s always good to get in touch with someone in your connection who is working with the company. You can always send a message asking about their views about the company. You can also get some interview tips from them which can be certainly useful. You may also get a chance to connect with other people in the company.
5.) Check company reviews on external websites
You can gather more information about the company such as reviews on working culture, employee friendly policies, salary trends etc. on external websites such as Glassdoor. The company responses on questions can be pretty helpful however you may sometimes find more negative reviews from unsatisfied employees than the happy ones.
6.) Personal interaction with existing /ex-employee
Companies claim about their employee friendly or superior customer service strategy as their core values on their website. However, it is always better to connect with existing or an ex employee as they will be well equipped to through light of companies internal culture. They can also guide you on what to expect in an interview. Additionally, sharing during the interview that you have communicated with other employees of the company is a good way to showcase your networking skills.
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