Research Study
Some highly qualified candidates can blow their chances at a job because they haven’t bothered to do any company research at all. Why is this research so important for jobseekers?
One of the questions I’ve asked in almost every one of the interviews I’ve conducted throughout my career is, “So, what do you know about the company?” I usually ask it just before I share some information with the candidate about the organization I’m hiring for – mine or my client’s. Pragmatically speaking, it’s one way for me to avoid telling you things you already know, which would be a waste of both our time. More importantly, it’s a way for me to check in on how you conduct yourself professionally.
A decision to take a job is one of the most important decisions people will make throughout their lives. If a candidate treats that decision lightly enough that they haven’t bothered to learn anything about the company, it leaves me with the impression that they’re disinterested in their own future, or in the company I’m hiring for, or both. That is not an impression you want to leave.
Let’s be real: these days, there is some information online about almost every business. If they have a decent website, there’s no excuse for not knowing what they want their customers and others to know. If they don’t have a website, they may have a social media presence. If they don’t have social media pages, you can still probably find out something by searching their company name. If all else fails, you can usually search the business name registry and at least find out who owns it and how long they’ve been around.
When you’re asked during an interview what you know about a company, you should be armed and ready with a few key points up your sleeve – three or four is fine. The only way to do that is to do your research, before every single interview. Every one, no exceptions.
(Pro tip: some of the best candidates I asked this question had a few facts they’d learned, but also had a question that they weren’t able to find the answer to. I appreciate an inquisitive nature.)
Do your homework. Put at least as much time and effort into this as you would before making a reasonably major purchase, because – at the end of the day – isn’t this just as important?
Photo by Agence Olloweb on Unsplash