What to research about the company before the interview: 11 points

A classic in the preparation tips for selection processes is to know well the company that is offering the vacancy. In fact, trying to find out more about the place where you can work is fundamental to the process, but do you know exactly what to research about the company before the interview? Because you need to find very specific information.

Why seek information about the company?

First, let's remember why it is important to do this research. When you apply for a job, it is expected that you will be interested in both the position and the company with the position available. This presupposes knowing some information and details about the company that could be your future employer. Such information needs to give you an overview of the company, including the sector in which it operates, values, culture, and competitors, among other points that will be discussed below. Thus, with all this data in hand, you will be able to analyze whether the opportunity fits with what you are looking for, in addition to ensuring good preparation for the interview. That way, you'll be able to accompany the recruiter more naturally, better understand what he's explaining to you, ask deeper questions, and show that you know what you're talking about, and therefore, you're really interested in the vacancy. Knowing all this, you must be wondering what exactly to ask, right? Below you will find the answer to your question, with 11 points that are worth checking before arriving at the job interview.

What to research about the company before the interview? 11 points

1 - Area and sector of activity

The most basic item on the list is the company's area and sector, that is, what it does. You need to know, for example, if the organization provides services or offers products if it is a food or infrastructure company. if it is national or multinational, and other details. In summary, you should find out where it is positioned in the economic landscape, both to learn more about the company's context and to understand if you identify with the nature of the work you will be able to do.

2- Mission, values and culture

Next, look to your future employer's values and mission. In general, such descriptions are on the official website and give a first glimpse of what the company values, what it seeks and what it wants to deliver to the world. Such points also begin to indicate what the culture is like in the corporate environment, and all of this helps you put together a puzzle and understand if you fit in and identify with what is important for the company. Are your values the same? Does the mission make sense to you? Evaluate it all.

3- Main stakeholders or audiences

Understanding more about what the company does will give you some signals from its stakeholders, that is, the audiences with whom it talks. Here, we're talking about consumers, customers, the press, governments, suppliers, the general public and many other possibilities, which you can discover more deeply in a search. In this way, you will delve a little deeper into the world of business, seek experiences from your career that fit with some of these audiences, and also have ideas for questions and comments during the interview. 

4- Executive team

In order not to get lost or ask very basic questions in the interview, when the interviewer mentions some names related to the company, find out who is part of the executive team. We are talking about the president, vice president, directors of areas, and other nomenclatures that define the names of the top leadership of a company. In particular, focus on the president or CEO, and the leader in your area.

5- Internal and external reputation

The external reputation of a company is defined by how society sees it, and you can find out with quick surveys and conversations with people in the area, who will give you their impressions about it. In addition, internal reputation encompasses the opinion of employees about the work environment, and having this view is a valuable way to assess whether or not you want to be part of this scenario.

6- Challenges of the sector and economic scenario

As much as you can find out more about the challenges in the interview, it's interesting to try to map out some of them in advance. So you understand even more about the company, you can think of questions in advance This survey includes an overview of the economic scenario, which usually impacts the current situation of all members of the world's economy. 

7- Main competitors

Who are the competitors and competitors? Do you work or have you worked for any of them? How are they doing? Does anyone in particular get more prominence in the market? All these questions need to be answered by your research. 

8- Profile of the recruiter

Researching the organization also involves finding out more about who will be interviewing you. Therefore, use LinkedIn to your advantage to become familiar with the professional who will be your recruiter, finding out more about his profile, previous experiences, academic background, and length of service. Thus, you can find points of similarity between you and him, and already have this advantage when mentioning these points in common. Just be careful to do this naturally, without seeming invasive.

9- Skills valued by the company

Both the job description in question and other open positions can give great tips on the skills and profile that the company values and seeks. So, finding out a little more about them will give you a more focused view in the interview, highlighting their strengths that connect with what the company wants. 

10- Current employees

Another way to discover these skills, and also better understand what the main employee profile is, is by looking for them on LinkedIn. The platform can show you who the company's current employees are, helping you to put together a real map. 

11- Recent news involving the organization

The last item on the list of things to research about the company before the interview is the company's press coverage. Do a search to find out what the press has been talking about the company in recent times, so you can discover important movements, deals, acquisitions, financial situations, reputational crises, and interesting initiatives and thus, build your vision about the company.