The job interview process is structured to know more about you, your skills, strengths and to check if you the right fit for the job role and company culture. But is it all one way? Shouldn’t you also know enough about the company? This blog gives all the information about how to research the company.

Going to the interview with thorough research about the company is the perfect way to stand out.

You get to know the intent and background behind most of the interviewer’s questions but you can also ask intelligent questions about the company to impress the interviewer further.

Just like the company selects you, you are also choosing the company. Are you doing enough due diligence about the company?

You might not know many things just by looking at the office or the website. So how does one go about thorough research about the company?

Company’s financials

The end goal of any company is to make value (money) for all the stakeholders.

If the company’s publicly traded, search for ‘investor relations company name’ on google or go to the company website and search for the ‘investor relations’ page.

Go through earnings calls, annual reports or the filings company has done to SEC in US or SEBI in India.

If the company is private, you can find financial information on their websites and websites like Zaubacorp and Crunchbase.

You need to note down information about the following aspects:

  • Management structure
  • Topline and Bottom line (i.e. revenue and net profit)
  • Are there any significant investments the company has recently made?
  • Where are the factories?
  • Where are the global operations?
  • What kind of products does it sell?
  • What are the different verticals?
  • How many employees and their geographical spread?

Company’s offerings

Go through the company’s website carefully by reading each webpage. Also, search for other portals like Amazon, IndiaMart where the company’s products are being sold. Search if there are any websites with online reviews and complaints about the product or service.

Your goal is to find more information about the following aspects:

  • What are the company’s offerings?
  • What are the unique features and benefits?
  • Are there any clients list and testimonials? Are those Indian or foreign clients, individuals or small companies or large companies?
  • Is there any way you can test the product or service? Is there any free trial available? Can you go to a shop or a showroom to handle the product?
  • What are its competitors?
  • What is company history?
  • Have they changed their direction along the way or upgraded products?
  • What are key partners and vendors?
  • What are recent updates shared by the company on different social media platforms and news platforms?

About employees

As you are going to be one, don’t you want to know how it is like to be an employee of that company?

There are many websites like Glassdoor where employees write reviews about the company. Search for current and former employees on LinkedIn. The best source of data is talking to current and former employees directly.

You can find more about the following aspects:

  • What kind of culture? Open or bureaucratic? Flat or hierarchical? Formal or informal?
  • What kind of engagement activities and training programs happen?
  • Are employees happy in that company?
  • What are the salaries like? When does the salary review take place?
  • What are the typical roles and departments?
  • How long do employees stay at a company?
  • What are different career paths and how fast can one grow inside the organization?
  • Do the employees post content about the company?

Preparation is the key during the interview process. The more you prepare, the less is the chance for surprises and disappointments. So much time is spent applying to many companies and waiting for positive responses. A few hours spent on company research before the actual interview can go a long way in closing an opportunity to an offer.