Top Tips & Phrases to Help You Answer "What Do You Know About Our Company?
There comes a time when you may get a new career opportunity and need to start preparing for a job interview. This article reveals what the interviewers are looking for. Plus, we include top tips on how you can tackle answering the question. We include lead-in phrases to help you start your answer. Worried about making mistakes? We have you covered.
Read on to discover how you can present the best version of yourself and the research you have done.
Why Do Interviewers Ask "What Do You Know About Our Company?"
In one day an interviewer can have any number of interviews, and you may be one of them. Illustrate that you chose the company from a handful of others for a variety of reasons. By doing research, you illustrate that you are selective, specific, and like the job. Your goal is to impress the interviewer with facts and details that show you know your stuff.
One way in which they test candidates is to see how much research you have done about the company. This shows interest, dedication, and motivation. A good candidate will put in the time and the effort to understand the makings of a company and how it started. Show that you can do the job and that you understand how the company works.
7 Ways to Help You Prepare for the Question "What Do You Know About Our Company?
Below we have compiled a list of things to do, what to look out for, and where.
1. What does the company do?
Visit the company website and look for their mission statement. if they do not have one, look for their vision and aims. You can look at the alignment of goals between the company and yourself. This can be a point of reference to mention in the job interview.
2. When did the company start?
When was the company founded? This will help you understand how long the company has been around. This could be why they are in-the-lead in what they do. They could be at the forefront of their industry because they started during a unique time. For instance, some companies launched during the 2008 financial crisis.
3. Where is the company based?
How many offices or locations are there? Are they based across the EU? Do they have an Asia-Pacific headquarters? Is the job role local or global? Where are the teams based? You may need to converse with colleagues across time zones and can bring this up.
4. Who is the company's target market?
Who is the company's typical customer? Doing your research on this shows that you understand their demographic. You can show how you relate or how your skillsets can contribute. For instance, you speak a language that can help with customer acquisition or sales in X market.
5. Who are the company's competitors?
How many competitors are there? Who are the biggest players and threats? What are the company's unique selling points (USP)? This will help you understand their product or service offerings. Show that you understand the differences in the market.
6. Google search recent news on the company
It is important to stay on top of the news. This shows that you are up-to-date. Show that you can relate to new projects they have done or ask about the latest announcements. You can bring up a topic if it is not a sensitive subject. Other places you can also look at are, press releases or blog posts on their company website — if any.
7. Research the company's social media profiles
Another way to stay in-the-know is to look at their LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram. Often, a company may not have the time to release a press statement or official announcement. Social media is then used to mention important news or the latest developments. This keeps their audience and followers up-to-date and on their toes. In essence, that means you will also be one of the first to know.
5 Top Tips to Answer "What Do You Know About Our Company?"
1. Pick 2-3 specific fact about the company
Know your points well. For instance, make sure you know the correct year of the founding of the company. This will ensure you know how long the company has been around. Know how many locations they are in.
Do not waffle. Waffling makes it sound like you do not know your points well. Succinct answers mean you know your stuff. Exude confidence during the time you have. Remember, the job interviewer has an interview timeframe. They may have another interview afterward.
Compliment the company. You can mention a point and talk about how it motivates you. Companies like to know they inspire others. You can mention a recent marketing campaign they launched. Mention something they are well-known or well-respected for.
4. End with a question
Display inquisitiveness. Direct a question back to the hiring manager. This will help you start a conversation that goes back-and-forth. Doing so can help build rapport between yourself and the job interviewer. This has the potential to set you apart from the other candidates.
5. Practice
Repeat your answer until you know it inside out. You do not have to memorise them like a script, but get the details and the facts right. Remember, a few points that are 100% accurate are better than many inaccurate points.
4 Phrases to Help You Answer "What Do You Know About Our Company?"
How do you lead-in with your ideal answer? Do not think about it coming out exactly as you memorised it. Think about sounding coherent. You can start off with one of the following phrases to help you start a line of conversation.
- I read on your website/blog/recent press release/in the news that...
- I saw on social media that...
- I know that you offer online courses for further education and would like to ask...
- I understand that you offer X and feel that X can improve...
Next, how do you continue the conversation? Most of the time, this will flow by itself. But if you are unsure, you can end your point with a question. This also shows initiative and is a great way to clarify or expand on a point you made. Below are some questions to end with to help you lead on:
- Can you tell me more about that?
- I'm curious to know...is that right?
- Can you tell me more about that?
- Can you explain why the company did X instead of X?
4 Things Not to Do When You Answer "What Do You Know About Our Company?"
There are some things that will not impress a job interviewer and can hurt your chances of getting the job. To succeed, make sure you do not do any of the following:
1. Zero research
Do not think that you can wing it. A hiring manager may ask you point-blank if you did research on the company and proceed to ask you about it. The outcome will be worse if you lie and try to cover up. A job interviewer will know straight away through eye contact and body language.
2. Under Prepare
It is always better to be over-prepared than underprepared. Why? Because it gives you leeway to jump to another point if the conversation runs dry. Or if you know more about one topic over another. It also means you have better follow-through with your answers and questions in turn.
3. Be Negative
Do not bring up untoward company situations or happenstances. you do not want to draw attention to negative PR. Look to the future, not to the past, unless it was an accomplishment or feat the organisation is proud of. Adopt a growth mindset.
4. Give a compliment that is not true
The interviewer may have only met you a few minutes ago, but they can tell if you are lying. Stay honest. The compliment could be personal. You could be in their target demographic and you feel that they give back to the community well. Share this aspect.
The Takeaway
Remember the above pointers when you prepare for your next job interview. With what to do and what not to do, you will be able to prepare winning answers with 100% confidence.
Discover what other job interview questions you should prepare for?
