Research the company

Naturally, the more you know about the company, the better understanding you will have of what to expect which will increase your confidence. The question, “What do you know about us?” inevitably comes up at some point in the interview, and while it can be a bit open-ended and a conversation starter, research on your part can only help you highlight your interest and underline your desire to work for them.

Ask your consultant

In nearly all cases, your consultant will have met the client and have been told about, and seen for themselves, the culture of the workplace. They will also know useful background about the company. So ask your consultant for the key details.

Use their website

It is unusual for companies not to have all the information you need to prepare on their website, so get on their site and:

Use “About Us” to get an outline of the business.

Learn about its history, financial position, competitors, products and services. Find out how long the company has been established, the key moments in their history (e.g.management buy-out, key products launched etc.) using "Our History" section. You don't need to know the details though, key points will do.

Find out where they have offices - is it one location, UK or global?

A "Mission Statement" is useful to know as this statement of intent reflects what they are aiming for.

Understand how they make money through “Our Services/Products” – this will list out their offerings to the world.

Talking of world, find out where they have offices – is it one location, UK or global?

Find out how long the company has been established, and key moments in their history (e.g. management buy-out, key products launched etc.) using “Our History” section. You don’t need to know the details though, key points will do.

A section dealing with "Our Employees" or "Careers At..." often outlines the criteria they look at in terms of fit into the company, and could help you learn what aspects of yourself you should highlight. It may well outline the department that you may join too.

Pick out positive statements they say about themselves - “We are the longest established… in the UK” “A market leader in…”, “Record profits recorded” – and be prepared to quote them.

Remember the overall “look and feel” of the site usually reflects how the company sees itself and wants others to see them. Discussing their site in positive terms will demonstrate not just that you have done your homework, but shows you have a feel for what they are about

More background

The following points can be good to know, some of which may be on their website, others you can get by looking through search engines, press cuttings, business & industry journals etc.

Is the company privately owned or a PLC?

If it is a PLC; where are they listed and what’s the share price? What business classification do they come under?

Is it part of a larger group? If so who is the holding group and what are the other subsidiaries?

Who are their main competitors? (Use google or the stock exchange listings for clues) Have they been in the (business) news recently? If so, what for?

Your current position

Don’t forget to brush up on key points about your current (most recent) company. Also think about similarities between your current employer and the one you are interviewing with (why you’ll make an easy transition) and what is different (the attraction and new challenges).

No one can predict how much you will need to talk about your understanding of the company in an interview, but whether it is a quick probe or a detailed discussion, the better your knowledge, the more you will impress.

And finally

Ensure that you have the exact time and location of the interview. Make sure you know the journey time, route and where you can park if you are driving to the interview. Also have the interviewers name and title noted and know the correct pronunciation.