In this article, we are going to answer one of the most common question that you are likely to be asked in any job interview –What do you know about our company?
It is important to understand first why this question is being asked. The employer would like to learn that you have prepared yourself before applying for the role. They are trying to avoid a desperate person who applied for any role without learning further details about these roles.
If you know absolutely nothing about their company, why would you like to be interviewed? And how do you know you would like to work for them?
Most likely they are also trying to check your preparation and research for the interview. If you are looking to leave a good impression, you want to be specific and bring up several good facts you know about their company.
Prepare to answer this interview question in two stages:
1. Research to learn about the employer
Good prep work to do would be to research the employer first.
As it can help you avoid employers which aren’t so good, second it will help you to write down some good questions you will be able to use when they will ask you, “Do You Have Any Questions?”.
More you know about your employer, the better you can create a bond.
Break down the role description into several parts, to make sure you understand what they are looking for and how and you match their requirements.
Then,
- Explore the company website: About Us, vision, team, Products (or Services), etc.
- Google the company to see what you get. Competitors? Reviews? Clients?
- Check if they got a Company Profile on LinkedIn. If yes, check out the profiles of some employees you may be already connected to (networking!).
- Find out if they have any annual reports published so you can get the facts on their sales, locations, profits and a lot more.
2. Make notes of your research
Write down some important facts about their company:
- What exactly they do.
- What products or services they are offering, the names of the products/services are important as well.
- The company size in terms of employees numbers and revenue.
- Their different locations (if applicable).
- Their major competitors. Make comparisons between them in terms of where/how their company is doing better (or worse), size (total of sales), and any other information you are able to find.
- Find reviews of their services or products.
Write down everything related to the role or the employer that sound interesting or raises some concerns for you. Look for answers, and try to ask cautiously related questions.
Try to avoid any kind of negatives (such as you do not like some of their products).
Things You Shouldn’t Do
There are some things that are not going to impress any interviewer.
If you don’t know anything about the company, it’ll damage your chances of getting this role.
Trying to lie and hide the fact you haven’t done any research can be even worse.
Saying some things that aren’t correct or accurate can also damage your chances of getting this role. Knowing one or two things about the company that you are 100% sure about is better than walking into an interview with 15 facts which most of them could be incorrect or not that accurate.
Just keep it short and simple. Learn 2–3 very basic facts about their company.
Example Interview Answers
- “The Thaiger is one of the largest newspapers in Thailand, although it was founded very recently in 2016 the expansion of the company has been rapid. The company story which on your website’s “about us” page is fascinating. It looks like there’s still a big need for news in English in Thailand based on how fast you’re growing. I saw that you have tripled your readers last year, and you are certainly on the way to do it once again this year.”
- “You’re one of the most famous real estate portals in Thailand. Your headquarters is located in Bangkok, and you currently got 3000 employees in Thailand based on what is written on the company website. I’m hearing about real estate all around Thailand and FazWaz is the name coming up the most in this industry, so I was enthusiastic to apply for your company and interview for this role.”
It is a simple interview question and one which is easy to answer. Show your employer you’ve done some basic research and prepared yourself for the interview.
Don’t exaggerate with the compliments. Show you did your research and you are enthusiastic in working for their company, but don’t make yourself sound like a stalker — do not find out where people live or talk about the car they drive.
How to upgrade Your Answer
If you get the opportunity to compliment the employer or show the reasons you were keen to apply for the role, it would definitely improve your answer.
Don’t say it unless it’s true. If you’re interviewing a small company with less than 50 employees, don’t tell them their company is one of the biggest names you consistently are hearing about.
There are many different ways to compliment a company. One way is to mention, “Someone I know used to work at the company, and they always had good things to say about the work culture of the company and how you, as an employer are always supporting your employees.”
Another answer could be, “I have noticed the company received a few local awards for giving back to the community, which is one of my values.”
At the end of the day, you want to show two things:
- You’ve done your research and prepared yourself for the interview.
- You’re excited to have a chance to talk to this company.
By demonstrating those two things, you will get the other side excited to talk to meet you!
