When you really want to make a great first impression in a job interview, one of the best things you can do is know about the company. Your interviewer may do hundreds of interviews a year, and they can spot a generic response a mile away.
When you research a company and know about its values, products and services, goals, and logistics, you can exceed expectations and impress the interviewer. But what, exactly, do you need to know?
Liberty Staffing Services can help you ace your interview by matching you with an open position at a great company in Southern Ontario. Reach out to us today to learn more about how we can help!
In the meantime, here is a convenient list of things you can learn about the company where you're applying – and where to find out the information you need to know.
Mission and Values
You don’t have to try to figure out a company’s mission and values by searching their website for clues. You can almost always find some kind of mission statement or core values statement on a stand-alone page of the website or the company’s LinkedIn page.
For example, on our Liberty Staffing LinkedIn page, we make our mission statement clear:
OUR MISSION is to provide uncompromising, personalized, flexible staffing through an efficient and affordable delivery system. To continuously improve client and assignment employee satisfaction, while providing a learning environment for our internal employees.
From a mission statement or list of core values, you can learn about the company’s priorities and how they communicate their goals to the public.
Plus, you get a little sneak peek into the keywords that will make your resume and your job interview stand out. For example, imagine you are interviewing at a manufacturing company and finding that their mission statement includes sustainability as a core value. Now, you can drop your knowledge of sustainability into your answers (or your questions) and stand out as someone aligned with their values. It’s a perfect way to make a great impression.
Products and Services
Understanding the company’s core products and services, as well as its target customers and competitive advantages, allows you to answer questions with excellent specificity. It also shows that you are truly interested in the company’s purpose, not just landing a job.
To find out about their products and services, visit the company’s website and review any sales pages, online catalogs, and “About Us” pages.
Recent News
Reading recent headlines and news about the company will prepare you for the job interview conversation. You can make informed statements and ask interesting questions about recent events, the growth of the company, and community engagement.
Their financial performance may also be related to recent news. If you can find some key financial metrics like the company’s revenue, profitability, and growth, you can use that information to prove your knowledge.
Imagine that you're asked, “Why do you want to work at [our company]?” It would be great to be able to answer, “One of the things that I am excited about is working for a company that saw such great growth over the past two years and is projected to continue to see that kind of improvement in the next fiscal year.”
You can find recent news by searching for headlines on Google or looking at the company’s social media and LinkedIn pages.
Leadership Team
Who are the executives at this company? Is it a large company with a Board of Directors, or is it a small business with a hardworking owner? Are company leaders active on social media, X, or LinkedIn, representing the business and its accomplishments?
Your knowledge about the leadership team may or may not come up at the interview, but recognizing key names and recalling them in a pinch is definitely going to make you stand out.
You can find this information on a company's website.
Workplace Culture
Researching and learning about the company’s workplace culture helps you prepare for the interview in several ways.
First of all, it can help you avoid sticking your foot in your mouth. For example, if the company prioritizes punctuality and timeliness, you don’t want to talk about how much you love flexible workplaces that let you come and go on your own time.
Second, you can prepare for the job interview more effectively if you know a bit about the company culture. You are more likely to feel confident in what you are wearing, what you bring to the interview, and how you present yourself when you know how people at this potential place of employment typically dress and behave.
Finally, you can use your understanding of the company's culture to your advantage during the interview. When they ask questions about your work style, skills, or values, tailor your responses to demonstrate your fit with their established company culture. This shows the interviewer you did your homework to understand their norms, priorities, and environment.
Where can you find information about workplace culture? Short of interviewing current and former employees, this can be more difficult to find out. But there is one place that has this information on hand: a staffing agency.
Staffing agencies carry lots of knowledge about businesses and their workplace culture. Working with a staffing company comes with many benefits, including extensive knowledge of what employers are really like!
Choose Liberty Staffing Services in Southern Ontario
Working with an experienced staffing agency, like Liberty Staffing Services, connects you to fantastic job opportunities at companies with workplace cultures where you can thrive. Our expertise and connections in Southern Ontario get your foot in the door for interviews that lead to fulfilling careers. Contact us today to take the first step!
