how to do research on a company for an interview

In the next 10 minutes, I’m going to show you exactly how to research a company for your job interview.

You want to go into the interview feeling ready and confident, and you don’t want to embarrass yourself.

That’s what good pre-interview research can do for you.

But what’s the fastest and easiest way to get enough information about a company to avoid interview mistakes and make a great first impression? And what exactly should you be researching?

Keep reading for everything you need to know…

How to Research a Company for a Job Interview

1. research the company website.

Go to the business’ website and find out about what products or services they provide. What do they sell and how do they make money? Why might the company’s clients choose them?

Learn anything you can about the company culture , too. Click buttons like “About Us” or “Meet Our Team” when you’re on the company website.

Then visit their “Careers” section to see what jobs are posted in general. Make sure you’re familiar with the job description and get a feel for the other jobs they’re hiring for.

Finally, see if the company has a mission statement. Knowing the company’s mission will help you understand what they care most about, so that you can show these traits in the job interview.

This is the longest step in the process of researching a company, but it’ll give you a ton of information you can use in your answers, and knowing more about them will help you explain why you wanted to apply for the job .

2. Search Google News for Recent Company Developments

This is a relatively short step, but still important for how to research a company before your interview.

As you conduct company research, go to Google News to read some recent developments and press releases, so you can get a sense of what the company is working on.

Find a piece of good news, a recent change, acquisition or new project, or anything else you can find about the company online.

You’ll notice more info available for large companies, but you may still find valuable news articles and stories for smaller companies, too.

Your goal in this research, for each of your target companies, is to find one action they took recently that you can ask about in the interview.

For example, you’d ask, “I read you recently did ___, can you tell me more about that?”

They’ll be impressed that you know the latest news about them.

Most job seekers are asking boring, generic questions in the interview (like, “What is your company’s mission?”)

So if you can ask a question about a recent news story, it’s going to set you apart.

Here are 27 more unique questions job seekers can ask in the interview.

That brings me to one other piece of job search and career advice: Never ask a question that could be answered on the company’s website.

3. Review the Company’s Social Media Accounts

Next, research the company’s Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social profiles to see recent news you might have missed on Google News in step 2. You might see pictures of employee outings too, etc. You’ll get a great sense of the company culture and the type of people who work there.

This will give you more fuel and ideas for questions you can ask in the interview too.

For example, you could ask, “I saw on Facebook you recently had a company charity event. Can you tell me about what else the company does to facilitate team-building and/or charitable giving in the community? It’s great that those are a part of your company’s values. That’s something I’m looking for in an employer.”

You can also look for the company on YouTube. Do a quick search and see if they have a channel.

More and more companies are sharing video content, so this is a worthwhile step in terms of how to research a company very thoroughly before you talk to them.

You might also see their office in a video which will make you more comfortable when you arrive for an interview. You’ll feel like you’ve been there before.

4. Competitor Research

If you really want to impress the company with how much you researched them before the interview, head over to similarweb.com , type the company name or website into the search bar, and then find the button that says “similar sites”.

Click it and you’ll see companies that are similar to the company you’re interviewing at. Try to find a few key differences and similarities, so you can show you understand the whole marketplace and industry, not just the company you’re interviewing with.

If you do this, most hiring managers will be VERY impressed.

If you’re interviewing in a new industry this becomes even more important. But it’s a great step for anyone who wants to research a company before a job interview.

5. Research Employees on LinkedIn

Search on LinkedIn to find employees of the company. Better yet, find people in the same type of group or role that you’re interviewing for. What type of background do they have? You might spot a trend for the type of person a company likes to hire.

This research will help you understand what the company looks for in the hiring process, so that you’ll be better prepared for questions they throw at you in the interview.

LinkedIn isn’t just a great job search resource , it’s also a powerful research tool. If you don’t already have an account that’s active and up-to-date, you should definitely make one. If you’re not convinced, here are 5 reasons you should use LinkedIn .

6. Research the Hiring Manager

Next, use LinkedIn to research the hiring manager’s background.

How long have they been with the company?

What’s their educational background?

What previous jobs have they worked to get to the point they’re at?

This is a great way to prepare to pass your interview . You might even see something you have in common with the hiring manager, such as a sport you played in college.

And if not, you’ll still know more about them than most candidates going in for the interview. So it’ll be easier to bond and build rapport, or talk about topics that they’re familiar with.

7. Industry Research

Next, if you’re attending a job interview in an unfamiliar industry, you should go beyond researching the company and also dig into the industry overall.

Browse social media accounts of other businesses in the industry, read a few trade publications online, see what types of jobs are posted in this industry, and more.

What types of products and services does the industry provide in general?

What are some of the latest developments happening?

What are some common types of jobs in the industry?

You can look at industry news in Google, check company social media accounts, and more to gather this information.

8. Research the Company’s Job Interview Process

There are a variety of websites that allow job seekers to write about their job search experience and which interview questions they faced. So I recommend searching Google for terms like “<Company Name> interview questions” and “<Company Name> interview process.”

You won’t find information about this for every employer, but you should find some hints about the interview process for most large employers, which can be a big aid in your job search.

Then, you’ll know how to better prepare for your job interview to show you’re a fit for the company’s culture and role.

9. Read Employee Reviews

Next, consider visiting a site like Glassdoor.com to read reviews from current and past employees.

This may give you more hints about how the company operates, which will help you prepare great interview answers.

You’ll also gain valuable information to help you decide if you do or don’t want to work for this company!

You may spot a red flag or two that you’d like to ask about in the interview.

You wouldn’t have found this on a casual visit to the company’s website. So reading reviews from real employees will give you a better understanding of what your life will be like if you accept their job.

Those are the best steps you can take for pre-interview company research. I recommend doing everything above if you have time.

10. Additional Research for Public Companies

If a company is publicly traded, it must release an annual report, quarterly financial statements, and more.

You can see their stock price, read recent stock news, and more.

For public companies, you’ll often see an “investor relations” button when you visit the company website (usually in the site footer).

You can also search for the company name on a website like Google Finance to read about their financial health and explore recent financial data and statements.

This doesn’t need to be an in-depth, time-consuming step when researching a company, but it’s worth noting whether they’re publicly traded or not, and how the company’s stock is doing.

Final Step: Review Your Company Research

Now you know what to research about a company before the interview.

As a final step, make sure you can answer these questions about a company:

• Who is the CEO ?
• When/why was the company founded?
• Does the company have one or multiple locations? And where are they headquartered?
• How does the company make money? What do they sell and who is their typical customer?
• Why do their customers choose them?
• How are they different from their competitors?
• How would you describe the company culture?
• Does the company have a mission statement or a reason why they were founded?
• What do you know about the hiring manager’s background? How long have they been with the company?

Use that as a checklist to make sure you’ve researched the company enough before your interview.

Now that you know how to research a company before a job interview, you’re going to be able to make a better impression on recruiters and hiring managers, and turn more interviews into job offers !

About the Author

Read more articles by Biron Clark

2 thoughts on “How to Research a Company for an Interview: 10 Steps”

This was VERY resourceful. Thanks so much for the helpful tips.

Great list. Thank you!

Comments are closed.

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How To Research a Company for a Job Interview

7 Ways to Find Out What You Need to Know Before the Big Day

Visit the Company Website

Browse social media, use linkedin, get an interview edge, use google and google news, tap your connections, get to know the industry and competitors, how to use this research during interviews.

You may have heard the advice that it’s important to have some questions for the hiring manager when you’re interviewing for a job. It’s true that interviewers will expect you to be curious and interested in their organization, and they'll expect to show that by asking questions, but it’s also true that you should come to the interview with a good baseline of knowledge about the company.

Hopefully, you’ll learn a lot about the company during the interview—like whether the organization and the company culture are a good fit for you, for example. But during the interview is not the time to learn basic information about the company. You should know all that before you set foot in corporate HQ. 

The good news is that it’s easier than ever before to learn about an employer before the job interview. Take some time, in advance, to learn as much as you can online. Then, tap into your real-world network to see who you know who can help give you an interview edge over the other candidates. Do your research, and you’ll make a much better impression on the hiring manager. Here are tips for researching companies before the interview.

Start by visiting the company website. There, you can review the organization's mission statement and history, products and services, and management, as well as information about the company culture. The information is usually available in the "About Us" section of the site. If there's a Press section of the website, read through the featured links there.

Pay attention to themes that come up repeatedly on the site. As much as any stated corporate values, the words companies choose to describe themselves are telling. Do you want to work at a place where people are “driven to excellence,” or does that make you feel tired? Do you like the idea of working with people who consider their coworkers family, or do you need more distance between your job and your personal life? Of course, organizations use hyperbole when talking about themselves... but it’s often pretty telling hyperbole.

Next, check the company's social media accounts. Visit their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages. This will give you a good sense of how the company wants its consumers to see it. Like or follow the company to get updates. You'll find some information you may not have found otherwise.

You may also uncover some red flags. If the organization doesn’t have a professionally managed social media presence, for example, or if it’s updated sporadically and inconsistently, they might not be totally in control of their public image.

LinkedIn company profiles are a good way to find, at a glance, more information on a company you're interested in. You'll be able to see your connections at the company, new hires, promotions, jobs posted, related companies, and company statistics. If you have connections at the company, consider reaching out to them. Not only can they put in a good word for you, but they may also share their perspective on the company and give you tips that will help you ace the interview.

Take a look at your interviewer's LinkedIn profile to get insight into their job and their background, as well. Look for any common links between you. Do you know the same people? Did you go to the same school? Are you part of the same groups, online or off? Those common links could help you establish rapport during the interview process. 

Consider looking up the company on Glassdoor . Their Interview Questions and Reviews section has a goldmine of information for job seekers.

You can find out what candidates for the positions you are interviewing for were asked and get advice on how tough the interview was. Use reviews to help get a sense of company culture. That said, take them with a grain of salt—employees are often most likely to leave reviews when they are unhappy. As you read reviews, look for repeated themes. The more mentions a given subject gets (whether it's praise for flexible hours or frustration with senior management) the more likely it is to be accurate.

Search both Google and Google News for the company name. This can be invaluable. You may find out that the company is expanding into Asia, for instance, or recently received a round of start-up funding. Or, you may find out that a recent product underperformed or had to be recalled. This knowledge can help shape your responses to interview questions.

Do you know someone who works at the company? Ask them if they can help.

If you're a college grad, ask your career office if they can give you a list of alumni who work there. Then email them, send a LinkedIn message, or call and ask for assistance.

As well as researching the company, it makes sense to review the overall industry. If you're interviewing for a job at a mortgage company, for instance, it's helpful to be informed about current homeownership trends. Get to know the company's biggest competitors and identify their successes and flaws, too. Insight into the company's industry and rivals are bound to impress interviewers.

During a job interview, interviewers ask questions to get to know candidates . But their main goal is to determine if a candidate will be a good fit for the position and company.

Your company research will make your responses to questions compelling and show that you'll be helpful to their goals and bottom line.

Plus, your knowledge will help you give a specific answer if you're asked why you'd like to work for the company. You can share details about things you find admirable about the company, its mission, or its culture.

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How to Research a Company for a Job Interview

As the world continues to recover from the COVID-19 crisis, your opportunities for employment may be growing. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says more companies are hiring, including those focused on health care and social assistance. In a survey conducted by staffing company Robert Half, job openings still outnumber candidates nearly 2 to 1.

If you’re job hunting, this is good news. When preparing for an interview, make sure to research the company's mission, reputation, finances, and more. This can help you appear as a knowledgeable, informed candidate to a recruiter or hiring manager when answering interview questions.

Here are 10 ways to conduct company research for an interview.

10 Things You Should Check Out Before Your Interview

1. visit the company website.

Learn about the company from the “About Us” section or any “Meet Our Team” section. These pages will give you an overview of the company, but be aware that these pages may be more geared toward attracting customers or clients. You might be able to get more insight about the job itself if the company has a “Careers” page.

Additionally, more job seekers are placing emphasis on a company’s values. In a recent article , Caitlin Duffy, research director at research and consulting firm Gartner, said, “You could call it the ‘Great Reflection.’ … It’s critical to deliver value and purpose.” Check out the company’s values page, mission statement, and any company culture page to gain more insight.

2. Check on the Company’s Financial Health

You don’t want to get involved with a financially troubled company. Investopedia says the single best indicator of a company’s financial health and long-term viability is its bottom line profit margin.

For many large companies, you should be able to find this and more financial information from a company’s quarterly earnings report, annual report, or conference calls with investors, the latter of which you might find on YouTube. If you’re interviewing with a startup, check out its profile on Crunchbase .

3. Learn About the Skills the Company Requires

You should be able to find out a lot in a job posting, including a general description, duties, education, experience requirements, and possibly starting salary range.

Also, take a good look at what they’re looking for in terms of knowledge, skills, and abilities. With this information, you should be able to decide what the company is seeking in a qualified candidate. This can help you position yourself in your interview.

>>Learn More: The Top 8 Soft Skills That Employers Want

4. Browse Social Media

Many companies are using social media to present themselves. According to Statista , 92.1% of larger U.S. companies used social media for marketing in 2022, up from 86.2% in 2013. The way social media is used can give you insight into companies.

Search out the company’s Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) pages to gain a sense of how the company wants to be perceived. You can also spot some red flags this way, such as a less-than-professional presence.

Also, it never hurts to check out the company on YouTube.

5. Explore LinkedIn

According to LinkedIn , more than 65 million companies use the site to connect with consumers, other companies, and prospective employees.

Companies share a lot of information on this platform, so make yourself familiar with it. You can see a company’s hires, promotions, jobs posted, related companies, and statistics. You can also see who they interact with.

You should search LinkedIn for people who are employed at the company. Learn about the company by looking at their employees’ experiences.

6. Search Google and Google News

Google is a valuable tool, beginning with its wide-ranging Search feature . Look for a company’s name and see what turns up. You may find out the company’s tactics, recent news releases, or plans.

Use the News tab to find out if the company has been in the news lately. You might find out whether the company has been having difficulties or had products recalled.

7. Use Glassdoor and Other Employee Sites

Glassdoor says 83% of its users are actively looking for jobs or are open to new opportunities. Explore the company’s Glassdoor listing, including their Interview Questions and Reviews section for valuable information for job seekers.

You can also see whether employees have left comments about the company — but recognize that sometimes the more disgruntled an employee is, the more likely they are to post.

8. Research the Field and Competitors

It is a good idea to research the competitors of the company you’re interviewing with. That can help clarify for you the company’s mission and needs.

Head to similarweb.com , type the company’s name, and then click “similar sites.” You can also look up competitors on LinkedIn by seeing what recommendations you get if you click on the interviewing company’s page.

9. Mine Your Current Connections

If you know someone who works at the company now, ask them for their insight. Check with other friends to see if they have friends who work there. This is where your own personal network can help out.

Networking events could also connect you with the right people to find out more information. It’s a good idea to keep building your network.

10. Find Out About the Hiring Manager

Lastly, before the interview, research the hiring manager or your interviewer on LinkedIn. Find out what you can about them, and see if there are any commonalities you share. This can give you an advantage during the interview because you’ll have a better chance of connecting with them and sparking a meaningful conversation.

>>Learn More: How to Tackle Tough Interview Questions

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How to Research a Company for an Interview in 6 Easy Steps

In This Guide:

Step 1: ask your network.

Step 2: Check out the company's blog on their website

Step 3: Comb through the company's social media accounts

Step 4: Job description

Step 5: Read reviews

Step 6: Examine media sources and press releases

Step 7: Examine your own values and career trajectory

You've been sending your resume and cover letter out to several companies, and you finally got an interview for a position that you love.

Before your interview, it's a good idea to know a little about the company, specifically the company's mission, culture, and values.

Understanding how the company operates allows you to discern if you feel you'd be a good fit for it. By researching companies, you can better prepare for the interview questions , tailoring your answers to the specific company and hiring manager.

In this article, we will discuss:

• 7 easy steps to research a company for an interview
• Suggestions on how to use your research during the interview

Before you head out and do some research on the company that you're interviewing for, speak with a career counselor from Enhancv . They can help you to refine your research and create valuable talking points to ace your interview.

7 steps to research a company for an interview

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If you are anything like me, you want to come prepared for your interview, knowing exactly what you need to know to make the best first impression. Alternatively, if you show up to a job interview without properly researching the company that you're applying for, you may feel ill prepared, stumbling over the main ideas that you'd like to convey.

If you want to be prepared for your next interview, follow these six steps to research the hiring company:

When you settle down in a career for a long period of time, you build up a network of contacts. Whether through vendors, clients, colleagues, or managers of other companies, reaching out to those people that you know may be your first step in understanding the reputation of the company that you're interviewing for.

Instead of just looking at the ways that the company represents itself online through marketing materials, social media posts, or philanthropic pursuits, asking someone you know who has an understanding of the company can give you key insights.

This type of research may be more intimate, allowing you to gain more of an understanding of how it feels to be someone who works at the company or interacts with management there. This type of research allows you to identify any red flags, things that may make you choose not to continue during the interview process with the hiring company.

It's important to keep in mind that you should take some of this word-of-mouth research with a grain of salt. For example, if you are speaking to former employees of the company, they may have more overtly negative things to say about it since they've stopped working there.

If you're just starting out in the industry, and you're fresh off an internship , you may be able to contact your university's career office, and ask if there are some alumni who attended the same school working at the company.

Who knows? Maybe you can get a job referral or reference from your network.

Advice for the interview

If possible, use your network as a starting place for research, but continue to do a little more research on your own to gain more of an understanding of how an organization operates. If someone in your network has something nice to say about the company, ask that person if it is okay if you shared it in the interview. You never know if the hiring manager may know the person who you're talking about.

Step 2: Check out the company's blog on their website

If you're interested in learning more about how the company operates, you should check out their website. Here you can gain a better understanding of the products and services they offer their customers, whilst also learning about the things that matter to them the most.

The best place to look for information on a company's website is their blog, as you can usually find great content that breaks down everything the company is doing. A company's blog is where an organization can share about what differentiates them from other organizations.

Most companies now are trying to become thought leaders in their industry, and on their website you can see a little more about the company's vision and values.

Even a company's annual report, which may be found on their website, can help to show you the financial health of the company, and even how they handle investor relations.

Another helpful place to look is on the "about us" page, which lists all the important people at the company. Here you can find employee bios. By looking at this page, you may be even able to find the name and position of the hiring manager that will be interviewing you for the position. This allows you to have all the information you need to choose your employer .

Whatever you glean from the company website can be used in your interview to show that you have done your due diligence. By quoting blog posts or white papers found on the website, you will impress interviewers and build rapport. You can actually strike up a meaningful conversation by pointing to the company's mission statement which you found on their website.

Step 3: Comb through the company's social media accounts.

Another great place to find information on the company online is to search through their social media accounts. There are two types of social media accounts that you can look for: the official company's social media account, and individual executive's social media accounts. The company social media account is the place where they put all the content that they would like to share with their target audience. You can actually see what they value the most at their company by what they post on their social media posts. Also, you can gain a lot of company information from the key players within an organization. Some large companies have executives with their own social media profiles, and you may be able to gain the inside scoop on the company values straight from their leaders.

By searching through social media posts, you may be able to read between the lines to find some red flags about the company. For example, if the CEO of the company explains how they are "driven to succeed and change the world", depending on your own personality, you may see this as something which could lead to a highly motivating company culture, or you could find it exhausting.

Every bit of research can give you insights into the company's history, and reasons for you to work there.

Step 4: job description

This may be one of the places that you may have forgotten about, but jobseekers can gain a lot of information from the job description. Not only do you gain information about the hiring process, most job applications provide you with a short introduction to the company, specifically their culture, vision, and values.

In the job description, you are also given information about the tasks and duties of the role. Scour the job description to learn about what roles you'll fill, and what duties and responsibilities you'll be expected to complete.

Some job descriptions also offer information on employee benefits, like medical, pension plans, and even stock options.

All the research you gain from the job description can actually be really helpful during an interview, as it can provide you with questions for your interviewer. Having questions ready for your interviewer can differentiate yourself from other applicants. Also, most job descriptions tend to be fairly generic, so come ready with a few questions up your sleeve to gain a better idea of the position.

Related: Sure-Fire Zoom Interview Tips to Ace Your Online Interview

Reading employee reviews can be viewed as a secret weapon when researching for an interview. Even a quick search of the business on an employee review website, can give you quite a bit of information about what it's like to practically work there.

As you scour the reviews, look for common themes which seem to show up from all employees. If several former employees share that the bosses have a tendency to overwork their employees, then this may be a sign that the company doesn't offer a great work/life balance.

Although you may not want to reference reviews of a business from former employees, keep some reviews in the back of your mind when you are answering questions for the interview. Check to see how they treat their current employees, as well as the expectations and goals that will be placed on you.

Step 6: examine media sources and press releases

Another type of research is to do a Google News search to see how media sources are portraying the company. Just do a quick search of the company name, and you may be able to gain information like how the company is expanding operations into Europe and Asia.

You may also be able to gain information on philanthropic pursuits that the company has done within their community.

The last thing that you're going to want to do is to understand your own values and career trajectory. This may be the hardest type of research that you'll have to do, as you'll have to look deep inside yourself to see exactly what you want to get out of your next job.

Some informational interview questions might actually tap into your own values and career trajectory. For example, you may be asked in an interview, "What do you like the most about your work?" Coming prepared with an understanding of what motivates you can help you answer this question.

advice for the interview

An interview is a feeling out process, whereby an interviewer and interviewee can decide whether they feel like they can work together. So come ready to talk about yourself and be honest in your interview answers.

Major takeaways:

• Check out the company's online presence through their social media accounts, website, and blog.
• Use your network of friends, family members, former employees, and those you went to university with to help you to gain an understanding of the company.
• Check out former employees' reviews of the company on review websites.
• Examine yourself, before interviewing for a position, to see exactly what you want to get out of the role.

While we're on the subject of examining your own vision for your career trajectory, you should speak to a career counselor from Enhancv . Within the first meeting, you can begin to share a bit of the information about you, and gain insights into where you would like your career to go.

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How to Research a Company for an Interview: 10 Easy Steps

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The hiring process is a two-way street. During the interview stage, the hiring manager or recruiter evaluates you—but you also evaluate the company. 

Knowing how to research a company for an interview will help you find the information required to answer their questions effectively and determine if you want to work for them. This article provides the blueprint for your research, including the information you should look for, where you can find it, and relevant questions to consider.

Before you begin, review the job description and identify any questions you have about the company based on the information provided.

For example, if the job listing mentions reaching a funding round, look for company announcements on their blog or social media for more details. If they claim to offer healthy work-life balance and flexible hours, see what current and former employees say on the subject in their Glassdoor reviews or LinkedIn posts.

Identify the company’s mission and values

Where to look:   Careers page on the company website

Like   56% of workers , you probably wouldn’t work for a company if you disagree with its values. A company’s values and mission can align with your personal or professional values (or both). 

For example, genuine client care is an excellent professional value to look for in a company. But if you’re also an environmental advocate, you may want to work for a company that values sustainability. Finding a company that prioritizes environmental sustainability will enhance your employee experience and make you feel more engaged in your work.

You can typically find a company’s mission statement and values on the company website—try the About Us page or the Careers page. The About Us page is generally more commercially focused and directed at clients and company history, whereas the Careers page showcases the   company culture, team growth, and open positions.

Questions to consider:

• What values do I want my future employer to hold and why?
• What are the organization’s values?
• Do those values align?
• If not, is that a dealbreaker?

Read through the company’s latest news stories

Where to look:   Press page on the company website and Google News

Read through the company website and search the company’s name on Google News to see how media outlets report on them. You’ll likely find press releases, company announcements, and articles about the company. This information will help you understand what the company has been up to and what it might be working on next. For example, if you come across news about upcoming expansions or mergers, you can ask the hiring manager how the process impacts your potential team or role.

• What do these articles tell you about the company’s evolution and growth opportunities?
• What questions can you form based on this information?

Read or watch interviews with the founders

Where to look:   Founders’ LinkedIn profiles, Twitter, or the company website

The Press or Media pages on the company’s website will feature articles that quote company founders and employees, but they might not include every interview. Founders and members of leadership often share links to their podcast interviews, video interviews, and written interviews on their LinkedIn and Twitter accounts. These interviews can give you an idea of their approach to work and other unique insights into the company that aren't shared elsewhere.

At Deel, we have an internal interview series called   Meet Deel . Every month, we talk to different team members about their path to Deel, their take on the future of work, and their area of expertise.

• What does the interview tell you about the founder’s leadership style?
• What did you learn about the company’s upcoming products, launches, or growth plans?
• What questions do you have based on this information?

Check out the company’s social media accounts

Where to look:   LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok 

Social media is a great way to look inside a company’s culture and values. When researching a potential employer,   60% of workers go to LinkedIn , followed by Glassdoor, Facebook, and other social media websites. You can also learn about a company’s industry and tone of voice through social media. 

Most companies have links to their social media profiles in their website footer at the bottom of the page. If not, check their Contact page or Menu.

• Are current employees promoting the company as a good place to work? If so, what are they saying?
• Are employees interacting with each other? What can you learn about their culture and team dynamics?
• What can you learn from the resources and information shared by the company?

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Research the company’s competition

Where to look:   Company website, LinkedIn, G2

Understanding where the company stands in relation to its competitors is crucial for pre-interview preparation. This information can give you insights into the challenges and opportunities the company might be facing. By researching competitors, you can prove you know the company well and can explain why you want to work there over a competitor.

Some companies may display competitor information on their website, like our   Deel vs. competitors   page. On LinkedIn, go to “Other People View” and click on the recommended companies’ profiles. These companies will typically be in the same industry. If you’re applying at a business software or services company, you can use   G2   to compare competitor information.

• Who are their main competitors?
• What advantages does the company have over the competitors?

Study the company’s products and services

Where to look:   Company website

Candidates should be familiar with the company’s products or services before applying for a job. You don’t have to become an expert, but you should be able to explain the company’s purpose to the hiring manager or recruiter. 

When you’re familiar with the product or service, you can easily explain how your skills and experience fit in with the company’s offerings. If possible, try out the products or services yourself to speak more confidently about them.

• What are their core offerings?
• Who uses them?
• Have you or someone you know used them? If so, what was their experience?

Learn about the company’s team structure

Where to look:   Company website or LinkedIn

By understanding how the teams are structured within a company, you can identify potential teammates and managers. Take time to research how different teams work together and how many levels of management there are. You may find this information on their About Us page (depending on the size of the company) or on LinkedIn.

Reviewing current employees’ LinkedIn profiles can also give you a sense of the company’s internal mobility strategy by seeing when and if employees are promoted or change positions.

• Do employees regularly move up in seniority or to different departments?
• What is their manager-to-direct-report ratio?
• What other teams might you work with? 
• Who is on the leadership team?

Read company reviews

Where to look:   Careers page and Glassdoor

You can find company reviews from current and former employees on the company’s Career page or crowd-sourced review websites like   Glassdoor . Reviews will give you insight into a company’s   compensation strategy , work culture, and leadership.

It’s best to use reviews as an informational resource instead of a final deciding factor in your choice to interview with a company, as every worker’s experience is different. Consider that the   average company rating   on Glassdoor is 3.5 out of 5 and that half of workers who left a dishonest review did so to damage their former company’s reputation.

However, you can use reviews to spot good and bad feedback trends and address any concerns in your interview.

• What red flags consistently arise?
• How does the company respond to critical reviews?
• What is the typical tenure for the position you’re applying for?

Research job interview questions

Where to look:   Glassdoor 

The best way to prepare for an interview is to know which questions they’ll ask you. Visit Glassdoor to identify common interview questions. Define the company and location to bring up their company profile—you may need to sign up and contribute a company review or experience to unlock this content.

• What are the standard interview questions?
• How many interviews will you have to complete?
• What tests or assignments are required?
• Who will you be speaking to?
• How long will the process take?

Get a read on their financial health

Where to look:   Company website, Crunchbase, Google Finance

Understanding a company’s financial health is crucial to deciding whether you should pursue a career with them, especially if the company is a start-up. You can often learn about upcoming acquisitions, new products, and revenue, giving you insight into their longevity and financial stability.

Larger, publicly-traded companies will likely have an investor relations page on their website that includes annual reports on quarterly earnings, board of directors updates, and announcements. See   Meta’s investor relations page   as an example.   Google Finance   will also give you a glimpse into their stock performance, relevant news articles, income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow.

If you’re interviewing at a start-up, search the company’s name on a website like   Crunchbase , where you’ll find information on funding rounds, total funding amounts, acquisitions, and press coverage. The most accurate and up-to-date information will come directly from the company, so only use Crunchbase and Google Finance as secondary sources.

• Who are the investors backing the business?
• How have the company's revenue and profits changed year-over-year?
• What is their financial outlook for the next year?

Ace the hiring process with more tips and resources

Deel helps connect the best workers with the best talent worldwide. Whether you’re a direct employee, EOR employee, or independent contractor, we make working from wherever easy—and that starts with the job search.

In this content series, we share articles, templates, and guides to help job seekers and new hires navigate the world of work, including:

• 5 Easy Tips to Make Your Resume Stand Out
• How to Create Growth Opportunities in Your Career
• Why Can’t I Find a Job? 10 Common Mistakes According to Talent Acquisition Experts
• How to Choose Good Weaknesses for Job Interviews (With Examples)

Stay tuned for more actionable career advice and tips on navigating the interview process.

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Beyond the basics: advanced strategies for researching a company before an interview

Mar 29, 2023

Have you ever drawn a blank when asked a question about the company you’re interviewing for? Embarrassing, right? Employers favor applicants who are familiar with their business, and if you fumble over a basic question like, “Why do you want to work here?” you’ll likely be out of consideration. According to an American Staffing Association survey , only 73% of women and 66% of men agree that researching the company before an interview is essential. In such a competitive labor market, job hunters can’t afford to skip this step.

To help you prepare, human resource professional Natalyn McCants shares her expert advice on what to research, where to find information, and how to use it during your interview. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting your career, these interview prep strategies are sure to help you make a lasting impression.

How to research a company for an interview

McCants first points out that the more senior the role , the more information she expects the candidate to know. But no matter the level of seniority, here’s where you should start.

The About Us page

The About Us page is the gateway to the company’s DNA. It has all the information about the company, McCants explains. It will have its history and story, which McCants says is important to know . “You want to learn as much as possible about the organization,” she says, and the About Us page will have it all. So go ahead and learn as much as possible from this page.

However, two sections are particularly important, adding McCants: the company’s mission and values. According to a 2022 Qualtrics study, 72% of workers feel personal accomplishment at work when they align with their company’s mission , vision, and values, and 70% are likely to recommend their employer as a great place to work.

Company mission

Effective mission statements summarize and convey the company’s goals and what it represents. It not only tells the world what the company is about, but it’s also a tool the company can use to recruit the right type of candidates . For McCants, finding alignment with yourself and the mission statement is important. Mission statements can distinguish where the company plans to go in the future , and the more their future goals align with yours, the better. McCants also notes that it’s crucial to show this alignment during the interview .

Company values

Ensuring that the company’s values align with your personal values is key, according to McCants. This creates increased synergy between you and the company leading to a better work relationship . “For example, if work-life balance is important in your life, then you don’t want to apply for a company where balance isn’t something they value or provide employees with,” McCants explains. You want a company that allows you to achieve your goals, she adds. Create, practice, and deliver a pitch explaining this connection for the interview.

Of course, it’s not entirely possible to understand the ins and outs of a company’s mission and values just by looking at its website. However, taking note of how they phrase things and how they talk about their workforce can give you some insights. Keep an eye out for these keywords throughout the company website.

Beyond the website

Want to impress the recruiter with more than what’s shared on the website? There’s a whole digital world out there, which means there are a whole lot of resources for you to check out before your interview.

Financial statements

Financial statements are written records illustrating a company’s business activities and financial performance. Some companies make them public, and some don’t. But make sure you check and study up if they’re available , McCants encourages. “I would be impressed if they had looked into the company’s financials,” she adds. “Especially for a more senior role or a position close to business operations.”

Find out where the business is now, and work it into your conversation. To get really specific, McCants recommends going deeper. If the company is publicly traded, the SEC’s EDGAR database provides free public access to corporate financial information and operations.

Latest news and events

Find out what new developments are happening in the company. Most companies have a page on their website dedicated to press releases and events. However, McCants suggests doing your own digging on Google. “If the industry or company is going through a shift, it’s essential to know,” she recommends. Take a look at what they’ve posted on social media lately, especially news and announcements that you can work into your conversation with the interviewer. “You want to learn as much as possible about the organization,” she adds.

Look at the department and role

Depending on the role you’re interviewing for, you should look up past initiatives. For example, “for a marketing position, you want to be aware of what they’ve done in the past, what they missed, and what [you] can bring to the team,” explains McCants. Look at what skills they value most and what skills they’re missing . “Show them what experience you can bring to the table,” she adds. Try to find information relevant to the role you’re applying for, find where they are trying to go, and tell them how you can contribute to the team’s future, McCants recommends.

Customer and employee reviews

Social media platforms and sites like Glassdoor are good ways to discover how the company is perceived from the outside and inside. “This is important for people in marketing or HR roles, as they need insight into this data,” McCants suggests. Look at the feedback, find solutions, and use it in your interview strategy and when preparing your answers .

When it comes to social media, looking at the comments section can be useful, but proceed with caution—disgruntled ex-employees or internet trolls are never far!

Is it stalking or just interview prep?

When it comes to researching the person interviewing you, “I always do,” says McCants. Some interviewers care, while others don’t. “We’re all different people,” she adds. “I personally look people up on LinkedIn where they can’t see me.” You can adjust your LinkedIn settings to browse profiles in private or semi-private mode.

Looking up the interviewer’s profile isn’t about being nosy; you’re learning about their interests. But most importantly, McCants says, you’re looking for similarities between you and the interviewer . “Maybe you like the same sports team, worked at the same company, or went to the same school, anything that might connect the two of you.” You can bring it up during the early introductions, McCants recommends. You want to relate to them, build connections and make yourself memorable. Don’t forget to ask the recruiter who you will speak with for the following interview. “Usually, the recruiter will give you that information,” McCants says.

How to prove you’ve done your research

McCants doesn’t quiz her candidates on company information. She expects the candidate to show their knowledge when answering scenario-based questions.

Slide it into the conversation

“It’s important to be consistent and not sound pompous when answering these questions,” she adds. To know the best time and information to slide into the discussion, you really need to know your facts before the interview. “Catch the opportunity and say it,” she adds. “But this is only possible with the right preparation.” McCants advises against giving their website a quick skim, but rather immersing yourself in their world until you’re comfortably familiar . The more you know, the more opportunities you’ll have to slip your knowledge into conversation.

Showing your values align

When the interviewer asks you a scenario-based question like, “Tell me about a time when X, Y, Z,” McCants says. “You should have a story prepared using the wording in their values.” For example, if teamwork is important to the company, ensure your story shows you’re a team player . This displays, without directly saying, that you have similar values to the company .

Showing you know the business and financials

It can be as simple as congratulating the interviewer on a publicly shared achievement . Or, if the company is a startup, and they have achieved Unicorn status, bring that into the conversation, McCants adds. She gives an example: “If you’re discussing navigating the chaotic startup environment, but you researched that a large company recently acquired them, you can mention how this acquisition benefits them. Then congratulate them.”

How can you tell if your research served you?

Do you want to know if your approach was the right one? Just ask! Recruiters want you to succeed, and they can be valuable resources. Ask the recruiters if they have any additional information and tips, McCants recommends. “They don’t always offer the information, but I have never had a negative response. It’s a smart tactic,” she adds.

McCants always asks for feedback after an interview . However, the feedback will only be useful if you apply it to your future strategies . Early in her career , McCants received input to learn more about the organization, which she had done but hadn’t presented correctly. Now she’s an expert in weaving information into conversations seamlessly!

Remember, you’re only human

Another piece of advice McCants received after an interview was to be more human. “They told me my interview was textbook, but when I asked for feedback, the recruiter hadn’t seen my personality until the last question.” You want to be able to connect with them and be memorable , so if you sound like a robot just reciting their website, the recruiter can’t see who you truly are as a candidate. She adds, “There’s that additional feeling you get when you’re having a real conversation, so make sure you keep your personality in your answers.”

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How to Research a Company Before an Interview

You can prepare for an interview by researching the company to discover how they treat their customers and employees, what goals they want to reach and what they stand for. This research provides you insight to prepare quality answers and ask the most relevant questions. It also allows you to highlight what interested you in the position and company during your interview. In this article, you will learn how to research a company before an interview so you can impress the interviewer.

Why research a company before an interview?

The information you gather from researching the company can help you illustrate your personal values and goals to your interviewer, setting you apart from other candidates. You should research the company you’re interviewing with in order to:

• Decide if you want to work for the company.  In your research, you may find that the organization’s culture and goals match yours, which may increase your interest in having a successful interview. You may also see that employees stay with the company for many years, which can be a sign that this company serves its employees well.
• Explain why you want to work for the company.  Your interviewer may ask you why you want to work for the company, and researching the company ahead of time can help you prepare effective response. Learn about the company’s culture, values and goals so you can provide specific reasons in your response.
• Show your interest in the industry and the company.  You can demonstrate your passion for your industry and excitement for working with a company by preparing talking points that are important to you and your career. This strategy can show how motivated you are in serving on their team.
• Prepare your answers.  Your research might give you ideas as to what the interviewers might ask or want to discuss. If you know the company well, you may be able to anticipate their questions and respond clearly and thoughtfully. You might also be more confident and relaxed. 
• Ask relevant questions.  The end of the interview is your opportunity to ask the interviewer questions. Prepare several questions you want to ask based on your research. 

How to research a company

Follow these steps to research a company before an interview:

1. Read the company’s website and learn about what’s important to them

Many company sites have an ‘About Us’ page that describes the organization’s history, founders, location, size, values and purpose. If the company has a ‘Recent News’ page, make sure to read their latest press releases and announcements to learn about important events, such as recent mergers or major hires. You can use this information to better understand the company’s mission, goals and achievements and see what contributions you can make.

You should also familiarize yourself with the company’s products or services to prepare you for questions regarding your knowledge of what the company provides. Be sure to understand the value each product or service brings to further demonstrate your investment in the company’s goals.

2. Research the industry and the latest company news using search engines

Search engines can reveal information not listed on a company’s website. Customer reviews are particularly useful for learning about a company’s reputation or the quality of their services or products. You can also use search engines to identify the company’s competitors, which can provide you insight into the company’s position in the industry. You can use the information on customer satisfaction and competitors to show that you care about the company’s success and reputation. 

3. Check their social media accounts and see how they interact with their audience

Browse the company’s social media profiles to see how they promote their products or services, interact with customers and demonstrate their company culture. You may find posts that advertise a new product launch, announce a new solution to common customer issues or publish photos of a recent team outing. All of this information can show you how the company publicly presents its mission and values, and it can provide more talking points for your interview. 

Consider complimenting how their customer service team uses social media to answer questions or asking about other team-building activities they have planned for the next quarter. This step can help you further demonstrate your interest in joining the team and being a part of their goals.

4. Research your interviewer to find personal and professional connections

Before your interview, you can search for the hiring manager on their professional networking profile to see if you have anything in common, such as a mutual connection or area of study in college. This information can help you form a more personal connection with your interviewer to improve their ability to recall you when making their hiring decision.

5. Use your professional network to learn more about the company and opportunity

You can use your own professional network to learn more about the company you’re interviewing with. Consider reviewing your contacts to see if you have first or second connections who currently work for the company or have worked there in the past. 

You may reach out to those connections to get an insider’s perspective on the company culture and day-to-day environment. You might even learn more about the company’s interview process as well, further preparing you for specific questions. This strategy may also provide you with a reference who might reach out to the hiring manager on your behalf.

As you collect information, consider writing a list of items you find most important or relevant to your prospective role, professional goals or personal values. You can review this list before your interview to ensure you can easily recall these details as you discuss the opportunity with your interviewer.

12 Effective Ways to Research a Company Before an Interview

• Early Career

In preparation for your next job interview, we’ve gathered insights from top professionals, including HR executives and CEOs, to offer you the most effective strategies for researching a company. From analyzing employee social profiles to utilizing LinkedIn for company insights, explore the twelve comprehensive strategies these experts recommend for a deep dive into your potential employer’s world.

Analyze Employee Social Profiles

Observe active social media channels, check crunchbase for financial history, conduct informational interviews, research interviewers and company staff, study the company’s digital footprint, review website, reports, and employee insights, utilize glassdoor for candid feedback, leverage official channels and employee reviews, read between the lines of company communications, compare company with industry competitors, utilize linkedin for company insights.

Drawing from my dual background as an HR professional with five years of experience and an HR writer with four years under my belt, I’ve developed a keen eye for assessing company cultures and work environments beyond the company’s LinkedIn page and traditional review sites like Glassdoor. 

A key strategy is to closely observe how employees discuss their work environment and culture on their personal LinkedIn profiles. This approach offers authentic insights into the company culture, beyond what is officially presented.

For instance, recurring mentions of overtime, burnout, or high stress levels among employees are clear red flags, indicating a potential culture of overwork. Conversely, posts celebrating team achievements, work-life balance, or professional development suggest a positive, supportive environment. Such nuances provide valuable, candid insights into the company’s real culture, guiding you toward making a well-informed decision about your potential workplace.

Maheen Kanwal , HR Executive, B2B Tech SaaS Copywriter, Founder, Call to Authority

Assess the socials that they’re most active on so that you can really get a sense of what makes them ‘tick’, and what they’re likely to respond positively to. For example, if they have an office dog, then you can share your mutual love of dogs, or if they’re working on a certain project that they’ve shared, then you can comment on that project specifically.

Tracey Beveridge , HR Director, Personnel Checks

If you plan on working for a start-up, a scale-up, or a rapidly growing organization, I strongly recommend looking at Crunchbase to see their financial history. A great many privately owned companies survive almost entirely on venture capital, and the availability of this capital is paramount to their continued existence. 

Crunchbase outlines a company’s investment history, providing powerful insight into where the money is coming from. Consequently, when applying for jobs, it’s always worth keeping an eye on how much funding they have received, and for two reasons. Free-flowing funding means that salaries are likely to be paid as promised, as they are unlikely to run into financial problems in the short term. But also, if venture capital firms are interested in investing, this suggests the organization has something special going on, which is a positive sign.

Oliver Savill , CEO and Founder, AssessmentDay

One strategy I highly recommend for thoroughly researching a company before an interview is to leverage informational interviews with current or former employees. While online resources provide valuable information, speaking directly with individuals who have firsthand experience with the company can offer unique insights and perspectives.

Start by reaching out to your professional network or utilizing platforms like LinkedIn to identify individuals who currently work at or have previously worked for the company. Politely request a brief informational interview where you can ask questions about their experiences, company culture, values, and any other relevant aspects.

During the informational interview, focus on open-ended questions that encourage detailed responses. Inquire about the company’s mission, recent projects or initiatives, workplace environment, team dynamics, and growth opportunities. Additionally, ask about challenges they’ve faced and how the company addresses them, as well as any advice they have for potential candidates.

Listening attentively to their responses can provide valuable insights beyond what you might find in official company materials. Pay attention to recurring themes or sentiments, which can help you better understand the company’s culture and values.

After the informational interview, take notes and reflect on the information gathered. Compare it with other research sources, such as the company’s website, news articles, and employee reviews, to gain a comprehensive understanding.

Daniel Jorge , Senior Consultant, EC1 Partners

At the end of the day, companies are made up of people. It’s super important before an interview to do research about the people you’ll be speaking with. Just five minutes of Googling can do a lot… Look at their LinkedIn page (maybe you have connections or education in common) and find something interesting to discuss.

I’ve interviewed hundreds of people, and many don’t even look at our company website before speaking with us. Those that do just a little bit of research about the company and me really stand out and show they go the extra mile!

Corey Schwitz , CEO & Founder, On-Demand Salesforce, Hubspot and Revenue Ops Customization, Skydog Ops

A unique strategy for researching a company thoroughly before an interview is to study its digital footprint beyond the traditional scope of its official website and social media profiles. This involves a deep dive into various online platforms and resources where the company’s indirect presence can provide insightful context about its culture, reputation, and operational nuances. Here’s how to approach this:

Participate in or review discussions on industry-specific forums and online communities related to the company’s field. These platforms can offer unfiltered insights into the company’s reputation within the industry, emerging challenges it might be facing, and the innovations it’s known for.

Websites like Trustpilot, Yelp, or even product review sections on e-commerce platforms can provide a wealth of information about the company’s products or services, customer satisfaction levels, and how the company handles complaints or feedback. This research can explain the company’s customer service ethos and product quality.

Companies in regulated industries (finance, healthcare, etc.) should check reports and filings with regulatory bodies. These documents can shed light on the company’s compliance history, financial health, and any regulatory challenges it may have faced. This information can be particularly insightful for understanding the company’s operational rigor and market standing.

Vaibhav Kakkar , CEO, Digital Web Solutions

Before your interview, check the company’s website to learn about what it values and who leads it. Look at reports and financial statements for information on its finances and performance. Check news and social media for recent projects and how the company is perceived publicly. Read what employees say on sites like Glassdoor to understand how people feel about working there. 

Also, check LinkedIn for key people and connect with current or past employees if possible. This will give you a good understanding of the company, and during the interview, you can show that you know about its goals and values.

Eva Toledo , Senior Researcher, Kepler Search Pte Ltd

I would highly recommend using Glassdoor or any other tool that will provide candid feedback about an organization. While organizations can pay to try to have bad reviews removed, the on-the-ground feedback and how an organization responds can show a lot.

In my consulting practice, I was burned by this previously. A client that I was going to work for had really bad reviews about the culture, the owner, and red flags that would have been a tip-off of things to come. However, I ignored the data in front of me. They turned out to be very much like the reviews, and I should have heeded the warnings. I ended up leaving the client after about six months.

Ben Madden , Owner, HR Action LLC

I highly recommend utilizing the company’s official channels, particularly its website and published materials. Start by reviewing the About Us, Mission Statement, and Values sections to grasp the organization’s foundational principles and culture. Examine annual reports and financial statements for insights into the company’s financial health and performance. 

Additionally, explore recent news articles, press releases, and social media profiles to understand current developments and employee interactions. Leveraging employee review platforms like Glassdoor can provide valuable perspectives on the work environment. Connecting with current or former employees on platforms like LinkedIn can offer firsthand insights. 

This comprehensive approach ensures that candidates not only understand the business’s objectives and financial standing but also its culture and employee experiences, facilitating a more informed and tailored interview preparation.

Steven Mostyn , Chief Human Resources Officer, Management.org

The most important thing is to read between the lines on a company’s website and public communications to figure out what they really care about. Study their About page, press releases, leadership bios, and so on. Look for signs that they value innovation, people, or social responsibility in a way that appeals to you. Understanding what motivates a company will help the conversation flow better in interviews, beyond just your qualifications.

Additionally, check out news articles and reviews to get balanced inside perspectives from employees. Approach learning about a company as an interesting research project where no detail is too small. Doing this groundwork will allow you to assess if it’s a good fit, align values, and show how you can contribute.

I’ll admit I didn’t always do enough research early on and stumbled in interviews. But being your real self, focused on helping people more than profits, makes connections that the right organization will recognize.

Lou Reverchuk , Co-founder and CEO, EchoGlobal

One very effective tactic when researching the company you are about to interview with is not only studying the company’s history, products, services, and culture but also the company’s competitors to get a broader view of the industry and how the company stands against those competitors.

You can find company intelligence in industry reports, news articles, or in financial statements. This can help you to understand the competitive dynamics, current market trends, or present challenges. A good way to impress the interviewer can be to refer to their competitors and how they might be able to take account of this in the job you are applying for. It would show that you can think strategically and that you tend to be proactive.

An interviewer may ask you to describe some ways you might contribute to the company if you got hired. It’s a way of asking, “What can you do for us?” It can also be a way to determine your motivation and commitment to the company. Answering this question can help build your credibility and show the interviewer that you are excited to help the company grow. Some possible ways you might be able to contribute to the company that you’re interviewing for include bringing in new trends, being knowledgeable about the company, and being innovative.

Blake Smith , Marketing Manager, ClockOn

LinkedIn provides a wealth of information about companies, including their mission, values, products or services, and recent news or updates. Additionally, you can explore the company’s culture page on LinkedIn, which often includes employee testimonials and insights into the work environment. 

Another valuable aspect of LinkedIn is the opportunity to leverage your professional network. If you know anyone, past or present, who has worked at the company, you can reach out to them for insights or information. 

Connecting with current or former employees can provide you with firsthand perspectives on the company’s culture, work environment, and overall experience. They may be able to share valuable insights that go beyond what you can find through public sources. This knowledge will help you prepare for your interview and demonstrate your genuine interest in the company.

Heidi Hauver , Chief People Officer

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How to Research a Company - Top 9 Tips for 2024

There are a lot of benefits to researching potential employers.

For one, you’re better prepared for the interview. When the interviewer asks if you have any questions about the role or company , you are able to give more educated answers.

Moreover, it becomes much easier to spot red flags about potential employers. If you find that every other review about the company you’re applying for is negative, chances are, they’re not the best employer in the world.  

That said, how, exactly do you research a company?

Well, we’re about to teach you just that, starting with:

How to Research a Company - Top 9 Tips

Tip#1. start with the employer’s website.

What’s a better place to start researching a potential employer than their “front door?”

Start by visiting the company’s website and looking for information on:

• What product or service does the company offer? Is it something you personally find interesting?
• How big is the company? Is it a young startup, a multi-national corporation, or something in-between?
• What’s the company culture like? Is the work environment more casual or formal?
• Is there a dress code?
• Does the company have prospective growth opportunities outlined on its website? 

In your job search , you can use this information in 2 main ways.

For one, you can decide if a company is a good fit for you culture-wise. If you’re a young professional who hates wearing a suit and loves having a flexible schedule, chances are, Goldman Sachs is NOT your ideal employer. If the company you’re looking into has a culture that doesn’t represent your values, you might want to consider applying elsewhere. 

Alternatively, this information can help you ace the interview . It’s almost guaranteed that the interviewer is going to ask you questions about how familiar you are with their brand.

The more you know about the company, the more invested you’ll appear and the more likely it is that the interviewer will pick you over the other candidates.

Tip #2. Find Company Employees via LinkedIn

You can use LinkedIn to find who’s currently working at the company you’re researching.

For example, if you look up “People” under “Apple” on LinkedIn, you’ll get a view of their employees worldwide:

From there, you can filter by specific location (E.g. Austin, Texas), and then filter by role (E.g. Marketing).

So - how can you use this information?

For one, you can connect with someone in the department you’d like to work in and ask them questions about the company, culture, department, or the role you’re applying for.

The key here, though, is not to be too pushy. The people you contact don’t owe you an answer or a reply. However, if you’re being courteous, there’s a very good chance you’re actually going to get one.

Best case scenario, if they like your questions and initiative, they might even refer you to the team lead or department head personally!

Tip #3. Look Up News About the Employer  

Look up the company’s name and hit “News” to see what the company has been up to recently.

You can also find such information on the News or Blog page on the employer’s website.

There are a lot of ways you can use such information, some of which include:

• You can dodge companies that have had recent scandals.
• You can impress the interviewer with how up-to-date you are with the employer.
• You can learn more about recent company development. For example, what products they’re working on, which countries they’re expanding to, etc.

Tip #4. Look Up Company Reviews on Glassdoor

Glassdoor is an employer review website where you can read information about prospective employers.

You can use it to find reviews about the company and its CEO. For example:

Moreover, you can check out specifics like:

• Salary averages for any given position.
• Reviews of their interview process.
• Reviews of the benefits offered by the company

You can use such information to find an employer you’re going to love, ask for the right salary, or dodge companies with high turnover rates and negative reviews.

Tip #5. Tap Into Your Network

Using LinkedIn, you can see if anyone in your network is working at the company you’re researching.

Then, you can just reach out to them and directly ask questions about the role/employer.

If you’re close with the person you’re reaching out to (or have had professional relations in the past), you can even ask them for a referral directly!

Tip #6. Research Company’s Social Media Pages

Go through the company’s social media profiles (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn) to get a grasp of how they communicate with their target demographics.

Follow them to get updates whenever they post anything. You can even like and comment on their posts which can help you fall into their radar, especially if they’re a small team.

Tip #7. Look Up Posts on Social Media 

You can look up what people are discussing about the company on social media to get a more unbiased view of the organization.

For example, you could Google something like this: site:reddit.com "apple” "job" to get a complete list of all threads on Reddit where people are discussing Apple as an employer:

Tip #8. Get an Edge on the Interview Process With Glassdoor

Using Glassdoor Interview Q&A Section , you can find the exact questions employers ask their interviewees. For example:

You can use this to better prepare for the upcoming interview, as well as get a general idea of what kind of questions you’re going to be asked.

Tip #9. Learn About Company Salary Averages

You can use a tool like 

 to find salary averages for the company you’re applying for based on department or role:

You can then take advantage of this information to ask for the right sum and avoid getting low-balled.

Why Research Employers? Top 4 Reasons

At this point, the reason for researching employers should be pretty self-explanatory, but we thought we’d cover the topic just in case!

The 4 main reasons for researching a company are:

• Get an edge over the interview. Employers love it when you’re knowledgeable about their company. After all, they want to hire people who want to work there specifically, not the ones that are just randomly applying everywhere. The more company knowledge you demonstrate during the interview, the more likely it is that you’ll get the job.
• Uncover red flags (and avoid bad employers). You can find a lot of skeletons in company closets if you just do some research online. This can actually help you save a ton of time and effort from applying (or getting hired) at the wrong place.
• Find the right job for you. There are a lot of companies out there - not all of them are the right fit for you. By researching companies online, you’ll be able to tell right from wrong more easily.
• Negotiate a better salary. You can find information on average salaries at a specific company online, so you have a better idea of what kind of range you can ask for.

Key Takeaways

And that just about sums up all you need to know about researching a company online! Before you go, though, let’s do a quick recap of what we learned:

• When researching an employer, start by looking at their website and social media pages to learn more about their culture and product/service.
• Look up news about the company to avoid employers with recent scandals.
• Find company reviews on Glassdoor and uncover potential employer red flags.
• Use LinkedIn to find people who work at the company you’re applying for and reach out to ask questions about the job or the employer.
• Use all the information you learn from researching the company to get an edge over the interview and negotiate a better salary.

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How to Research a Company for an Interview: A Quick Guide

You’ve heard this interview tip time and time before: do company research before an interview and customize your replies around your findings. But what type of information should you be mining? And even more importantly — where do you need to start digging?

If want to walk into your interview as if you have known about the company for years, here’s how to research a company for an interview:

• Peruse the company website
• Review the corporate blog
• Get on social media (LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter)
• Identify the main competitors
• Determine the company’s main differentiators 
• Review corporate finance 
• Look for ‘red flags’ on review websites
• Check salary data. 

Now let’s put each tip under the microscope! 

1. Check The Corporate Website 

Take some time to read through the company website to familiarize yourself with every aspect of what they do. Read through the latest press releases and media information (usually filed under Media/Press tab) to see what sort of image they are portraying to the general public or their peers if they are a B2B company.

When you browse the website pay attention to:

• Any major product/services launches
• Strategic changes e.g. M&A activity, new management, new board members
• Main corporate values and overall missions
• Numbers around corporate social responsibility and related initiatives.

As you look through the company website, check out a few of the basics that you should know before attending your interview – such as the history of the company, the size, and location of other bases if they have any, how many people they employ, and their plans for the future.

Jot down all of these tidbits. They’ll be useful for preparing replies to the common job interview questions such as “ why do you want to work here? ” or “what motivates you?”. 

2. Browse the Blog 

Does the company have a blog? If so, read through the posts and learn about the company culture and recent events. 

In particular, skim for any information related to:

• Social initiatives such as any charities they may support or sponsor.
• Industry events they’ve participated in or promoted/sponsored. 
• Products/services launches 

Also, many employers these days run separate department or division blogs. For example, Netflix has a tech blog where they share updated on their infrastructure. GE runs separate blogs for healthcare , manufacturing , and aviation leaders , where they share business insights and thought leadership pieces. You can learn plenty from them around the employer’s recent projects or goals and bring those up in your conversation with HR. 

3. Review Social Media Profiles 

LinkedIn is a great place to check to see if there are profiles for the people you will be interviewed by. It is always good to be prepared so getting an idea about the interviewers, their role at the company, how long they have been there, etc. can give you an advantage at your interview.

Next, you might also want to check the employer’s Facebook and Instagram profiles. Both are usually used by HRs to providing more insights into the company’s inner-works, day-to-day life, and regular people. Browsing recent content should give you a better sense of the company’s overall culture and vibe.  

Depending on your industry and role, Twitter can also be a nice way to pre-network with some of the current employees. Unlike other social media networks, you don’t have to be ‘friends’ with someone to ask questions or get into discussions. So it may be easier to build up some level of rapport with the company or particular members of staff on Twitter. Such casual networking can be a way to break the ice and n get some insider information that could prove very useful for your job application (or subsequent decision to take or refuse the job offer).

4. Study the Competition 

It is also useful to be able to learn more about the industry or business sector as a whole (especially if it’s new-ish to you). Knowing a little about the competition and how the company fits better into their niche will always impress at the interview.

The easiest way to understand who’s the employer is rubbing elbows with is by looking on LinkedIn. Check the ‘Other Companies People Viewed’ section in the right sidebar.

You will see a few competitors listed there. You don’t need to do much research here, just pick up on the ‘big picture’ information about them so you can talk with confidence about the competition if needed.

5. Identify The Company’s Strong Points

Now that you know the company’s main competition, you’d also want to figure out how they are different. Doing so is important to avoid the awkward ‘faux pas’ of prompting that company A is just like company B, C, and D — when they are actually working quite hard on their unique positionings. 

Thus, when researching companies before an interview pay attention to their strongest ‘selling points’ and brand differentiators. Typically, you can find some good info snippets by reviewing:

• The company’s marketing collateral: media kits, product/brand presentations, etc. 
• Recent announcements around its achievements. 
• The ethos shared in the mission statement. 

Then use these strategically in your interview replies. For example, if you are looking for a job with an energy company. They may claim that they are a leading company for investing in sustainable green energy. That is a good thing to know.

At the interview, you can mention that you are passionate about protecting the environment and support the use of green energy. You could add that this is one of the main reasons you are attracted to their company.

6. Check Out The Company Financial Performance

You will want to win a job with some security, so it makes sense to look at the health of the company’s financial situation. Check to see what corporate sponsors or business partnerships they have. Larger companies will post their annual reports so you can get an idea of their revenue growth. 

If you are applying for a position with a new start-up company, then check them out on Crunchbase to see what recent funding they have had, recent hires, and read press releases and news about them.

Although this information may be really useful to reassure you about the stability of the company, it is not something that you would normally bring up in conversation during your interview. However, it will enable you to speak confidently about where you believe the company is heading, and that can be very impressive at an interview.

7. Scan For “Red Flags” Online 

Let’s keep it real: not every organization will be an amazing place to work. In some places, the managerial attitude towards lower-level employees may not be great. Others might be consistently underpaying their staff. 

You’d definitely want to know such things in advance and gently bring some up during the interview if you find them particularly concerning. 

Specifically, do the following:

• Check the employer reviews on Glassdoor or other industry websites where former/current employees can provide anonymous reviews. 
• Review their scores on consumer rating websites (Google Reviews, Yelp, Trust Pilot) to glean into the overall brand perception. 
• Get on Google News and use [company name] + scam (or similar) query to get a scoop on the employer’s overall reputation. 

8. Check Salary Information 

If the interview goes well, high chances are that HR will want to discuss your salary expectation. Also, this is a common second interview question . So you’d want to have some real figures in mind. 

Granted, you can now find up-to-date salary information for an array of employers and roles on websites such as PayScale and Glassdoor among others. Get some ballpark estimates to have an upper hand when it comes to salary negotiation.

Final tip: Hone In On The Job Requirements

What is expected of an employee in a certain role can differ greatly from company to company. Knowing that you can actually do the work required of you once you land a job with the company is going to be very important.

As you prepare for the job interview, take another look at the original job posting. Review the main skills requirements. Then think if you have good examples of your accomplishments or quick stories to illustrate these during the interview!

This article has been originally published on October 5, 2016 and has been extensively revised and updated on January 21, 2021.

Elena runs content operations at Freesumes since 2017. She works closely with copywriters, designers, and invited career experts to ensure that all content meets our highest editorial standards. Up to date, she wrote over 200 career-related pieces around resume writing, career advice... more

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Researching companies: How to research a company for an interview

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Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more great videos! Please feel free to embed this video on your blog. Get in touch if you would like us to send you the embed code for your website.

So, you’ve secured your interviews and you’re now at the stage of researching companies.

There’s no great secret to performing well in a job interview – it relies heavily on employer research strategies, preparation, and good interview techniques.

Prepare your answers for some of the most common graduate job interview questions with our interview questions guide .

This will help you know how to effectively prepare for an interview and what to research for an interview!

In order to succeed in a job interview, researching the employer is just as important.

Check out our top tips for how to research a company for an interview, how to research a company online and how to research a role so you can successfully impress an employer with your answers.

The importance of company research for interviews

Researching companies before an interview can hugely benefit you to ace it when the time comes.

Interviews can be stressful and worrying, but researching companies before interviews is a great way to help you feel more prepared and confident in your answers.

By doing this, you will be prepared in the right head space for your upcoming interviews.

It will also show that you understand the company, and that you are enthusiastic about the role.

Completing company research for interviews and finding out their missions and company culture will also allow you to quickly see if it’s the right place for you.

When interviewing, it’s important to choose companies that genuinely interest and excite you.

Don’t accept a position with an employer whose values do not match your own.

This could lead to you leaving a company prematurely, so your research is crucial to working for a company that suits you.

What to research before an interview?

Wondering how to research companies for interviews before applying for a role? Do you know what to research about a company for an interview?

Here are some of the key factors to find out from your research:

• What the company does and the industry they operate in
• Where it is located
• The approximate team size
• The company’s history, major successes and defining moments
• The company’s customers/clients or target audience
• The industry the company operates in
• Products or services that the company has recently launched
• The company’s mission, aims, objectives or goals

Now you know exactly what to research before an interview, here’s how to research a company for a job interview:

How to research companies for interviews

1. visit the company website.

Your first step should be to look online as it is easier than ever to research employers.

Find out what the company does whether it’s a product or service, history, successes, news, and information about the team – try the home page, ‘ About Us ’ and ‘ Meet The Team ’ pages of the employer’s website.

Look out for the company’s mission statement here too!

Take note of recurring messages, themes or values that appear across the site.

Perhaps there is a clear focus on company culture, or lots of information on ethical policy.

These things will help to shape your understanding of the organisation and what they look for in an employee.

Have a deep dive into information about a company, including any previous company names or the CEO and Director’s names, you could also use Companies House to conduct a bit of research.

It’s then important to make a note about what interests you in particular about this company.

Are they a new start-up? Do they operate in a sector that you’re really passionate about? Is the company culture attractive to you?

Keep these factors in mind ready to discuss them in your graduate job interview.

These are some of the best ways to research a company before an interview.

2. Find the company on social media

The majority of companies are present on social media.

A Twitter , Facebook , LinkedIn , Y ouTube or Instagram feed can give you great insight into what a company is like, as well as some of its key players.

You will find the company’s clients on LinkedIn and their company culture on Instagram.

Give the company a “like” or “follow” to stay up-to-date on the latest news, and to see what they are posting.

Mentioning in your interview you’ve seen their latest news from following them on their social media shows great initiative and can really impress an employer.

If you know the interviewers, search their names on LinkedIn to check their profiles for information on their role, background and interests.

You can use this information to create conversation and discuss any common interests to establish rapport showing proactivity!

Update your LinkedIn profile before you begin following others who you want to impress.

Check out our blog for 10 tips for creating a good LinkedIn profile.

3. Check out company review websites

Sites like Glassdoor, The Job Crowd and Crunchbase feature company profiles and reviews from previous employees and useful information like the number of employees at a company.

Looking at what candidates in similar graduate roles were asked in their interview will help you to prepare your answers.

Reviews can also give you further insight into company culture and what to expect from their leadership.

Search for successes and defining moments (i.e. did the company recently receive a large amount of funding?) – which, if mentioned in your interview, will be highly impressive to the employer.

4. Read the news

Staying up to date on the company’s newest products or latest industry trends will be a great conversation starter and prepare you for your graduate job interview!

Google and Google News can be a great place to access any news.

Completing a quick search will likely present you with information that may not appear on the company’s own website or social media profiles.

If you know that you can find news on the company in a specific location i.e. the Financial Times , TechUK or FinTech Weekly , make sure you’re up to scratch so that you won’t be caught out if anything is mentioned in the job interview.

5. Check out their competitors

As well as researching companies for interviews, carry out competitor research as this helps you get up to speed on current industry trends

You will have a better understanding of the company’s niche and what makes its product or service unique.

By learning how to research an employer before a job interview, you’ll be able to use it to your advantage – to help you stand out from candidates in your graduate job interview.

How to bring your research into an interview?

How to research for a job interview is important, equally you want to ensure all your research is going to make an impact by knowing how to implement it to your graduate interview questions.

Add in the relevant facts you know from your company research before interviews.

Expect questions such as:

• What do you know about our company?
• Why do you want to work for us?
• What do you think are our biggest challenges this year?
• Why does this industry interest you?

You can also bring in your research by asking the interviewer questions, such as

“I understand you’re currently working on x project, how is this going and will my role play a part in this?” or “I know you’ve recently gained X client, what kind of work will you be doing for them?”.

Visit our blog for more top interview questions to ask the employer and how to answer the ‘do you have any questions for me?’ interview question.

How to research a role?

It’s important to know how to research for an interview and the role you’re interviewing for.

Researching the role will allow you to have a better understanding of what employers are looking for specifically and what to highlight in your interview answers to impress an employer.

If you’re wondering how to impress interviewers and what things to say in an interview, here’s our helpful guide:

Read the job description carefully

Read over the job description thoroughly as this is where the key requirements, skills, and tasks required will be.

Highlight any of the most important skills employers are looking for, and bring these into your interview answers.

If you’re asked questions like “what is your understanding of the role?” you can easily comment on the day-to-day tasks of the role and what skills you’ll need to demonstrate.

Check out our blog for more tips on decrypting the job description and finding out what employers are really asking for.

Read over your CV

Read over your CV before the interview and match up how your education, experience and skills fit the requirements of the job and key skills.

When you’re asked “why do you think you’d be a great fit for the role?”, you can easily and confidently state how your previous skills and experience match X skill/requirement of the job description.

Visit other employee’s LinkedIn profiles

Larger companies are likely to have employees in the same or similar roles as the one you are applying for.

See what recent projects they are working on and what tasks they have completed by visiting their profiles.

It will help you get a sense of what the role entails and what you might be working on.

Before you go to interview for graduate jobs, it’s important to thoroughly research the company as there are many benefits of researching a company before an interview!

You will feel confident, prepared and ready to show the employer that you’re committed to the role, and knowledgeable about their business.

Find more career advice on our careers advice blog – or check out the latest graduate roles !

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By preparing to answer the question, “How do you define success?” you’ll learn more about yourself.

Due to rapid changes transforming the workplace, soft skills like critical thinking , adaptability and emotional intelligence are increasingly valued by employers. So, it's no wonder the question, "How do you define success?" is commonly asked in job interviews. How you define success influences your priorities, goals and worldview. Employers introduce this question because they want an insight into your personality to determine if you're a good culture fit. They also want to know how you set and motivate yourself to achieve goals. Hiring managers love this question because it’s open-ended. That means you can’t simply provide a “yes” or “no” answer. Your response must be detailed and honest enough to make a stellar first impression.

Determining culture fit is just as important for you, the interviewee. In a McKinsey survey , 70% of employees said that their work defines their sense of purpose. The more you feel aligned with the organization's purpose, the more productive and happier you will be in your job. By answering truthfully, you’ll be more likely to identify a winning team that appreciates your unique talents.

The key to any successful job interview is preparation. But even if you don’t get asked this question, formulating a response will force you to determine your priorities and articulate your thoughts. Here are a few tips to effectively answer the question, “How do you define success?”

Tip #1: Invest In Time To Self-Reflect

Job interview preparation is an exercise in self-reflection. When thinking about how to answer, “How do you define success?” look back at your proudest accomplishments. Then, look for patterns among them. For example, if your most notable achievements center on coaching and mentoring direct reports, you may define success as developing others. Or perhaps your achievements focus on overcoming obstacles. In that case, success for you may be defined as maintaining a winning mindset amid setbacks.

Tip #2: Focus On Your Soft Skills

Soft skills are in demand more than ever. According to a study by business school professor Peter Cardon, one reason is the rise of AI. Contrary to popular belief, many experts believe AI will transform companies into more human-centered organizations. As a result, qualities like character and communication will be highly valued in the workplace. So, if you define success as being a collaborative team player, don’t stop there in the job interview. Describe how you used effective communication to build strong relationships with co-workers and creativity to brainstorm innovative solutions.

Fallout Dethroned In Amazon Prime Video s Top 10 List By A New Offering

Google chrome gets second emergency update in a week as new exploit confirmed, metallica makes history with their new no 1 single, tip #3: consider how the company defines success.

Before any job interview, research the company thoroughly. When you answer the question, “How do you define success?” consider the organization’s goals and mission statement. For example, a large corporation may heavily emphasize the bottom line, while a non-profit will focus more on exerting a positive influence in the community. Using that knowledge, formulate a response reflecting your and the company's values.

Tip #4: Provide Specific Examples

Storytelling can be a great tool during a job interview. Start by understanding your audience and their biggest challenges. Then, craft a narrative using your most notable accomplishments. Lean into a storytelling approach by following a few simple steps:

• Identify the most critical data you’d like to share
• Use names and details to establish an emotional connection
• Practice in advance so your delivery is as natural as possible

Explain to the employer what you bring and how your skills perfectly align with the company's needs. The right narrative will not only help you get noticed but also help you land the job.

Example Answers: “How Do You Define Success?”

Because success is a subjective concept, every individual views it a bit differently. Here are three sample responses to inspire you as you prepare for your job interview .

Example 1: A large company

I define success as being part of a team that can meet and exceed their goals. One of the reasons I was attracted to this position is that your organization shares the same values. For example, my primary focus this past quarter was leading the team to launch our new product by the end of June. With focus and hard work, we successfully launched by the end of May, resulting in a 20% revenue boost. At the same time, we came in substantially under budget. I'm most proud of the fact that I also created a tracking system to monitor and measure key product launch metrics that were ultimately deployed company-wide. That achievement ultimately earned me a corporate innovation award.

Example 2: A non-profit organization

For me, success is about helping others grow and thrive. When I read the press release about your recent community initiative, I knew my values aligned with your mission statement. In my current role, I developed an international strategy to increase global impact and influence to accelerate fundraising and engagement. I expanded the affiliate network, resulting in 25% growth and more than $60M in additional revenue. Even more exciting was that we were able to build another 10 primary schools in Africa to improve the lives of thousands of children.

Example 3: A start-up firm

I feel successful when I can create value, add to the culture and brainstorm new ideas. I would describe myself as a "build and grow" person who thrives in ambiguous environments. Over the last year, my role has focused on creating processes and procedures that didn’t previously exist. As a result, we've doubled the size of the marketing team in less than a year. We also just landed our first multi-million-dollar account. I love creating order out of chaos.

Everyone's concept of achievement is different. By preparing to answer the interview question, “How do you define success?” you’ll learn more about yourself and be more likely to impress your future employer.

Are you a woman who needs help changing careers? Download my FREE 22-page e-book: How Professional Women Can Master Career Change!

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13 Video Interview Tips for Job Interviews, Content Creation, and More

Rev › Blog › Productivity › 13 Video Interview Tips for Job Interviews, Content Creation, and More

In a world where you can buy a car, order a meal, or do many other errands on a computer, it makes sense that more and more interviews are being conducted online instead of in person.

Video interviews can help companies dispersed across states (or even across countries) interview and meet prospective candidates, as well as connect people from different areas of the world to talk about art, music, news, and more.

While there are many benefits to conducting interviews online, there are also some challenges or things that can be tricky to navigate. Let’s explore some nuances of video interviewing and some tips on how to nail it (for both the interviewer and interviewee).

How Does a Video Interview Differ From an In-Person Interview?

Obviously, talking into a screen is different from talking to a human being. And though face-to-face interviews used to be the norm, the reality is that there are full interviews for jobs, content, and more that are done exclusively online, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.

A few key differences between chatting in-person vs. over a video call:

• Body language can’t be as accurately communicated over the computer, which might make it harder to get your point across
• Lag times or delays in the video signal might make the conversation feel more awkward
• The interviewer will get a peek at your personal space in the background of the call, unless it’s covered or blurred
• You can have more notes and references scattered around your desk than you would if you had to go into an office for an interview
• You might feel more at ease doing an interview from the comfort of your own home

Interview Tips and Tricks To Get the Job

At the end of the day, video interviewing isn’t much different from in-person interviewing. Let’s explore some essential interview tips, and how they can help you ace your in-person and virtual meetings.

1. Research the Company + Learn Its Values

Perhaps nothing is more important than talking with authority about the company you’re interviewing for. The job market can be tough, and companies like to see that you’re actually interested in what they stand for. Take some time to review the company’s mission and core values, and come prepared with thoughts on how your own work ethic and goals fit into the company’s greater mission.

2. Practice Your Elevator Pitch

In an interview, you might not have a long time to explain why exactly you’re the right fit for the position. Write down a few key points you want to tell the interviewer to sell them on your ability to do the job well, and practice your personal elevator pitch until you’re confident that you can sell yourself to an interviewer in a minute or less.

3. Record and Transcribe the Interview

Regardless of how an interview pans out (with a job offer or denial), recording and transcribing it is always a good idea. If it looks like you’re going to be offered the role, you can analyze what was said about the company via the transcript to decide whether or not you want to accept. If you get rejected, you can look back on the interview transcript to see how you could improve your interview skills.

4. Start and Finish Strong

It can be tough to figure out how to start an interview, and how to end it. But our advice is to frontload your best qualities and qualifications as they relate to the job, then close with thoughtful questions.

If an interview runs at least an hour (or more!), content in the middle may get muddled or hard to remember. What an interviewer will remember, though, is your first and last impressions. Make sure to impress right off the bat, then close with thoughtful questions and a memorable goodbye.

5. Make Eye Contact

Even though a person isn’t physically sitting in front of you during a video interview, you should still put your best foot forward to look confident and secure. This means making eye contact — yes, with a webcam. Looking directly at the screen, sitting up straight, and smiling can all help you look more confident on the call.

Video Production Interview Tips

Interviews aren’t a one-way street. While it might seem like the interviewer holds all the “power,” the interviewee has a role to play as well. In an interview for content creation, you’re relying on the interviewee to tell an engaging story. Let’s look at some helpful tips for conducting an interview .

6. Plan the Theme Of Your Interview

First, decide what you want out of your interview. Do you want to find a thought leader, a strong personality, or a team player? Do you want expert research, or just a well-articulated opinion? Your discussion (and interview video production) will go smoother if you know exactly what you want to get out of it and tailor your session accordingly.

7. Get the Right Equipment

Like we mentioned above, lag times can make an interview feel awkward. Having the right equipment can help with that. Make sure you’re equipped with a high-quality camera and a strong WiFi or Internet router that can host the meeting with as few hiccups as possible.

8. Focus on the Lighting and Background

Let the interviewee shine by providing as little distraction for them as possible. Make sure you’re conducting the interview from a well-lit, minimally-designed space that won’t provide much distraction from the main event. Even if you’re not in person, you can help provide a comfortable environment for your interviewee by being somewhere quiet, well-lit, and calming.

9. Provide Accessible Learning Videos

Many people are interested in virtual learning nowadays, especially for interviewing and onboarding. Make sure that any promotional, educational, or training videos you provide are accessible with transcribed captions (such as CART captions ), audio descriptions, or image descriptions. Keeping your interviewing process accessible will help open you up to everyone’s thoughts and input.

10. Test Your Technology Beforehand

Sure, your computer probably usually works just fine. But you don’t want the one time it matters most (during an interview) to be the time Zoom won’t load, or you’re late because your app has to update. Test all of your technology just before the interview to make sure everything is in working order.

Video Interview Tips For Research

Researchers and journalists may rely on video interviews to gather data and input from focus groups, industry experts, and more. Let’s look at some tips for conducting the best research-focused video interviews possible.

11. Determine A Hypothesis Before the Interview

Video interviews typically have a time limit, and may lack some of the cordiality of an in-person discussion. To make sure you get what you need in the allotted time, have your hypothesis decided and ask questions that align with the information you’re looking to learn.

12. Print A Transcription of the Interview

Research-based interviews may include a lot of information being discussed, dissected, and presented. To make sure you don’t lose track of some important insights, transcribe your research interviews and print out a copy to take notes on afterward.

13. Write Up a Release Form

If you plan on publishing your video interview, having a comprehensive consent and/or release form can help make the process smoother. Instead of having to send it after the interview, wait for it to be completed, and then get it back, you can send the release form ahead of time and get it out of the way in case you want to start teasing the interview online immediately.

Is This Thing On?

While video interviews may seem much different from in-person interviews, they boil down to the same basic principle: people trying to meet and exchange information. So no matter if you’re shaking hands in person or waving hi into a computer’s webcam, it’s important to make a good first impression and prepare accordingly.

One way you can prepare for any type of interview you’ll be a part of is to have a transcription partner at the ready. See how Rev’s AI can help transcribe your next video interview easily and accurately.

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The Ultimate Guide to Conducting User Research Interviews

What are user research interviews, 6 types of user interviews for ux research, why conduct user research interviews, when should you conduct user interviews, what data do you get from user interviews, phase 1: how to prepare for user interviews, phase 2: how to recruit participants for user interviews, phase 3: how to create effective user interview questions, phase 3: how to conduct user interviews, phase 4: how to analyze user interview data, augment your ux research methods with fullsession, fullsession pricing plans, install your first website feedback form right now, faqs about user interviews.

Sometimes, the best way to find out if your product is good is to just ask the person using it.

Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as it sounds. User interviews can give you detailed, honest, and nuanced insights about what you offer, but only if done right.

So, how can you make sure your interviews uncover data you can actually use to improve your UX?

In this guide, we’ll explain:

• What are user research interviews?
• What are the different types of user interviews?
• Why should you conduct user interviews?
• When should you conduct user interviews?
• How to prepare for user interviews
• How to find interview participants
• How to write effective interview questions
• What to do with user interview data

User research interviews are like having a good chat where you really get to know someone—only in this case, you’re getting to know how people feel about a product or service.

These interviews help you dig deep to understand what users like, what frustrates them, and what could make their experience better. They revolve around asking open-ended questions that let the person you’re talking to open up about their experiences.

This method of user research is incredibly useful because it gives you valuable insights straight from the users. You’re not just collecting numbers or checking boxes; you’re listening to stories and gathering rich details that show you how to make your product hit the mark.

When it comes to user research interviews, there’s a whole menu of types you can choose from, each with its own flavor and purpose. Here’s a rundown of the different types of user interviews you might use, depending on what you need to find out:

1. Structured Interviews

From the name itself, structured interviews require you to stick to a specific set of questions. You ask everyone the exact same questions in the same order. It’s simple, straightforward, and great for when you need to compare answers directly across a group of people.

2. Unstructured Interviews

Unstructured interviews are more laid-back. There’s no strict list of questions you have to follow. You start with a topic, and then let the conversation flow naturally based on what the participant says. This way, you can stumble upon insights you might not have thought to look for.

3. Semi-Structured Interviews

A semi-structured interview is a mix of both. You have some questions planned, but you’re also ready to follow the conversation wherever it goes. It gives you the structure you need to get specific information and the flexibility to explore new topics that come up during the chat.

4. Contextual Interviews

Contextual interviews are all about seeing things in action. You conduct these in the user’s own environment, whether that’s at home, at work, or any other place they normally use your product or service.

Watching someone interact with your product in their natural setting can give you a real-world perspective that’s hard to capture in a lab or office setting. This method of conducting user interviews is excellent for understanding how everyday distractions, habits, and the physical environment influence the way people use your product.

5. Generative Interviews

Generative interviews are used primarily in the early stages of product development when you’re looking to come up with ideas and possibilities that could shape the development of a new product or feature.

During these interviews, you’re encouraging participants to think outside the box and brainstorm with you. It’s a collaborative process aimed at sparking creativity and uncovering potential innovations that haven’t been considered yet.

6. Group Interviews

Group interviews, often referred to as focus groups, involve bringing together multiple participants to discuss their thoughts and opinions simultaneously. This setup allows for a dynamic exchange of ideas, where participants can agree, disagree, and inspire each other, providing a broad range of insights in a single session.

Group interviews are particularly useful when you want to explore how people perceive and talk about a product or concept in a social context, as it highlights consensus areas and points of contention among users.

There’s no better person to ask about your product or service than the one who’s using and paying for what you offer. So, how can their feedback help you achieve [insert business goal here]?

Direct User Insights

User research interviews give you direct access to the user’s perspective. You hear firsthand about what they appreciate, what frustrates them, and what they believe could be improved.

More often than not, this kind of direct feedback is exactly what you need to gain a deeper understanding of the user experience from a personal perspective.

Identifying Pain Points

Through these conversations, you can discover specific areas where users struggle with your product. Whether it’s a confusing interface, lack of essential features, or poor performance on certain tasks, knowing these pain points allows you to prioritize development efforts to address them ASAP.

Overall, identifying these issues allows you to target improvements, improve user satisfaction, and potentially increase loyalty.

Testing Assumptions

It’s natural to make assumptions about user behavior, but these can lead to misguided decisions.

User interviews help validate these assumptions by confronting them with real user data. This validation process ensures that every design decision and feature addition is informed by evidence. As a result, you can better minimize risks and align the product more closely with user needs.

Encouraging Innovation

Users often provide insights into how they use the product in ways you might not have anticipated, or they might express needs that no existing product adequately meets.

These insights offer unique opportunities to innovate by developing new features, refining existing ones, or even creating entirely new products designed for better product-market fit . Such innovations can set your company apart from competitors and even position you as a leader in user-centered design.

The qualitative data you get from user interviews can make or break the launch of a new product or service, or even a re-launch of an existing offering. So, when should you bring user interviews into the mix?

During the Early Concept Stage

Right at the start, when your product ideas are still taking shape, user interviews can be incredibly helpful. They provide clarity and validation on whether your initial concepts resonate with potential users.

This stage revolves around making sure that the path you’re considering is in tune with what users actually need and want. It’ll help you avoid costly detours and focus on viable product directions!

Before You Develop Your Product

Just before you dive into the heavy lifting of development, it’s a good time to fine-tune the details of your product based on user feedback. Lock down which features to include and figure out the best ways they could function from the user’s point of view.

The insights you gather now can influence major decisions about how your product is built, which helps make sure that it looks good and works well for your target audience.

Once You Have a Prototype

When you have a working prototype, user interviews can test how well it performs in real-world scenarios. This is your chance to see your product in action and get feedback on its usability and appeal.

Users might point out glitches or suggest improvements that could make the product more user-friendly. Addressing these issues and suggestions at this stage can save you a lot of time and trouble down the line.

When Conducting Usability Tests

As you refine your prototype, integrating usability tests becomes crucial. These are more structured sessions where you observe how users interact with your product in specific ways to assess its functionality and ease of use.

The feedback you gain at this stage may pinpoint areas where users struggle and help refine the user interface to be more intuitive and effective.

After Launching

Even after your product hits the market, user interviews should continue. Now, you can learn how your product stands up in the everyday lives of your users.

This feedback can help you understand what’s working, what’s not, and what could make your product even better in future iterations.

User interviews give you a rich mix of qualitative data, including both self-reported and observational insights.

From the self-reported side , you’ll gather direct feedback where users explicitly share their likes, dislikes, and frustrations, along with their motivations and needs. This type of data is invaluable for understanding how users perceive your product and what they believe could be improved.

Alongside self-reported data, observational data plays a huge role. During the interviews, especially if they are conducted in a contextual setting where users interact with the product in their usual environment, you can observe how they actually use the product.

Observational data can sometimes reveal discrepancies between what users say they do and what they actually do. For example, a user might claim they find an application easy to use, but struggles observed during the interview can tell a different story.

Combining these two types of data provides a comprehensive understanding of the user experience and can offer clear directions for making meaningful improvements to your product.

Getting ready for user interviews helps you make sure they run smoothly and give you the insights you need. Here are key steps to take during Phase 1:

Identify Your Goals

First up, be clear about what you want to find out. Set specific goals—maybe you want to dig into how users feel about your product, see how they actually use it or get feedback on a new feature.

Knowing exactly what you’re after will help shape your questions and keep the conversation on track.

Build Your Interview Guide

Put together a guide that outlines the key topics and questions you plan to cover. This doesn’t mean you can’t go with the flow during the chat, especially if something interesting comes up, but having a guide will help you make sure you don’t miss anything important.

Mix in open-ended questions to encourage detailed answers and some direct ones to zero in on specifics.

Set the Interview Environment

Decide if you’ll do face-to-face interviews, phone calls, or video chats. Make sure the setting is comfy and quiet to help people open up.

If you’re doing remote user interviews, double-check that everyone has the tech they need and that it all works smoothly.

Have all your tools ready—whether it’s recording devices, notes, or video gear. Test everything beforehand to dodge any tech hiccups during the interviews.

Of course, you can’t just go about interviewing anyone . You need to get those insights from the people that matter. In this case, it’s your ideal user. We’ve compiled a few effective strategies to help you find the best interview participants.

Identify Your Target Audience

First, clearly define who your ideal users are. Knowing who your target audience is will help you focus your recruitment efforts on the right group. Consider these important factors:

• Usage habits
• Product relevance
• Tech proficiency
• Previous experience with similar products or services
• Other relevant demographic factors (income level, education, family status, etc.)

Use Screening Questionnaires

Create a short questionnaire to help screen potential participants. This should include questions that confirm whether someone fits into your target audience, like their familiarity with your type of product, relevant behaviors, or specific needs that your product aims to meet.

Leverage Existing Channels

Use channels where your potential users are likely to be, such as your company’s email list, social media platforms, or your website. Posting on forums or platforms that are popular with your target demographic can also be effective.

Offer Incentives

People are more likely to participate if there’s something in it for them. Offering incentives like gift cards, discounts, or access to exclusive content can encourage more sign-ups.

However, you need to make sure the incentive is appropriate and attractive to your target audience.

Consider Practical Logistics

Think about the logistics of your interviews when recruiting. If you need to conduct interviews at a specific location or online, mention this upfront. Also, consider the best times for interviews that fit into your participants’ schedules.

Get the Word Out

Spread the word through as many channels as possible. Apart from digital outreach, consider leveraging partnerships with other companies or communities that align with your target market.

The more visibility your call for participants gets, the better your chances of attracting qualified individuals!

Good questions are what make effective user interviews. Follow these strategies to make sure you get rich, reliable, and nuanced interview data:

Ask Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions let participants talk freely about their experiences, giving you a lot more color and detail than simple yes/no answers.

When you ask open-ended questions , you’re inviting participants to share their full stories and insights. This approach digs into not just what they do, but why they do it, how it affects them, and what specific elements really stand out.

For instance, instead of just finding out if someone likes a feature (where they might just say “yes” or “no”), asking “What do you think about this feature and why?” opens up the floor for them to talk about what’s really working or what bugs them. They might point out something surprisingly useful or a frustrating flaw that could lead to a really valuable tweak in your product.

Plus, these questions can pull out how users see the pros and cons of what you’re offering, how it slots into their daily lives, and what adjustments could make it better. Instead of asking, “Is this tool easy to use?”, you could say, “Can you tell me about a time when this tool was either a big help or a bit of a hassle?”

Questions like this not only add context but also shine a light on real user experiences and potential sticking points. You can include a few close-ended questions , but make sure to throw in follow-up questions to understand their reasoning.

Stay Neutral and Avoid Leading Questions

Keeping your questions neutral is an absolute must if you want to get honest, unbiased feedback during your user interviews. Ask questions that don’t push participants towards any specific answer. This way, you’re more likely to get honest feedback on what they think.

For example, if you ask, “How difficult is it to use our product?”, you’re kind of hinting that there might be some difficulty involved. This can lead people to focus more on the negatives.

A better way to phrase it would be, “What’s been your experience using our product?” This phrasing opens up the floor for them to talk about the good and the bad without any nudging. They can share what they genuinely like and what might be a bit of a struggle and give you a fuller picture.

By framing your questions without any bias, you encourage participants to share their true thoughts and experiences. Non-leading questions you gather more accurate and valuable insights because you’re hearing what users really think, not just what they believe you want to hear.

Keep the Interview Simple

Prioritizing simplicity when writing user interview questions helps make sure everyone can easily grasp what you’re asking without getting tangled up in fancy jargon or technical terms. By sticking to plain language, you help participants feel more comfortable and confident in their responses, which means you’ll get clearer and more useful insights.

For instance, instead of asking, “What are your thoughts on the user interface’s navigational affordances?” you could simplify it to, “How easy is it to find your way around our app?”

A more straightforward approach makes the question more accessible and encourages participants to provide detailed, candid feedback. That’s exactly what you need to really understand user experiences and make smart improvements.

Now that you have your ideal interview participants, your questions, and your setup ready, it’s time to conduct your interviews. Everyone will have their own technique based on the type of information they want to get, but in general, here are a few tips that can help everyone:

Listen Actively and Be Comfortable with Silence

Active listening is a must during any user interview. Pay close attention to what is being said, and equally important, to what is not being said. This can help you pick up on non-verbal cues or underlying messages that may need further exploration with follow-up questions.

Don’t rush to fill silence—sometimes participants need a moment to think, and these pauses can lead to thoughtful responses.

Take Detailed Notes

Whether you’re recording the session or not, taking detailed notes is essential. Jot down key points, interesting quotes, and your own observations about the participant’s behavior and emotions. These notes will be important when you analyze the data later.

Use Your Interview Guide

While it’s important to let the conversation flow naturally, keep your interview guide handy as a roadmap. Your guide should outline the key topics you want to cover to make sure you don’t miss anything crucial.

However, be flexible—allow the conversation to deviate somewhat if the participant is sharing valuable insights.

Avoid UX Speak

It’s easy to slip into using industry-specific terms or acronyms that are second nature to you but might be confusing for others.

To make sure your interviews are as accessible as possible, avoid using technical language related to user experience (UX) or any other specialized field. Instead, focus on using plain language that anyone can understand.

• Instead of saying: “How intuitive do you find the navigational structure?”
• Say: “How easy is it to find what you’re looking for?”
• Instead of saying: “Do you feel the onboarding process facilitates user engagement?”
• Say: “What was it like when you first started using the product? Did you feel welcomed?”

If you must use a specific term for clarity or relevance, take a moment to explain what it means in a simple way!

Provide Context

When asking about specific aspects of your product, provide a little context to help frame the question in a way that’s relatable.

For example, instead of asking directly about the “usability” of a feature, describe the feature briefly and ask about their experience using it.

If you’ve made it this far, you’re so close to getting the actionable insights you need! The next step is to turn raw feedback into insights you can use to guide your product development . However, this can be easier said than done, especially if you have massive amounts of data to work with.

Here’s an easy step-by-step approach to process and make sense of the information you gather:

Transcribe the Interviews

Start by turning your recorded interviews into written text. Having everything written down makes it a lot easier to sift through the data. If you’ve taken detailed notes, mix these in with the transcripts to capture everything said.

Organize the Data

Arrange the data either by themes related to your questions or by specific topics you’re exploring. Doing so should help you spot patterns and compare responses easily.

Tools like spreadsheets or qualitative data analysis software can be super helpful for sorting and visualizing the data.

Identify Key Themes

Go through your transcripts and notes to pick out recurring themes or patterns. Look for common phrases, ideas, or feelings that pop up across several interviews. These can point out what users really need, what’s bugging them, or what they love about your product.

Categorize the Findings

Group your findings into categories like what’s working, what’s not, potential opportunities, or any risks. This setup helps you focus on different aspects of the feedback and makes it easier to process.

Validate with Quantitative Data

If you can, add in some hard data like survey results or usage stats. This can back up the trends you’ve spotted in the interviews and give you a fuller picture of what’s going on!

Create User Personas

From the insights you’ve gathered, sketch out user personas. These are profiles that represent different types of users for your product, showing their needs, behaviors, and preferences. Personas are great for keeping your user in mind as you make design choices.

Act on the Findings

Now, take what you’ve learned and use it to make decisions—whether that’s tweaking the design, planning your next moves, or setting up more research. Prioritize these actions based on how much they’ll improve user experience and meet your business goals.

Finally, you can draw up a UX research report and present it to relevant stakeholders!

As useful as user interviews are, they’re not enough to draw a full picture of what users feel about your product or service. Plus, interviews take a lot of time to do, and the data you want to collect may be time-sensitive.

That’s why you need to supplement your interview data with FullSession’s UX research tools:

• Behavioral Analytics : Get the lowdown on user interactions to pinpoint any usability issues or interesting trends.
• Heatmaps : See hotspots on your pages where users click, scroll, and linger, helping you tweak your layout and content.
• Session Replays: Watch real-life actions on your site to understand how users move through and interact with your pages.
• A/B Testing Support : Try out different designs and see which ones really click with users, based on actual behavior.
• Accessibility and Usability Enhancements : Use data to make your site more inclusive and easy for everyone to navigate.

The FullSession platform offers a 14-day free trial. It provides two paid plans—Basic and Business. Here are more details on each plan.

• The Basic plan costs $39/month and allows you to monitor up to 5,000 monthly sessions.
• The Business plan costs $149/month and helps you to track and analyze up to 25,000 monthly sessions.
• The Enterprise plan starts from 100,000 monthly sessions and has custom pricing.

If you need more information, you can get a demo.

It takes less than 5 minutes to set up your first website or app feedback form, with FullSession , and it’s completely free!

How long should a user interview last?

Around 30 to 60 minutes is usually just right. It’s long enough to dig deep but not so long that it tires out your participants. Think of it like a friendly chat over coffee—aim for engaging and productive!

Can user interviews be conducted remotely?

Definitely! Thanks to video call tools like Zoom, Skype, and Google Meet, you can run interviews from anywhere. These tools are great because they let you chat face-to-face, even if you’re oceans apart, and they have handy features like screen sharing and recording.

How many user interviews are necessary?

It varies, but you’ll likely need between 5 and 10 per user group. Once you start hearing the same comments over and over, you’ve probably got enough to go on. This is your cue that you’ve collected enough chatter to see the patterns clearly.

What should I do if a user interview goes off track?

It happens! If the conversation starts to wander, gently nudge it back to the topic at hand. You want to stay focused but also be flexible enough to let your participants express themselves. A simple, “That’s super interesting, but let’s circle back to [specific topic]” should do the trick.

Enhance Your Insights With Richer User Behavior Data

Discover FullSession's Digital Experience Intelligence solution firsthand. Explore FullSession for free

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5 common mistakes to avoid in user research in Product Management

User research in product management is really important. But sometimes people make mistakes that can mess it up. Like not setting clear goals for the research, using the wrong methods, picking the wrong people to ask questions, not asking the right questions, and forgetting to look at the data properly. These mistakes can make the research not very useful. But if we avoid them, we can learn a lot about what users want and make better products that they’ll like more.

5 Common Mistakes to Avoid in User Research in Product Management

Here are the 5 Common Mistakes that can be Avoid in User Research in Product Management:

Mistake 1: Not defining a clear research goal

When we don’t have a clear research goal, it means we’re starting user research without knowing exactly what we want to find out. This mistake can waste time and effort because we might end up collecting information that doesn’t help us. Without a clear goal, we might ask the wrong questions or get data that doesn’t give us useful insights for our product. To avoid this, it’s important to take the time to decide what we want to learn from our research. This means figuring out the main questions we need answers to or setting specific goals for what we want to achieve. By doing this, we can make sure our research is focused and helpful for making decisions about our product.

Mistake 2: Not choosing the right research method

This mistake means using a research method that doesn’t fit what we’re trying to learn. This can lead to incomplete or wrong information, which makes it hard to make good decisions about our product. Different research methods, like talking to people, asking questions, or watching how they use things, have different strengths and weaknesses. If we pick the wrong one, we might waste time and money without getting useful data. To avoid this, we need to think about what we want to learn, the kind of information we need, and who we’re trying to learn from. By picking the best method for our goals, we can make sure we get the right information to help us improve our product.

Mistake 3: Not recruiting the right participants

This mistake happens when we choose the wrong people for our research. When we don’t recruit the right participants, we miss out on getting insights that truly represent our target users. This can lead to decisions about our product that don’t match what our users want or need. Whether it’s because we pick people who aren’t like our typical users or we forget to include important groups like older adults or students, it means we’re not getting the full picture. To avoid this, we need to think carefully about who we want to include in our research and make sure they’re a good match for our target audience. By recruiting the right participants, we can get the information we need to make our product better for the people who will use it.

Mistake 4: Not asking the right questions

This mistake happens when we don’t ask the questions that will give us the information we need. When we don’t ask the right questions, we miss out on getting important insights that could help us make better decisions about our product. This can lead to us making choices that don’t match what our users want or need. Whether it’s because our questions are too vague, or leading, or we forget to ask about important things, it means we’re not getting the whole story. To avoid this, we need to think carefully about what we want to know and make sure our questions will give us the answers we’re looking for. By asking the right questions, we can get the information we need to make our product better for our users.

Mistake 5: Not analyzing and synthesizing the data

This mistake happens when we gather data from our research but don’t take the time to carefully look at it and put it together to find important things. When we don’t analyze and synthesize the data, we miss out on understanding what it’s telling us about our users and our product. This can lead to us making decisions without all the information we need or missing chances to make our product better. Whether it’s because we’re busy, don’t know how to do it, or just forget, not analyzing and synthesizing the data means we’re not using it to help us improve our product. To avoid this, we need to take the time to carefully look at the data we’ve collected and think about what it means for our product. By doing this, we can make better decisions and create products that work well for our users.

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In conclusion, good user research is important for making products that people like. By avoiding common mistakes like not setting clear research goals, picking the right research methods, choosing the right people for our research, asking the right questions, and looking carefully at the data, we can make sure our products meet users’ needs. When we focus on what users want and keep improving our research, we can create products that work well and make users happy. So, by putting effort into user research, we can make better decisions and build successful products.

FAQs: 5 Common Mistakes to Avoid in User Research in Product Management

Why is user research important in product management.

User research helps us figure out what users need and want, making sure our products actually solve their problems and meet their expectations.

How often should we do user research?

It’s best to keep doing user research regularly, all through making the product. This way, we stay updated on what users want and need.

In what ways can we do user research?

We can talk to users, ask them questions, watch how they use things, and even have them try out our product and give feedback. All these ways help us understand what users want.

What do we do with the feedback from user research?

We carefully listen to what users say and use their feedback to improve our product. This helps us make something that users really like.

How can we make sure our user research works well?

To do good user research, we talk to lots of different users, ask questions that let them share their thoughts freely, and pay attention to what they actually do. And we keep learning and improving how we do research.

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These 2 Interview Questions Can Expose A Company With A Toxic Work-Life Balance

D uring a job interview , you will typically be presented with the best version of what a company can offer. Your task is to decide whether the rosy picture being painted matches the reality of what it’s like to work there.

You may want to figure out if the company actually lets you have a life outside of work. Usually, an employer won’t outright state that you’ll be expected to sacrifice your well-being for the company’s bottom line, but there will be telltale clues if that’s the case.

Speaking to HuffPost, career experts shared tips for determining whether an employer truly values work-life balance — and said that asking two types of questions in particular can help.

Ahead of an interview, get clarity on what work-life balance means to you.

The term “work-life balance” gets thrown around a lot nowadays. But before you ask about it in an interview setting, you should consider what your priorities are so you can tailor your questions accordingly.

“It’s important for job seekers to really know what does that mean to them first,” said Eddiana Rosen, a human resources specialist with recruiting experience who coaches job seekers.

“‘Work-life balance’ to me could mean that I can tell my boss last minute, ‘Hey, I need to leave at 3:30 ... because I have to pick up my kids,’” Rosen added. “But before I had kids, ‘work-life balance’ to me meant that I needed transparency with my boss about how my promotion was going to look like ... and that I was not going to be bothered over the weekends.”

Ask your interviewer about initiatives or policies on work-life balance.

When speaking to an interviewer about company culture, the first important question you can ask relates to flexibility and well-being. This can reveal whether an organization offers and prioritizes good benefits.

“If you said, ‘What’s your policy on work flexibility or remote work?’ a company that really is invested [in a healthy work-life balance] is going to be able to reel off all their policies,” said Mary Abbajay, the president of leadership development consultancy Careerstone Group and author of the book “Managing Up.”

Similarly, asking “do you find that employees actually use up all their vacation time?” can provide insight about whether the team gets to take breaks, Abbajay added.

If you want to avoid asking directly about company policies, you could instead talk about burnout. Abbajay suggested saying something like: “I know burnout has been a really big thing in many organizations. Are there any steps that you all are taking to prevent employee burnout?”

Information on a company’s website can also be a jumping-off point for questions. That way, “it’s going to make you sound a little bit more driven by company values as opposed to making you sound like you’re being self-centered,’” Rosen said.

For example, if you want to know whether employees have flexibility in their working hours to go to the gym, Rosen suggested saying: “I saw on your company website that you offered a gym membership reimbursement. I think that’s incredible. Are you able to tell me a little bit more about that? How are your employees taking advantage of this?”

Also ask how your potential boss would handle the team’s workload. 

A second critical question relates to how your potential boss thinks about time off.

In later hiring stages, the interviewer is often the person you would work under if hired. So, you might directly ask them about time off or subtly ask about their management style.

You could say, “Tell me about your own personal approach to work-life balance,” according to Abbajay, who recommended that job seekers “make it a little personal and get them talking.”

Or, she added, you might say: “I know this is a busy office. How do you handle prioritizing work? How do you handle when we are overloaded with work?’”

You really want to hear that they want to know when you’re overwhelmed. Mary Abbajay, president of Careerstone Group

This can show whether the person actively tries to help team members when they fall behind with work. Bosses who have no plan, and answer with some version of “we just do our best to get on through,” are not going to be the most supportive, Abbajay said. 

“You really want to hear that they want to know when you’re overwhelmed and they’re here to help support you,” she said. “Make sure that you hear from them some sort of acknowledgment that it is their job to prevent that from happening to you.”

And if you’re asking directly about a manager’s view on work-life boundaries, use the softer wording of “approach” over “support,” Abbajay suggested. 

“When you phrase the question like ‘do you support work-life balance?’ I think that puts people on the back foot,” she said.

“But when you just say ‘how would you describe your approach to work-life balance?’ or ‘what’s your philosophy around work-life balance?’ I think that opens it up and people are not as defensive.”

If you prefer, you can put those questions to a regular employee (or do research online).

To get actual insight into an organization’s work-life balance, you should ask someone who knows firsthand for a more transparent answer. “The best way to really find out the truth is to find someone who works there or has worked there,” Abbajay said.

Even strangers are usually willing to help someone avoid working at a nightmarish company.

Abbajay said that if you don’t already know an employee, you can directly message one on LinkedIn with wording like: “I’m currently interviewing at X, Y, Z corporation and just would love some insider scoop on what the culture is there. Specifically, how would you describe the work-life balance?”

You can also look up the employer on review sites likes Glassdoor to make a more informed decision, as long as you understand that the information can be skewed by complaints from ex-employees, Rosen said. “But if you see a pattern there, sometimes that can potentially be telling you something about what it’s like to work there,” she added.

Keep in mind that timing matters.

Whether or not it’s fair, asking about work-life balance too soon may give the impression that you are lazy or not particularly passionate about the job.

“We employers, we’re kind of deluded in the fact that we think that people should want to work for us, and we think that we’re offering something really great for them. And why would they put caveats around it?” Abbajay said.  “So you want them to fall in love with you just a little bit before you start talking about how much you’re willing or not willing to work.”

In other words, time your questions for when it’s clear that the company wants to hire you. Getting asked if you are interviewing anywhere else and about a possible start date are some of the  secret signs that you are a final candidate .

Regardless of timing, your questions may lead to disappointment , but that’s useful too.

“If you’re asking these questions and it backfires, then you know that that was not a company for you,” Rosen said. 

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