Five Sneaky Ways to Research Employers Before the Interview

Date Posted: 09/5/2016

Nothing says dedication and sincerity more than coming to an interview well-prepared specially when looking for a job abroad. A significant component of preparing for an interview is thorough research, not only about the position you’re applying for, but also about the organization hiring you as well. Keep in mind that hiring managers look for candidates who are not only qualified, but are also a good fit to the company’s values and culture. With the internet and a wide array of online resources at your disposal, familiarity with the employer you are applying to is just a click of a mouse away.

1. Soak up the company website.
The most obvious starting point of employer research is the platform you are applying to or where you learned about the job. Is it a job site? A Facebook group? An online forum? An advertisement? Apart from describing the position and qualifications, job announcements usually include pertinent information on the employer as well. Take careful note of these because if they place the vacancy in the announcement. It means that they expect you to submit your application and come to the interview with full knowledge of what they said. Most job advertisements will also point to the company’s official website, but if it does not, i-Google mo lang. Organization websites would tell you a lot about the employer, from the nature of the company to its history, to its clientele and management, sometimes even its employees. Knowing all of this will not only prepare you for possible interview questions, but also help you assess your compatibility with the organization.

2. Use social media to research the employer.
Still, not all companies have complete websites. This is where the power of social media comes in. While not all employers have websites or online spaces of their own, it is safe to say that almost everyone is on Facebook these days. Gamitin ang stalking skills! Social media profiles are rich sources of insight into a company values, habits, and affiliations. Ang sabi nga nila, “tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are.” Knowing what kind of people or groups the employer frequently interacts with would tell you a lot about the company. A company’s social media presence also says a lot about the kind of culture it embraces. Is it casual and laidback, or strictly professional? You can tell this by the employer’s social media voice and this assessment can help you prepare for the kind of approach to use during the interview. However, remember that there is always a way to find out the information you need without infringing on anyone’s privacy.

3. Find connections.
On the rare occasion that an employer has no official website and zero social media presence, finding other materials such as news articles and press releases that mention the company might be helpful as well. Additionally, such sources will tell you about the position the company or individual holds in its industry, which brings us to the next point.

4. Familiarize yourself with the entire industry.
This is especially important when making a career change or applying for a certain kind of work for the first time. In this case, you are applying not only to a specific employer, but to the industry in general as well. As with every other thing in life, mahalagang siguruhin na alam mo ang pinapasukan mo. It is also helpful to know the status or position of your prospective employer within the industry, as well as its major competitors, as familiarity with these may come up during the interview as well.

5. Ask around!
At the end of the day, there is no better way to learn about a target employer than actually asking people. Huwag mahiyang magtanong. You can ask people you know personally or even post questions anonymously in online message boards or forums. It is particularly helpful to ask past or present employees of the company, as they are the ones who are most knowledgeable about your prospective employer. The anonymity provided by online message boards also allows for people to be candid, so you can be sure that you will get accurate and honest accounts about the employer. At times, HR officers might be open to questions about the company and may even prefer that you ask about them. This display of curiosity can show how serious you are about getting hired.

Applying to Ikon for a job abroad will help you avoid doing much of the time consuming research described above. As a licensed and reputable recruitment agency, we only work with clients who have been researched and found to be good employers.