Ah, I love getting a phone call like the one I just had! A client called to say he had accepted a job offer. We rewrote his resume and cover letter to accommodate the industry switch he wanted to make, even though he was only out of college a couple of years.
We prepped for the interview process and he said that he was SO GLAD he followed my suggestions on the research for the employer.
He dug into their web site, checked out the interviewers on LinkedIn, scanned the media for information on competitors in the area, and got a sense for their business model.
He also connected with a recruiter who happened to recruit in that market and had some inside scoop on the organization.
He blew them away in the interview. Now, he wants to “crush it” in his performance so he can continue to grow and advance in this new industry. A-mah-zing story!
They can tell, you know
When I was hiring people, my team and I could always tell when someone had done their homework on the company or not. The bottom line was if they didn’t do the research, they were out.
In retrospect, it’s regrettable we even had to waste an interview on someone who didn’t investigate us. Unfortunately testing for whether or not you did employer research is not a significant part of the screening process. Maybe employers will catch on and start qualifying candidates BEFORE they offer them an interview!
But I digress.
The point is, that digging in and researching an employer better than the other candidates gives you a huge competitive advantage in an interview. TWEET THIS! It’s such an easy way to make inroads yet so many people go into interview unprepared. “Hoping for the best” is not a rational interview strategy. TWEET THIS!
If you want a quick refresher course, see my blog on how to get interview ready in 3 hours. Even if you’re strapped for time there’s a quick and dirty way to get ready. There’s no excuse for not showing up prepared to talk about the organization you’re interviewing with, the people in it, their competition, competitive advantage, and biggest problems you are going to help them solve.
Research the High Tech Way
A couple of Stanford Grads felt so strongly about researching potential employers, they took it a step further and created LifeSwap. This tool matches job seekers with potential employees so that the jobseeker can get a glimpse of what it’s really like to work inside that company. Talk about your first hand company research! And, a win for both the organization and the potential employee as well.
Create Your Advantage | 5 Unique Employer Research Methods
If that inspires you to go “above and beyond” in your potential employer research, here are five ideas that take your basic research and kick it up a notch.
1. Look for organization executives on LinkedIn. See if they have any media like company videos, slide decks, or other messages included on their profiles that can provide a deeper level of information.
2. Talk to a customer of the organization. Ask them what works well, and what they see as opportunities for improvement.
3. Talk to a competitor of the organization. Ask what they see as their competition’s strengths and weaknesses.
4. Engage in a transaction with the organization. If they have a product that’s affordable, buy it and use it. Call or message the customer care organization and see what kind of response you get. This will tell you a lot about the organization’s culture and practices.
5. Compliment or acknowledge the company on social media, and see how they respond. This will give you an idea for how they deal with constituents, and what their public voice is.
All of these methods will give you a deeper level of information that will ensure you have an engaging conversation during your interview. On one hand the organization will get a much better sense for what you offer, based on your feedback and observations from these research experiences.
And on the other hand, YOU will have a much better idea if that organization is for you. That’s an important part of the interview process we don’t talk enough about!
Your action for this week:
Try one of these unique research methods on a target employer. Let me know what you find out, and how it shifts your readiness and confidence, for the interview!
Image: Death to Stock Photo
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