Not a fan of this question y’all.
Ok – it’s IDEAL if a candidate does a little research on an organization before starting the interview process. Is it a DEAL BREAKER though if someone hasn’t? This recruiter doesn’t think so!
As for me, I prefer to frame the question a little differently – “what can I tell you about our company?” This creates an opportunity to ask literally anything – you might have already done a ton of research and are looking to verify what you know! You may know absolutely NOTHING – and that’s ok too.
For the very first introductory call, I have zero expectations of what you should already know.
Unfortunately there are recruiters and companies out there who use this as a pass/fail question. If you haven’t done minimum research, they won’t proceed with your candidacy. While this is absolute LUNACY to me, I’ve come up with a few suggestions on how to prep for those intro calls in case you run into those gatekeepers in the wild.
Research the RECRUITER
Typically your first contact is with a recruiter. This is especially true for agency represented opportunities. Some third party recruiters won’t even give up their client’s name until they get you on the phone! (how the heck are you supposed to research THAT…) Here’s the deal – recruiters are gonna tell on themselves. Check out their content, their communication, expectations they share broadly. You can learn a lot about the kind of person you’re potentially working with by watching how they communicate with the masses!
Prepare Questions
Let’s say you DO take a few minutes to google the company. You can pick up some PR blessed insights of course. Glassdoor ratings, Blind posts, there’s usually no shortage of information out there. But is it ACCURATE? Hard to say. Simply having a sense of the company’s purpose (ABC Company is the largest widget manufacturer in the Midwest!) might be a good start. Now let’s fill that in:
- How does this role/team fit into the larger organization?
- Besides what’s publicly available, what can you tell me about growth plans or expansion?
- Is there anything you can share about Hiring Manager’s leadership style/deliverables/future state of the team?
Remember Why You’re Here
Interviewing is a data collection exercise – on both sides. The introductory conversation is simply that – an introduction to the team, potentially hiring manager, team members. You’re going to learn more with every interaction, and should feel comfortable asking questions that matter and provide data YOU need to know before moving to each next step. You don’t have to know it all going in, but you have the right to get it all as you go through their interview processes.
Want more insights? Check out the AMA Friday video on this topic HERE.
Amy, I am sure candidates appreciate you flipping that question to focus on the company. That’s such a breath of fresh air in the hiring process. And I hope candidates are copying and pasting the questions you included that will give them more information about the position.
Personally, I always research the company before applying. It just makes sense to me. Because I’m a fan of people being very targeted about their job search, I ask clients to identify what they like about the company first, before applying. This helps them create great cover letters and also put some finishing touches on the resume that can demonstrate a fit for the position and the company.
Researching a company before applying just makes sense to me.