During a job interview, employers frequently question, “What do you know about our company?”
There are a few things they want to hear and a few things they don’t.
So, in this post, I’ll show you how to deliver a superb answer to this question… while avoiding any pitfalls and blunders that could lose you the job.
Then we’ll go over three sample responses to the question “what do you know about our company?” so you can practice and come up with your own.
Let’s get this party started.
Why Do Interviewers Inquire, “What Do You Know About Our Company?”
Employers ask this question in interviews for a variety of reasons.
The first reason is that they want to ensure you did your homework before applying. They don’t want someone who applies to 200 jobs each day without really looking or caring about the job.
Why? Employers want someone who is driven and willing to work hard. And they believe that if you have thought about your job search and have specific reasons for applying, you are more likely to enjoy their position.
Whereas if you apply to as many jobs as you can find online at random, there’s a better chance you won’t like their job… This means you may leave, lose motivation, and so on.
Employers perceive it that way.
Companies ALWAYS prefer candidates that are cautious and selective in their job hunt.
Why would you want to interview if you knew nothing about their company? Or how can you be sure you won’t despise working for them?
“What do you know about the company?” they inquire. to see how much preparation and research you’ve done for this interview And, in order to impress them, you must be prepared to provide precise and name information and data about their organization that you have learned about.
Now consider how…
How to Respond to “What Do You Know About Our Company?”
The greatest method to respond to the question “what do you know about our company?”
“is to state particular information you discovered when investigating the company that demonstrate you understand their business and got to know their organization before applying.” You can include information you found on the company’s website, social media channels, news stories, and other sources.
Here’s an example of a nice response. We’ll look at other sample replies later in the article as well.
“How much do you know about the company?”
“I saw on your website that you’re one of the top data security organizations in the US, serving more than 40 Fortune 500 companies, including some of the biggest IT corporations like Microsoft and IBM. I also read a recent news piece in which you stated that you intend to extend into providing these services to financial institutions as well. Is that correct? And could you elaborate on that? ”
This is a wonderful example response to the question, “What do you know about this company?” ” because it demonstrates that you completed your research and can cite particular information about their organization.” You’ll also stand out by concluding your response with a question for the interviewer.
This makes the interview more of a back-and-forth, allowing the hiring manager to see you as a colleague – and someone they should hire!
What NOT to Say in Your Response
When the interviewer asks, “What do you know about our company?” there are a few things that will not impress them.
If you know nothing, your prospects of landing the job are slim.
It’s more worse if you didn’t do any research and then tried to lie and cover it up. So make sure you know a few facts about the organization. Preparing for this question takes only 5 minutes of research.
Finally, discussing things that aren’t true or accurate will decrease your chances of getting hired.
It’s better to know one or two facts with certainty than to walk into an interview knowing ten facts and getting half of them wrong.
So keep it brief and only learn 2-3 key facts about the organization.
Facts to Include in Your Response to This Question
As I previously stated, it only takes a few minutes of good research to have a few facts to react with.
But what should you look for, and where should you look?
To prepare for this question, go to the company website and search for:
- What do they sell, and how do they make a profit?
- Who is their typical client?
- How many staff do they have in total?
- When were they established?
- Who are their main competitors, and what do they do to differentiate themselves?
- Is there a mission statement on their website? What exactly is it?
These are but a few instances. You can also look at other sectors of the company. You only need a few facts to react with when they ask this question.
Simply demonstrate that you’ve researched them and are familiar with the organization you’re interviewing with. That is the intention.
Make use of their social media pages to discover more about the company.
You may find some interesting information about recent developments here, and noting this might help you stand out from other job candidates when answering what you know about the organization.
Look up the company name on Google News.
This can assist you in discovering even more relevant, new information about the company, such as new initiatives, announcements, growth reports, and other wonderful material you may name to demonstrate that you took the time to learn about their organization.
Interview Questions and Answers for “What Do You Know About Our Company?”
Now that you know what to say and what not to say, let’s look at some additional sample interview responses for when they question you about your knowledge of their organization.
We looked at one example response earlier, but I’d like to give you a few more so you can be certain that your own answer is correct.
These are all excellent responses that would impress the interviewer. When preparing for your interview, try to think of answers similar to these.
“How much do you know about our company?”
“I know you’re one of the largest providers of payroll software, and you were created in 2012 when your CEO discovered many small businesses spend much too much on payroll, hampering their growth.” The tale on your website’s “about us” page was intriguing, and based on how quickly you’ve expanded, it appears that there is a high need for your product. I read that you more than doubled your size last year and are on track to do it again this year.”
“How much do you know about our company?”
“I understand your firm is one of the largest investment banks in the United States.” According to your website, your headquarters are in Raleigh, NC, and you have 25,000 employees worldwide. I’ve known about your company for a few years now because I work in the same industry. Your organization is one of the first names that comes to mind when I think of this industry, therefore I was eager to apply for this position when I saw it advertised on your website.”
You’ll do fine on this question if you follow the example responses above, show them you’ve done your research, and know what type of organization you’re interviewing with.
This is not a tough interview question to answer, and as long as your response sounds comparable to the two sample responses we just reviewed, you will impress the company.
One Unknown Strategy for Standing Out When Asked, “What Do You Know About the Company?”
You now understand the fundamentals of answering this interview question. When you answer this, there is one trick you can utilize to really make people love you.
Here it is…
It will improve your response if you can complement them or demonstrate why you were pleased to apply for their job and interview with their organization.
This is demonstrated in sample response #2 above.
It’s a tremendous compliment to tell a hiring manager, “Your company is one of the names I think of in this field.”
It will make them proud to work for this organization, and it will comfort them that you will be driven and work hard in this position!
One of the most important things hiring managers look for in interviews is: How desperately do you want this job?
Most job applicants consider demonstrating their ability to do the job. However, businesses will not hire you until you can demonstrate that you want the job.
Employers are TERRIFIED of hiring someone who quits after a few months, doesn’t work hard enough, brings a poisonous attitude, and so on… even if you have the required expertise.
Don’t deliver a false compliment, though…
If you approach a bank with fewer than 150 employees and tell them they’re one of the largest names in banking, they’ll think you’re insane.
There are numerous methods to congratulate a firm, so choose one that is genuine. It does not have to be their actual size. “I know someone who used to work here, and they had nice things to say about your corporate culture and how you support your staff,” you can say.
If this is true, you could commend them on their local community recognition. If they are a small corporation but developing quickly, you can commend them on their rapid growth (you can find this type of information by Googling the company on Google News, etc.).
It all comes down to demonstrating that you’ve done your homework and are eager to speak with this organization. That’s how you make people want to chat to you!
If you follow the procedures and sample responses above, you’ll have a winning response to the question, “what do you know about our company?”
Quick Instructions for Responding to “What Do You Know About Our Company?”
- Choose two or three specific facts about the company to share with the interviewer.
- You can get information about the company on its website, social media pages, or by searching the company name in Google News.
- Keep your response short and concise; it’s better to offer two facts that you know exceptionally well than five or six that aren’t 100% correct.
- Consider concluding your response with a question directly at the interviewer. This will make the interview more informal and back-and-forth.
- Never state that you are unsure or that you know nothing about the company. This will result in your rejection from the interview.
- When addressing what you know about the company, try to compliment it. You can accomplish this by mentioning something they are well-known or admired for.
- Practice your response; nothing is perfect the first time.
