How to Research a Company Before Your Interview and Answer with More Depth
A checklist for researching a company before your interview: what to look at, where to find it, and how to use it to answer questions like why do you want to work here.
Two candidates are asked the same question: why do you want to work with us? The first says: because it is a large, stable and well-known company. The second says: I saw the company recently expanded its service to provincial areas, and this role manages new branch openings, which matches my experience opening shops in Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen. The second answer does not come from being smarter. It comes from spending time on research before walking into the interview.
What company research before an interview means
It means understanding the company you are interviewing with: its business, customers, direction, culture and the role you applied for. The goal is not to memorise facts, but to connect your experience to what the company needs naturally, and to help you decide whether this company suits you.
What to research
1. Business and customers
- What the company sells, to whom, and where its revenue comes from.
- Its main products or services. If possible, try them yourself first.
- Its main competitors and how it differs from them.
2. Recent developments
- News of product launches, expansion, partnerships or restructuring.
- For listed companies, the annual report or publicly disclosed investor information.
3. Culture and people
- The values the company states, and what employees actually talk about.
- LinkedIn profiles of team members or your likely manager, to see their backgrounds.
- Employee reviews, read with judgment. See how in reading company reviews wisely.
4. The role itself
- Reread the posting and underline the duties and skills that are emphasised.
- Check whether the company is hiring for several similar roles, which may suggest the team is growing.
Where to find information
- The company website: about us, products, news and careers pages.
- The company's social media: how it talks to customers and what stories it tells often.
- News and executive interviews: direction and what leaders prioritise.
- People you know at the company or in the industry: a short chat about what the work is really like.
- Be a customer yourself: order a product, use the app or call the service to see the real experience.
Using the information in the interview
Answering why do you want to work with us
Connect three things: what the company is doing, what the role needs and your experience.
I saw the company recently launched ordering via LINE OA and is hiring someone to manage CRM, which matches my two years of customer segmentation and retention campaigns. I want to use that experience to help new customers come back and buy again.
See more answer structures in answering why this company.
Choose examples that fit the context
When sharing your experience, choose stories close to the company's challenges. If the company is expanding into new markets, tell a story about starting something from scratch.
Ask informed questions
Questions that reference your research, such as: I saw news that the company will enter Vietnam, how involved will this team be? show genuine interest.
What to avoid
- Reciting company facts to the interviewer: they already know. Use the information to connect it to you instead.
- Trusting just a few reviews: look for points that repeat across several sources.
- Raising negative news judgmentally: if you want to ask, ask openly, such as: how has this team changed since the recent restructuring?
Checklist before interview day
- Summarise the company's business in two sentences.
- Know at least one recent news item or development.
- Connect your experience to at least three needs of the role.
- Prepare two questions that reference what you found.
- Practise answering why do you want to work with us in Interview Lab on Plants.work until it flows.
Research does not need to take days. One or two focused hours can make your answers clearly stand out from most candidates.