32 Questions to Ask Yourself When Researching a New Company

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Researching a new company is one of the most neglected tasks when moving through the job interview process.

Let’s face it, interviewing is a stressful and busy time. You need to get your resume ready, gather references, practice for the interview, prepare presentations, take the necessary assessments, coordination with recruiters, and on and on.

However, we’re going to show you how researching a new company can be simple and still be effective.

But first, why is researching a new company important?

Help in the Interview Process

The most obvious reason for researching a new company is to assist in the interviewing process. Companies expect you to research and learn as much as you can about them. They will ask you questions in the interview process and they expect that you come prepared with thoughtful questions in return.

Interviewers can tell who has done their research and who hasn’t.  It is never a good look when a person interviews for a role and doesn’t care to research the company.  It smells a bit of desperation and complacency (that sound harsh but it’s true).

Help You Find the Right Fit

So many people go into the job interview process with the mindset that the process is designed for the interviewer to learn about the interview. That is a false misconception.  The interview process is just as much as about an applicant getting to know the company.

Properly researching a new company allows you to make informed decisions about where to apply and whether you should accept an offer.

I’ve seen a lot of people take roles with companies that they were concerned with. I can tell you that it almost never works out. I’ve seen people take jobs that aren’t in line with their values and they hate walking into the office everyday.  I’ve seen people take roles at companies that had some sketchy business practices which end up blowing up on the media.

Having a good understanding of a company before you accept a role allows you to make sure that it is a good mutual fit. Never take a job at a company that doesn’t make you proud.

Help You In Your New Role

The last main benefit to researching a new company is that it will help you immensely if you actually accept the job offer.

We have all experienced the steep learning curve associated with starting a new job.  You need to quickly learn as much as you can about the culture, organizational structure, the products and services, technology that you will use, etc.  The more you can learn up front, the less daunting it will be once you actually start the job.

Where can you find out information?

There are many places that you can find out information while researching a new company.

• Company website
• Social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.)
• Review sites (Yelp, Google, etc.)
• Regulators (CFPB, Licensing agencies, etc.)
• Google Search
• MarketWatch 
• LinkedIn  
• Shareholder information (typically on a company’s website)
• SEC Filings (especially the annual report, or 10-k)

Questions to Answer When Researching a New Company

Products

What does the company sell?

What are the high-level features and benefits of the product/service?

Is the product/service unique to this company?

 

Size & Footprint

How many employees does the company have?

What is the company’s footprint? Where do they do business?

Is the company a national or multi-national company?

Where are the companies main offices?

What is the company’s market capitalization ( market cap is # of shares x price of shares, a measure of how large a company is)

Finances

Is the company publicly traded?

If so, what is the company’s stock ticker? How much is the stock worth?   (tip- save the stock ticker to your phone so you can track the share price)

What is the total of the revenue of the company?

What is the net income for the company?

Is there a division of the business that is more profitable than the others?

Is there an annual report available? (you can typically find this in the shareholder relations portion of a company’s website)

 

Structure

Who is the company’s leader? (can be found by a quick Google or LinkedIn search)

Is the company a division or part of a larger organization?

Is there an board of directors? If so, who is on it?

Does the company have a hierarchal structure or is the organization more flat (less leadership layers)?

 

Competitors

What industry is the company in?

Who are the company’s main competitors?

What do customers say about their competitors?

Customers

Who are the company’s customers?   What is the ideal customer?

How many customers does the company have?

What are the customer demographics for the company?

What do customers say about the company? (on social media, review sites, etc.)

 

Values

What are the company’s values?

What is the company’s mission?

Does the company have a foundation or other charitable affiliation?

Has the company had negative publicity in the past?

 

Overall

Based on your research…

What are the company’s opportunities?

What are your company’s strengths?

What value can you bring to the new company?

 

Starting a new job is fun, scary, and a little overwhelming. The more work that you can do up front will help provide you confidence and clarity before jumping in.

Looking for or starting a new job? Check out this post –>  How to Prepare for a New Job