When we are coaching candidates, one piece of advice we always give is to thoroughly carry out your employer research. Don’t just look at the organisation’s website, look at their competitors, read the related press and gain as much information about them as possible.
This research, not only needs to be done prior to an interview, but also when you are drafting your covering letter and application. Employers want to hear what you know about them and why you’ve picked them. It is important to show why you are a good fit. Research will help you find this information so that you can draw on it in your covering letter and CV / application. This is an important factor in helping the employer want to know more about you.
Why Employer Research is important
It is important to research the organisation you are applying for because job adverts will not provide all the necessary information.You may want to highlight a specific aspect of the company in your application and demonstrate the company ethos, values and projects in your own application / covering letter / CV, to show how you and the organisation match. It will be evident to your potential employer that you have taken the time and effort to carry out some research.
Sector Research
Developing an insight into the wider sector and competitors will help you build a picture of the nature of the role and wider company direction.You can draw attention to your knowledge of the whole sector. By researching comeptitors, you are able to demonstrate how you recognise the challenges and targets for a company and what other organisations are doing. Researching the sector showcases your in-depth knowledge and you can utilise this information to potentially show how the role you are applying for, fits into the bigger picture.
What to Research
Researching the company’s culture, ethos, values and future direction on company websites is beneficial. You’ll usually find this information on the website’s “about” page. General things to note are when the organisation was founded, learn about their mission, values and objectives. Research news on their blog, social networking feeds and in the local and national press. Check industry news stories, competitors, staff appointments and company reports.