How to Research a Company Before an Interview: Complete Checklist

Start with the basics: company mission, products or services, target market, founding year, headquarters, and company size. This information is usually available on their About page and Wikipedia.

Then go deeper: understand their business model (how they make money), their competitive landscape (who they compete with and how they differentiate), their recent financial performance (for public companies, check quarterly results), and their growth trajectory (are they expanding, stable, or restructuring?).

Research the specific team and role you are interviewing for. Look at LinkedIn profiles of people in similar roles, understand the team structure, and identify the key challenges the team is likely facing.

Finally, research the company culture: values, working style, diversity initiatives, employee reviews on Glassdoor and AmbitionBox, and their social media presence. This helps you assess fit and tailor your answers to their culture.

Official sources: Company website (About, Blog, Press, Careers pages), annual reports, investor presentations. These give you the company's own narrative about themselves.

Third-party sources: Glassdoor (employee reviews and salary data), LinkedIn (company page, employee profiles, recent posts), Crunchbase (funding information for startups), and industry news sites. These provide external perspectives.

Social media: LinkedIn, Twitter/X, and YouTube channels often reveal the company's thought leadership, recent achievements, and culture more authentically than formal websites.

Network sources: If you know anyone who works or has worked at the company, reach out for an informal conversation. First-hand accounts of the culture, work, and interview process are invaluable. Even LinkedIn connections you have not spoken to before may be willing to share insights.

Weave your research naturally into your answers. When asked 'Why do you want to work here?' reference specific company initiatives: 'I noticed your recent expansion into Southeast Asian markets, and I am excited about contributing to that growth with my experience in scaling products for diverse markets.'

Ask informed questions that show depth: 'I read about your recent partnership with X. How is that changing the team's priorities?' This impresses interviewers far more than generic questions about work-life balance.

Use competitive analysis to demonstrate strategic thinking: 'I noticed that while your competitor focuses on enterprise clients, your company has been growing rapidly in the SMB segment. I would love to understand more about your strategy there.'

Be careful not to overdo it. Dropping too many facts feels like you are showing off rather than having a genuine conversation. Use your research to inform your answers and questions, not as a recitation.

If you have 30 minutes: Read the About page, scan the job description thoroughly, check the company's LinkedIn page for recent posts, and read 2-3 recent Glassdoor reviews. This gives you the minimum viable research.

If you have 2 hours: Add reading their blog posts from the last 3 months, checking recent news articles about the company, researching the interviewer on LinkedIn, and understanding their main competitors.

If you have a full day: Go deep. Read their annual report or investor presentation (if public), watch leadership talks on YouTube, read Glassdoor interview experiences, research the industry trends affecting them, and connect with someone who works there.

Regardless of time available, always prioritize understanding the specific role and how it fits within the company's larger goals. This is the most directly useful research for your interview performance.