There are a few questions that can impact a hiring recruiter. One of the most common questions asked during the interview is, “what do you know about our company?” The main reason for asking these questions is that the market has become highly competitive, so the hiring recruiters have become intelligent and clever. By asking this question, they want to know if you are interested in the company.
The hiring recruiters generally call hundreds of candidates after short listing their profiles from different job panels. Among these hundreds of candidates, they can quickly get a desirable, qualified person who is also capable of performing the task. But, what if they are not interested in the company and their primary focus is on the salary package?
They are all qualified and have excellent experience, but what makes you unique is how you answer the questions like “what you know about our company?” In such a situation, the hiring recruiter can quickly know the candidate’s passion and interest for the company. So don’t get too excited if you have a gut feeling that everything is going well and you answer every question because this is the same among most candidates.
Bonus Read: How to Answer “What Do You Like to Do for Fun?” (With Examples!)
Why Asking “What You Know About Our Company” Is Very Important?
Before going directly into the sample, we must discuss why the hiring recruiters may ask such questions in the interview.
- They want to know if you are interested in the company.
- They want to know if you have done any research on the company before coming for the interview.
- The answer to this question adds value to your professionalism.
- The answer lets them know about your work ethic.
- If you have researched the company, they will see that you’re responsible and can carry on the daily task while also keeping an eye on the details.
- It shows your preparation for stepping into something new in your life.
Bonus Read: Amazing Sample Answers for How Did You Hear About Us?
What Factors Should You Consider Before Preparing An Answer For This Question?
It’s a great saying that a well-prepared job hunter has already won the battle; now, they just need to perform well.
You will hear this question in different forms, for example, why our company, why do you want to work for our organization, what do you know about our organization’s working culture, do you know the main objective of our company, etc. The forms of this question can be many, and so does the answer. Still, all the hiring recruiters want to know specific details about the company.
Gone are the days when you could include bluff information about the organization if you have a little idea, but today, the market has become competitive. The world has taken a digital turn; even a small company has its website. There’s an immense amount of knowledge, and hiring recruiters expect you have checked their website before coming for an interview. You never know what the hiring recruiters are actually searching for or what they exactly want to hear from you. So, before going for an interview, you must research the company’s aim and objectives well.
A Few Points That You Should Consider While Framing Your Answer Are Listed Down Below:
The answer should show that you have researched the company and are very interested in working for the company. You can include some facts about the company. These facts should focus on the company’s primary aim and objective and have specific details. You can get these details on websites with blogs, which is essential to get more insight about the company.
In today’s digital world, there are several websites where ex-employers can give their rating, pros, and cons of the companies. Make sure you’ve also gone through these websites. This research can help you in the interview; for example, when a hiring recruiter asks you why you want to work for the company, you can easily say you researched the company and got to know how you value your employees.
If you are giving an interview for the sales department or the marketing department, then you can also let them know how you will work to improve the sales. You can also check the headquarters location, the parent company, other shareholders, stores of the company, etc. If you will mention this in your answer, then automatically; it enhances your chances of getting shortlisted because apart from the subject knowledge, there will be very few candidates who will talk about the shareholders or the stores of the company, etc.
Make sure you have not crammed the answer, and show your genuine interest in the company and its working culture whenever you answer. If you haven’t prepared your answer, but you know something about the company, then you can always ask a recruiter to repeat the question, and in the meantime, you can figure out how you are going to answer this question.
5 Sample Examples
You need to be an ingenious person with a tint of diplomacy. If these qualities are innate, it will help you go a long way, else, you could train yourself to get these qualities. You should be smart enough to mold your answer, whichever way as per the demand of the situation. Here, we have listed a few examples of such answers. Scroll down to read below.
Example 1:
If I work for your company, it would be like a dream come true for me. I have always heard about how well you are doing in the industry, and I’ve always wanted to work for a company where I can perform my best and face a competitive environment. I have learned about how the company has grown in these particular years and what new strategies you are following for the company. I like those ideas and want to work for the company. I believe the kind of learning and working culture I will get here will be unique and extraordinary.
Example 2:
Whenever I hear about your company anywhere, I believe I have a strong connection with the primary objective and core values. After researching the company during my previous employment, I found out how it has a great working culture and focuses on maintaining the work-life balance for its employees. Apart from the employees, I am also very impressed with the way your company has gained growth in the past few years, and I do believe that it can do much better in the upcoming years. When the company received recognition during the XYZ award function, I was very impressed how the industry has started appreciating work for a company that was entirely new a few years back and now is gaining continuous growth, all because of its creative teams. It will be great for me to work for a company where I can work and get lots of learning from my other team members.
Example 3:
Your XYZ company generally focuses on exporting the Indian product from the country and contributing to a massive GDP in the Indian economy. I still remember going through the GDP contribution of several companies, and your company name popped up, and I got interested to know more about your company. After researching a bit, I got to know much about the company’s foundation, and its primary mission. I was amazed to know how our vision for the future matches. I think this was the most crucial factor when I decided to apply for the vacancy in the company. I believe it will be a great workplace where I can contribute my services.
Example 4:
A company founded by five college friends, resulting from their non-stop journey since then. I didn’t know about this company a year back, but I continuously noticed your company’s name in several award functions over the past few years. The critical point to realize was how it functions in this competitive market and the strategies. I have read several reviews of your company on several websites. The numbers are continuously increasing, and even the employees are happy with the work-life environment, so I believe it will be an excellent place for me to work. Still, today, when I was entering the office for an interview, I noticed a few entirely true things, such as a lounge, open space, comfort, and a positive environment.
Example 5:
I appreciate how this family business has been running for the past few decades. It has established its strong roots in this competitive market where digitalization has turned the market up and down. I like how it has not changed its mission to be plastic-free throughout these years, even though the company has to contribute a lot of other factors just to avoid the use of plastic. A few days back, I learned that the company is initiating a step to help the local partner organization so that they can also set up their business without any hassle. I strongly feel that it has a powerful vision for the future, and I believe that I have a keen interest in working for society, apart from achieving the company’s future goals. The company is not only working for its benefit but also for the benefit of the environment, which I believe is the most crucial factor that I got attracted to. I have also heard about the positive working culture of the company and how there is no stress on the employees and negative mental conditions. I genuinely desire to be a part of this organization.
What Should You Not Say While Answering This Question?
As we have discussed the sample answers and what points you should include while answering this question, it is also essential to know what not to include. A few of the factors are listed down below:
- Don’t include bluff information, as it kills your chances of getting selected.
- If you haven’t researched the company, then don’t lie in front of the recruiters.
- Avoid using inaccurate facts about the company.
A Pro Tip to Know About Our Company
There will be several random questions whenever you are going for an interview. If you have researched the company, you can answer them correctly. Whenever you are sitting down to explore the company, make sure you have a notepad and write all the things in critical/bullet points so that you don’t have to take too much time to think about the company while answering the question during the interview.
Highlighting your enthusiasm for tackling the problem and helping the company to achieve its mission and future goals will always help you to succeed in the interview. While answering the question, you can also mention something about the current challenges that the company is facing and how it’s impacting its company’s growth. Furthermore, you can also add what new you can bring to the table to tackle the problem so that the hiring recruiters can get an idea that you have not only researched the company but have also tried to find the correct solutions. Most companies don’t want to know about their negative points. Still, if you are giving an interview for a well-known company, which has seen a significant downturn for a few months, you can always mention what new strategy can be used to tackle the problem.
Conclusion
If you have researched the company, then the question of what you know about the company will always be an easy path for you. So we will always recommend you to research the company before applying or even before appearing for the interview.
The recruiters generally appreciate a candidate’s performance if they have come well prepared, not only for the subject/field-related questions but also for some behavioral-type questions. The main aim of hiring recruiters by asking such questions is to know your interest in the company, its values, and its beliefs. It also shows how you can contribute to the company in achieving their company’s aim and what new you can put to the table.
