The Candidate's Guide to Company Research

The best candidates tend to share a common trait.  It’s not always that they have the most impressive qualifications or years of experience.  More often than not, what makes them stand out is that they are familiar with the company before applying for a role.

They’re not just regurgitating headline facts into cover letters either.  They’ve read between the lines.  They can discuss the values mentioned on the “About Us” page and explain how they are reflected in the company’s community projects or goals.

That kind of preparation matters more now than it did in the past.  Hiring processes are slower.  Competition for the right jobs is high.  The right research is what helps you decide if a job and the company culture are a good fit for you.

Up to a third of employees leave their new job within 90 days, typically because they accepted the role without conducting thorough due diligence.  They saw an impressive title or a competitive benefits package and ignored everything else.  Then, when they started, it became impossible to ignore how bad the fit actually was.

The challenging part?

Researching a company isn’t always as easy as it seems.  You can learn some information from the organisation’s official website, but not everything.

If you really want to dive beyond the marketing messages designed to attract candidates (and customers) to a business, it takes a little detective work.

This guide will take you through all of that, step by step. It’s not about catching a company out, and it’s not about memorising facts to impress an interviewer.

It’s about understanding the place you might spend the next stage of your career journey.