Why Most Candidates Under-Research
Most candidates do surface-level research — they read the company's About page and maybe a recent press release. This is immediately obvious to interviewers who talk to 10+ candidates per week.
Thorough research serves two purposes: it lets you give specific, tailored answers that impress, and it helps you evaluate whether this is actually where you want to work.
The 7-Category Research Checklist
1. Business Model (30 minutes)
- How does the company make money? (Subscription, transaction fee, advertising, professional services, product sales?)
- Who are their customers? (B2B vs B2C, enterprise vs SMB, consumer segment)
- What's their primary product or service?
- Is the business growing or contracting?
Where to find it: Company website (investor relations if public), Crunchbase (funding and revenue estimates for private companies), LinkedIn (employee count growth over time is a proxy for company health)
2. Recent News and Events (20 minutes)
- What has the company announced in the last 90 days?
- Any recent funding rounds, acquisitions, layoffs, or leadership changes?
- Product launches or major updates?
- Any controversies or PR issues?
Where to find it: Google News, TechCrunch (for tech companies), industry-specific publications, the company's own press room
How to use it: Reference recent news naturally in your answers. "I saw you recently launched X — I'd love to hear how that fits into the broader product direction" shows you're engaged.
3. Products and Services (45 minutes)
Actually use the product if possible. Sign up for a trial, use the app, buy the product. This is the single most differentiating research action most candidates never take.
If you can't use the product directly:
- Watch demo videos on YouTube
- Read recent user reviews on G2, Capterra, or Trustpilot
- Read customer case studies on their website
What to notice: What's the core value proposition? What are customers complaining about? What do they love? These become the basis for thoughtful questions and insights.
4. Competitive Landscape (20 minutes)
- Who are the company's main competitors?
- How is this company positioned differently?
- What's their stated competitive advantage?
Where to find it: G2 and Gartner for software, Google "[Company] vs [Competitor]" for any company, the company's own positioning on their website
How to use it: Showing awareness of the competitive landscape signals business maturity. "I noticed that X competitor recently launched Y — I'm curious how your team thinks about that differentiation" is a strong question.
5. Culture and Values (30 minutes)
- What does the company say its values are?
- What do employees actually say about the culture? (Often different)
- What's the management style? (Flat vs hierarchical, remote vs in-person)
Where to find it: Company website (values/culture page), Glassdoor reviews (read 20+ recent reviews, look for patterns not outliers), LinkedIn employee posts, Blind (anonymous, often candid)
Green flags on Glassdoor: Consistent positive reviews about management, growth opportunities, work-life balance
Red flags: Multiple reviews mentioning the same specific manager, sudden culture shift after leadership change, unusually high turnover in specific departments
6. The Team You'd Join (20 minutes)
- Who would be your manager? Research them on LinkedIn — what's their background, what do they post about, what have they built?
- Who would be your colleagues? Look up the team on LinkedIn.
- How long has the team been together? High turnover in a team is a signal worth asking about.
How to use it: "I saw you joined from [Company] — I'd love to hear how you think about approaching [problem area] differently here" is a thoughtful opener.
7. Financials (for senior roles and public companies) (20 minutes)
For public companies: Read the most recent earnings call transcript (available on investor relations pages or seekingalpha.com). Listen for growth metrics, strategic priorities, and concerns leadership raised.
For private companies: Crunchbase for funding history, news coverage of revenue milestones, LinkedIn employee growth as a proxy.
5 Questions That Show Thorough Research
- "I saw you recently [specific news event] — how does that change the team's priorities for the next two quarters?"
- "I noticed [specific competitor] recently launched [X]. How does the team think about positioning against that?"
- "Your G2 reviews consistently mention [specific strength]. Is that driven by a specific team or process I'd be working with?"
- "I used [product] this week — I noticed [specific observation]. Is that a known friction point the team is working on?"
- "I saw [your manager's name] come from [previous company]. What did you bring from that experience to how this team operates?"
Any of these demonstrates research far beyond what 90% of candidates do. That gap is your competitive advantage.