So, you have made it to the interview stage …. NOW is the time to start researching several things that will benefit not only your decision-making about the job itself, but the overall opportunity.
The Company
These days, there is a wealth of information online about organisations (large or small).
- What do they say about themselves, their approach to customers, and their purpose for being in business?
- Do they talk about their values on their website? Are they in line with your own values?
- How do they talk about their staff? Do they publicly applaud their staff on their website / social media? (note: not all companies do this, and it is not necessarily a bad thing if they do not but if they do you can gain a lot of info about how staff feel about working there)
- Are they a growing organisation? What are their growth plans?
- What do their customers say about them? Google / Facebook reviews can be a great way to get a feeling for how they are perceived in the market.
The Role
Whether you have applied directly, or been represented by a recruiter, by the time you have an interview planned, you should have some solid information about the role. Not only will this save potentially wasting your time (and theirs), it will also help you to ask better questions in the interview process.
- Make sure you have as much information about the role as possible. If you have a Position Description that is great, but if not, make sure you go into the interview knowing exactly what the role entails.
- Also, where possible, make sure you have a good understanding of the remuneration on offer. Nothing is more disappointing than going through 2 or 3 interviews, only to be offered the role well under the sort of money you are looking for.
The Location
One thing you SHOULD know before you apply / agreed to be put forward, is the location of the role. Make sure this is a place you would be happy to move to for the right role. We see this hurdle trip people up often, so before the interview, do some research on WHERE you will be working.
If it is a relocation:
- Will your partner be happy to relocate there? Will there be work opportunities for them?
- Will it work for your children? Is there schooling there?
- If you need public transport, is it available?
- Can you move away from family support? Friends?
- How long would you require in order to relocate there?
While there will still be, at this point, many variables you will not fully know, now is the time to start looking for any potential ‘deal-breakers’. Better to identify these things now, rather than once you have invested lots of time into the recruitment / interview process, only to decide there’s something about the opportunity that is going to get in the way of you accepting it if offered.
