What to research before a job interview

Review the organisation’s website, services, customers, recent announcements and published values. Re-read the vacancy and identify the problems the new employee is likely to help solve.

Look at the interviewers’ professional backgrounds when their names are provided, but keep the focus on the work. For public bodies and charities, strategy documents and annual reports can explain current priorities.

Prepare questions that cannot be answered by a quick glance at the website. Ask about early priorities, measures of success, team collaboration, current challenges and the selection timetable.

Use your research to make answers relevant, not to recite facts. A thoughtful connection between your experience and the employer’s needs demonstrates preparation.