Company Research
The process of learning about a company before applying or interviewing — including its products, culture, business model, competitors, recent news, and team structure. Good research improves your application quality and interview performance.
Company research means systematically learning about an organization before you apply or interview. The depth of research appropriate depends on the stage: light research for initial applications, deep research for interviews. **Where to research companies:** - **Company website**: Products, mission, team, press/news, job postings - **Glassdoor**: Employee reviews, interview experiences, salary data, culture ratings - **LinkedIn**: Leadership team, recent hires, employee count growth/shrinkage, employee network - **Crunchbase / PitchBook**: Funding history, investors, revenue estimates (for private companies) - **Annual reports / 10-K filings**: Revenue, growth, strategy, risks (for public companies) - **Recent news**: Google News search for company name over last 6 months - **ProductHunt, G2, Capterra**: Customer-facing product and review intelligence - **The company's own blog and podcast**: Often reveals genuine culture and priorities **For interviews specifically:** - Know their major products and how they make money - Know their main competitors and how the company differentiates - Know recent news (funding, product launches, acquisitions, layoffs) - Know the interviewer's LinkedIn background - Know 1-2 things you'd change or improve about their product (shows genuine engagement) **Time investment:** 30 minutes for initial applications; 2-3 hours for first-round interviews; deeper research for final rounds.
Why it matters
Candidates who demonstrate specific knowledge of the company in interviews consistently outperform those who give generic answers. Hiring managers remember the candidate who asked a question about their recent pricing change or mentioned the CEO's recent LinkedIn post.
Candidate tip
Before any interview, spend 15 minutes on Glassdoor's 'Interview' tab for that company — past interviewees often post the exact questions they were asked, which is the highest-signal preparation source available.
Related terms
Informational Interview
Job SearchA conversation with someone in a role, company, or industry you're interested in — focused on learning, not job hunting. Informational interviews build relationships, provide insider knowledge, and often lead to referrals without ever asking for one directly.
Networking
Job SearchBuilding and maintaining professional relationships that can lead to job opportunities, referrals, career advice, and industry knowledge. The most effective job search strategy — the majority of positions are filled through networks, not job boards.
Hiring Manager
Job SearchThe person who owns the open role — typically the direct manager of the position being filled. Hiring managers define what they need, conduct or approve interviews, and make the final hiring decision. Recruiters support the process; hiring managers make the call.
Target Company List
Job SearchA prioritized list of specific companies you want to work for, used to focus networking, research, and proactive outreach. Candidates with a target list apply more strategically and activate networking channels more effectively than those applying broadly.