What recruiters expect you to know
Employers expect every prospective candidate to do their duty... or at least show due diligence. But what do they expect you to know exactly?
Over 60% of European employers expect job applicants to have done some research into their company before a job interview.
This is according to a survey from administrative personnel agency OfficeTeam, who surveyed 780 employers across six European countries, including the UK, on their interview practices and expectations.
British employers were generally more concerned than their continental counterparts that interviewees do their homework on the company. According to Office Team:
78% of British employers surveyed said they considered it important for candidates to know about the company and its services or products
54% appreciated knowledge of the company's competitors
44% wanted candidates to have had a look at the company's annual report. Interestingly, all three of these figures are higher than the results for European companies as a whole
Across the pond, meanwhile, the lack of research by candidates is just as great. Accounting agency Accountemps asked 150 employers what they thought was the most common mistake made by candidates in job interviews. Almost half - 44% - said that it was having "little or no knowledge" of the company. As a result, Accountemps' chairman Max Messmer came up with these tips to know a company:
What products and services does it sell?
Who are its primary competitors?
What current industry issues or events are of interest to the firm?
What are the company's mission, vision and values?
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 | No excuse
"There is now no excuse for turning up and not knowing about the company interviewing you and the markets in which they operate."
Charles Walker, from recruitment agency Blue Arrow
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