The Top 10 Sources of Employer Information Before the Interview information found that talking to a company’s customers is one of the most reliable ways to gather information that you can use in your preparation for an upcoming job interview.
A company’s customers are a special source of information. Their “specialty” is due to the fact that they buy or consume the company’s products and services, i.e. they are beneficiaries of the collective efforts of multiple employees in a firm.
That’s how, the customers of the company are like a mirror, in which the general work of the employees of the same company is reflected. interview information
Furthermore, your potential employer’s customers are outsiders, ie. they are, in a sense, more objective in their assessment of the level of the company you intend to interview at. Customers are not influenced by intra-company relationships and problems – they simply use the company’s product, then give their hard verdict – “it works” or “it doesn’t work” .
I assume that it will be important for you to know whether the products of the company to which you will apply “work” or “do not work”. I assume you’d rather work for a company that enjoys the trust and respect of its customers than work for a company that has massively disappointed customers. interview information
If that’s the case, here’s the information it’s good to get from clients before the interview:
What is the quality of the product (goods or service)?
The opinion about the quality of a company’s products is the first thing you can find out from the customers of that company. Therefore, if you know customers of your potential employer, ask them directly what their opinion is about the relevant goods or services. interview information
Here it is very important to note that the concept of “quality” does not have a special meaning by itself, if it is not directly related to another important concept, such as price or delivery time.
Or, when gathering information about product quality, make sure the people you’re talking to understand your question correctly. It all depends on what else they’re comparing it to, so gather that information as well, not just whether your interviewees think your potential employer’s products are good or not. interview information
From the opinion about the quality of the products, you will draw the relevant conclusions about the company where you plan to appear for an interview:
- Does the company have a good reputation?
- Is it trying hard enough to meet the demands of the market in which it operates?
- Do you care about details?
- What is the attitude towards customers as well, what is the level of customer care?
- Where does it stand in its market compared to its competitors?
What is the service level?
Apart from the quality of the products, customers will no doubt give you a great indication of the level of service that the company provides. This is important information for you that can be useful in your job interview.
The level of service in a company can be conditionally divided into three types – high, medium (satisfactory) and low. Depending on what you find out about the company – a potential employer, you will judge what the mentality of working in the company is, what managers work there, what employees are appointed.
For example, if you hear from customers that the company’s service is at a high level, this will be a clear signal to you that the managers and employees are working hard, that the company employs non-random people, that the management’s work philosophy is modern and modern. interview information
Conversely, if customers of your company tell you that the service is not up to par, then this will be a sure sign that many other things in this company will not be good. If the company cares about its customers, then most likely it cares about everything else, including and for his employees, and he only thinks about his profit. interview information
Remember this well!
What are the managers in the company like?
Customers of a company often have observations about what their managers are like. If this is the case, try to get information on the subject.
One of the possible cases in which customers know managers from the company is in cases of complaints or complaints. In these cases, a manager appears most often – at a branch, at a department, at a representative office, at an object, who is authorized to solve the client’s problem.
From this manager’s reaction, from his attitude and concern, from his overall behavior, invaluable conclusions could be drawn about the company in which he works. These conclusions can only be useful to you during the job interview. interview information
Another possible case is when the client is from the so-called b2b markets , i.e. when he is a representative of a company and buys something from another company – your potential employer.
In b2b markets, customers often have direct access to key executives in the respective supplier company. The bigger the clients, the more senior managers know them.
Respectively, knowing the “important sticks” in the company, these customers can immediately tell you what the company itself is like – what is its condition, what are its prospects for development, what are the people who work there – are they reliable, are they serious, are they responsible, are they accurate, or all of these but with the opposite sign. interview information
All this information is very important for every job applicant, because the company – it is mostly its managers who represent it and shape its behavior.
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Remember what we started with at the beginning – customers are people outside the company, they know the products, they know the quality, and they can be much more objective than current or former employees of your potential employer.
Therefore, whenever you get the chance, talk to the firm’s clients before you appear for an interview. Clients will tell you many things, with the help of which you will conduct quality preparation for the job interview ahead of you, as well as assess your most accurate behavior during the conversations.
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