Why research matters (and why it's easier than you think)
In Level 1 you learned to read a job ad for what they really want. Now we'll look past the ad at the organisation behind it.
Why bother? Think about a dinner party. If you know a bit about your host, what they care about and what's been happening in their life, the conversation flows. If you don't, you end up making small talk about the weather.
Interviews work the same way. When your answers fit the organisation's world, interviewers notice. And one question nearly always comes up: "Why do you want to work here?" By the end of this level you'll have a strong first draft of your answer.
The good news is that you don't need to be a detective. You need about an hour, a notebook and five places to look.
What are we actually looking for?
Before you start clicking, know what you're collecting. We're after five things:
- Purpose and values. What do they say they exist to do, and how do they say they behave?
- Recent news. What have they launched, won, changed or announced lately?
- Customers or service users. Who do they serve, and what do those people need?
- Challenges. What's hard for them right now? Growth, funding, competition, regulation?
- Culture clues. How do staff describe working there?
Keep those five headings at the top of your page. Every fact you find goes under one of them.
Where to look
Start with their own website. Read the "About us", values and careers pages, and the news or press section. Notice the words they repeat. If "community" appears six times, it matters to them.
Next, the published reports. This is where most candidates stop, and where you can get ahead. In the UK, the Companies House search service is free and you don't need to register. Type in the company's name and open its filing history, where you can download its accounts.
For most companies apart from small ones, the accounts include a strategic report. By law it has to describe the principal risks and uncertainties the company faces. That's their challenges, written down by the company itself. Small companies are exempt, so for those you'll rely more on the website and news.
Applying to a charity in England and Wales? The Charity Commission's online Register of Charities shows what the charity does, its income and spending, and its recent accounts and trustees' annual reports. Public sector roles are just as open. Government departments and agencies publish annual reports and accounts on GOV.UK, full of priorities and performance figures.
Then, the news. Search the organisation's name in a news search and look at the last six to twelve months. Trade magazines for the sector are often more useful than national papers.
Finally, the public profiles. Look at their LinkedIn page and social media. Check what they post about and who they're hiring. Employee review sites can hint at culture. Treat single reviews with caution, though, and look for patterns rather than one angry post.
Working outside the UK? Most countries have a public register of companies, and listed companies everywhere publish annual reports. The places to look change, but the method is the same.
Joining the dots to the job description
Here's where research turns into interview gold. Take the job description you picked apart in Level 1 and find at least three links between it and what you found.
Let's try an example. Say you're applying to be a customer service team leader at a regional housing association.
- The job description asks for "improving resident satisfaction". Their annual report names repair times as a key challenge. Link: you can talk about getting complaints resolved faster.
- The job description mentions "digital channels". Their news page announced a new tenant app last spring. Link: you can ask how the rollout is going and mention helping customers adopt new tools.
- The job description stresses "coaching staff". Their values include "growing our people". Link: your interest in developing a team is a natural fit.
See what's happening? You're no longer a candidate who wants a job. You're a candidate who understands this job.
Drafting "Why do you want to work here?"
Now let's build your answer. A simple three-part shape works well:
- Them: one or two specific things you found about the organisation.
- You: why those things genuinely matter to you.
- Fit: how that links to what the role needs and what you'd bring.
Here's how it might sound: "I read in your annual report that cutting repair times is a priority this year, and I saw the new tenant app launch. That matters to me because I've seen how frustrated people get when they can't get a straight answer. This role's focus on resident satisfaction and digital channels is exactly where I want to put my energy."
What should you avoid? Reciting the mission statement word for word. Flattery like "you're the market leader". And anything that's really about you alone, like "it's close to my house". That might be true, but it's not your headline.
Your turn: draft and check
Write your own answer for a job you're interested in, about 45 to 60 seconds when spoken aloud. Then test it against this checklist:
- Detail: Does it mention at least one specific, recent fact that only fits this organisation?
- Sincerity: Is every reason true for you? Could you say it naturally without notes?
- Relevance: Does it link to at least one point from the job description?
- Freshness: Is your information from the last year or so?
- Swap test: If you swapped in a competitor's name, would the answer still work? If so, it's too generic. Add more detail.
Research won't guarantee you the job. But it does show the interviewer you've done your homework, and it gives you more confidence walking in.
Key takeaways
- Look for five things: purpose and values, recent news, customers, challenges and culture.
- Use the website, published reports, news and public profiles. In the UK, Companies House, the Charity Commission register and GOV.UK are free.
- A company's strategic report sets out its principal risks, a ready-made list of its challenges.
- Link at least three findings to points in the job description.
- Build "Why here?" as Them, You, Fit, and check it for detail, sincerity and relevance.