Tricky interview questions about the employer
Talking about the organisation in a graduate interview can be a tricky business. Use our sample questions to help you research prospective employers and you’ll be ready for anything an interviewer throws at you.
Within an interview you should always expect to be asked questions about the organisation. It’s an area of questioning that seems deceptively simple, but it can be a minefield. However, with a little preparation you should be on safe ground.
Start your research: get thinking
Find out what makes this organisation special. What distinguishes it from the competition? Think about what attracts you to the employer: brand, reputation, perception of what the work will be like…
Think about how the job you are applying for fits into the bigger picture. Why is your job important to business?
Try to show that you’ve put a bit of thought into your answers, and bring in information from presentations you’ve been to, brochures you’ve read, a chat you had with a recent recruit, something you read in the paper
Explore interview questions about the employer
Why do you want to work for this company? Be honest, but in as flattering a way as possible, and don’t mention pay or hours. Think about what attracts you to the company: emphasise the particular strengths of the organisation, along with individual things like opportunities for personal growth, new challenges and your interest in the nature of the work or projects undertaken.
What do you know about this company? Show off your research, but don’t just repeat what it says on the website – your interviewers may have written it! Avoid the obvious answers – now is your chance to impress the interviewer with your originality. Talk about their products or services, and show why they interest you. Talk about how you have followed the organisation in the national papers or trade press.
What can you contribute to this company? Emphasise your skills and show how they would be perfectly suited to the employer. Your research may have alerted you to problem areas or skills you need to develop further, so you could discuss how you’d solve them.
What do you think makes a good employer? Your answer to this will give an insight into your working style, which will show whether you’ll fit in. things to focus on are how an organisation values its employees through support, training and development.
Have you ever had a bad experience with an employer? Be discreet and tactful. Never talk negatively about a former employer even if you hated working there. Explain the methods you use to deal with difficult people and emphasise the importance of flexibility, perseverance and good communication.
Are you able to move/travel? Don’t feel pressured into saying you’re flexible just to get the job – tell them the true state of affairs. If travel is essential for the position and you can’t do it, it really isn’t the right job for you.
What are your salary expectations? This is tricky, because you don’t want to appear arrogant, but neither do you want to undervalue yourself. If you can’t find out the typical graduate starting salary for this type of job and business sector, it’s best to be unspecific and just say you expect a fair wage for your work.
Are you applying for other jobs? Only mention jobs that are closely related to the one you’re at an interview for. You need to show that you are interested in this particular field of work and that you have not just been applying for any job with ‘graduate’ in its description. You might want to underplay other applications to stress how much you want this job and why it would be your preferred choice.
Where to look next
Get advice on interviews in the main graduate career sectors
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