What Do You Know About Our Company? How to Answer in an Interview

"What do you know about our company?" sounds like a quiz, but it is really a test of three things: how much effort you put in, how well you understand the business you are asking to join, and whether your interest is specific or generic. In a stack of similar CVs, preparation is one of the few things a candidate can control, and interviewers know it.

Every employer has received applications from people who have clearly sent the same message to fifty companies. A candidate who can say something accurate and specific about this organisation, such as who its customers are, what it has recently launched or what challenge its sector faces, immediately stands out. It signals that you are likely to take the same care with clients, data and deadlines once you are hired.

The question usually appears early, often right after "Tell me about yourself", and it frequently leads straight into "Why do you want to work here?". That means your answer sets the tone for the rest of the conversation. A thin answer makes the interviewer wonder what else you have not prepared. A strong one lets them relax and move to deeper questions. Our guides to answering "Tell me about yourself" and "Why do you want to work here?" pair naturally with this one.

Good research is organised research. Rather than reading everything, gather information in six categories. You will not use all of it in your answer, but having it ready makes you flexible when the conversation goes somewhere unexpected.

Start with the job description

The job advert is the most underused research source. It tells you which products, teams and skills matter to this specific role. If the advert mentions client-facing work, research the clients. If it mentions a particular market or technology, find out how the company uses it. Your answer will feel more relevant when it reflects the team you are applying to join, not only the whole organisation.

Research the people

If you know who is interviewing you, read their professional profiles and any public talks or articles. You are not looking for personal details; you are looking for professional context. Knowing that an interviewer leads a particular business line lets you tailor your example. Keep it professional and never mention personal information you found on social media.

If you are applying to a graduate scheme, also read our guide to commercial awareness. It explains how to connect company news to wider market trends, which is exactly the skill this question rewards.

Most candidates fail this question not because they lack facts but because they have no structure. They list everything they remember until the interviewer interrupts. The Facts-Direction-Connection (FDC) framework gives your answer a clear shape that takes about 60 to 90 seconds to deliver.

Facts: be specific, not grand

"You are a leading global provider" could describe almost anyone. "You supply software to hospital trusts, and the contract renewals are a large part of your revenue" shows real understanding. Specific facts are also easier to verify, so only include what you are sure is accurate and current. If you are unsure of a number, describe it in words ("one of the largest employers in the region") rather than risk getting it wrong.

Direction: show you follow the story

Companies are constantly changing, and interviewers like candidates who have noticed. A new product, an expansion into a market, a published sustainability target or a results announcement all work. Choose something from the last six to twelve months and be ready to say something about it. If you mention it, expect the follow-up question, "What do you think about that?".

Connection: this is where you win the answer

The final step is what separates good answers from forgettable ones. Explain why the facts matter to you personally. This is not flattery; it is relevance. A candidate applying for a data role might say, "The scale of data you handle from customers is what excites me, because I want to work on problems where the analysis changes real decisions." That gives the interviewer a reason to see you in the seat.

Time is limited, particularly when you receive an interview invitation at short notice. Use this plan to match your effort to the situation. The 30-minute version is the minimum for any interview; the 2-hour version suits final rounds, assessment centres and competitive graduate schemes.

Build a one-page company sheet

Condense your research onto a single page with five headings: what they do, who they serve, recent news, what you like, and your questions. Review it the night before and again an hour before the interview. Writing it by hand improves recall, and a one-page summary is easier to scan than a folder of tabs.

Prepare questions as you go

Every research session should produce at least three questions you cannot answer from public information. Those become your questions at the end of the interview, which is another chance to show preparation. Our guide to questions to ask in an interview includes examples that build on company research.

These examples use fictional companies so you can see the structure without copying any real organisation's details. Replace the content with your own accurate research. Interviewers recognise memorised scripts, so treat these as models for shape and tone only.

Example 1: Graduate applying to a financial services scheme

Why it works: specific business model, a recent and checkable development, and a genuine personal link to a named programme.

Example 2: Experienced hire moving into a retail operations role

Why it works: it shows understanding of an operational consequence, not just the headline, and links directly to the candidate's own track record.

Example 3: Career changer moving into customer success

Why it works: it turns a career change into an advantage by showing the candidate understands the customer better than most applicants.

The difference between an average and an excellent answer is rarely the amount of research. It is how that research is used. Here is the same candidate answering the question twice for the fictional software company Brightpath.

Weak version

Strong version

Different industries reward different kinds of knowledge. A candidate for a bank is expected to understand markets and regulation; a candidate for a charity is expected to understand beneficiaries and funding. Tailor which facts you prioritise.

Graduate schemes: look at the programme, not just the firm

Large employers run graduate programmes with their own structures, rotations and entry routes. Mentioning the specific programme or business area you applied to shows you understand where you would sit. It also helps you answer follow-ups such as "Which of our divisions interests you most and why?". If your application has also involved online tests, our graduate scheme aptitude tests guide explains what to expect before you reach the interview stage.

Visit, use or try the product

When possible, experience the product directly. Walk into a store, download the app, read the service documentation or try the free trial. First-hand observation is the strongest form of research because it is yours alone: "When I used your app, I noticed the checkout was quick, which suggests you have invested in..." no other candidate can say that.

Follow-up questions to prepare for

• "What do you think about that announcement?" Have a one-sentence opinion, balanced and constructive.
• "Who do you think our main competitors are?" Name two and explain one difference in how they operate.
• "What challenges do you think we face?" Choose a sector-wide challenge and avoid criticising the company directly.
• "Which of our values resonates most with you?" Pick one and support it with a short example from your experience.
• "Why do you want to work here?" This is the natural next question, so link your Connection step to it. See our company knowledge question bank.

Once you have your company answer ready, keep building your wider preparation with our common interview questions guide and the STAR method guide for behavioural questions.