The interview question that catches almost everyone out

I’ve sat on both sides of the interview table. I’ve been the person asking the questions, and the person coaching people to prepare for interviews.

Through both experiences, I’ve noticed that there’s one question that trips people up more than any other, ‘What do you know about us, and why do you want to join our team?’.

This is the question that is asked in every interview, yet you’d be surprised how unprepared people are for it.

When I’m coaching someone, they’ll often tell me they’ve got it under control. Spoiler alert, they don’t. Or they just say they’ll wing it. This often costs the applicant the chance to progress.

When I’m interviewing someone, I’ve watched people clutch at straws, giving an answer that could have applied to any job, at any company, anywhere. This communicates a lack of interest in the organisation and the work for the very job that they are competing for.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

There is so much information out there to help people to prepare. The most important thing is that your answer is specific, not generic. To land this, you need to look at the organisation’s structure, their strategic plan, their annual reports, awards they’ve received, projects they’ve coordinated and campaigns they’ve run. Based on this research, attend the interview with ten dot points on things that you’ve genuinely learned about the company.

If you do this, you’re already ahead of most people.

Don’t walk in and tell the interviewer something obvious, like that the organisation has offices in Melbourne and Sydney, and that’s why you want to work here, or that you’ve heard good things from people you know. Tell the interviewer something that you couldn’t have guessed.

When you do share what you’ve found, make sure that you have the information to back it up. I once had a candidate tell me our company values aligned with theirs. When I asked which ones, they sat there, looking blankly back at me. Needless to say, if you’re going to mention an organisation’s purpose, vision, mission or values, make sure you know what they are. Otherwise, it quickly becomes obvious you’re not across the brief.

The candidates who did their homework always stood out. Not because they were smarter or more qualified, but because they cared enough to look.

Connie Giorgi, Partner, For Purpose

20 July 2026

For Purpose provides coaching in leadership development, not-for-profit management, career development and job seeking, advocacy, government relations, communications and media engagement.