Prior to the interview always do your Homework. When preparing for any interview, always do your research on the target company. Latest news, trends, products, teaming arrangements, etc. Focus not only what they produce or do at the facility you are interviewing with but also work to understand what the company does on a larger scale over the corporation as well. In the interview you can then bring up some facts that caught your attention in the research. This shows the hiring manager that you took the initiative to learn about the company. The questions you ask will also have relevance to the interviewer of how strategically you think, so choose your questions wisely.
Look up the people you will be interviewing with on LinkedIn prior to the interview to see what you may have in common with their background. Maybe you worked at the same company previously or went to the same school. Whatever it is, look for commonality and a way to break the ice and make a connection.
A commonly overlooked mode of research is to understand the company’s financial condition. Prior to the interview always do your Homework. Have they been growing consistently? Are their products still in demand? Are they a takeover target? Do their focused markets still have legs? Quite often candidates tell me that they joined a company that was not financially stable but unfortunately did not find out until after they started. Do your homework, make sure you make an informed decision when changing roles, you will be glad you did.