How To Research A Potential Employers

“Nearly two thirds of those surveyed consider this lack of preparedness a real problem” according to CNBC.com. One of the most critical parts of an application and interview process is properly researching potential employers. Below are four tips on how to research potential employers for your job search:

• Company website

This may seem obvious, but some interviewees will only read the description of the business on the job posting. Researching a company goes way beyond that. You should read the about us section to know the mission and vision of the company. Become familiar with products and services. Read the management bios and investor relations pages. According tobusinessweek.com “Business information sites like ZoomInfo.com, Hoover’s, and BusinessWeek’s Company Insight Center will add breadth to your research.”

• LinkedIn and other social outlets

First, set your profile to private, which we explain in this blog. LinkedIn is a great social outlet to look at company culture. Then research the interviewer as well as other management and employees within the company. Understand their job titles and the work that they are completing. Other social outlets like Facebook and Twitter can show how customers, other businesses, and employees react to the company. You might also be able to find out important updates on the business such as achievements and news articles.

• Glassdoor and other review sites

Take a look at websites such as Glassdoor and other company review sites. You can see how previous or current employees feel about working for the company, interview questions, and salaries.

Tip: Don’t judge a company solely on these reviews. Remember that disgruntled employees or customers can drastically downgrade these reviews. Many review sites try and prevent this from happening, but some of these reviews can be missed by their software.

• Research competitors

Researching company competitors can share lots of information with an applicant. The research can show how the company compares to its competitors. Also analyze their strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that the company has compared to its competition.  You might get some great ideas on how the company can improve and compete for the top market position with their competitors.