Tips for Researching Potential Employers

Whether you’ve just started an online job search or are preparing for an upcoming job interview, learning as much as you can about potential employers can help you to make smarter, well-informed decisions as well as make a good impression. After all, knowing that a company is a good or bad match for your skills, personality, or career path could lead to a position you love as well as save you from wasting time on jobs that are a poor fit. Likewise, the more you know about the company, the better able you’ll be to discuss how your skills can help it accomplish its mission or ask intelligent questions about it during the interview. Use the tips below to get started.

• Visit the employer’s website. The website’s About page will likely detail the company’s history, mission, and core values. Other pages will give you a better idea as to its products and services, target audience, and brand. Many companies have specific sections of their websites dedicated to careers with them. If so, explore those pages, too. Press and Media pages could provide you with a sense of the company’s recent accomplishments, awards, and projects. If it’s a public company, look for the latest financial reports to get a better idea of the company’s financial status and health.
• Visit the employer’s social media sites. Next, head to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other social media sites the company uses. These sites may give you a better idea about the company’s culture, responsiveness to customer concerns, events, and voice. You may also see informal photos of the workplace and the employees working there.
• Read online reviews. A company’s website and social media sites tell a story — from the perspective of the company. Now it’s time to hear the other side. Reviews from the general public and past and current employees can be eye-opening — as can the official responses from the company. Pay attention to how the public perceives the company. Do customers report good, bad, mediocre, or exceptional customer experiences? Would you feel proud to work for the company based on the reputation you’re seeing online? Meanwhile, employee reviews will give you a much better insight into the actual experience you can expect should you get the job. Is the company highly rated by employees or are you getting the sense that it’s might be a potential nightmare?

Perusing a few websites and social media sites doesn’t take long, and it can make a world of difference in your job search. Research employers now.