When you look at job postings, many of them appear very enticing. They declare high salaries, a solid company, leading and progressive, and huge opportunities for professional growth. It seems too good to be true!
However, you can ask: if all employers are so wonderful, then where do the countless negative examples from your experience and stories of your acquaintances come from? Why are there so many publications on social networks and forums about unscrupulous employers who don’t keep their word? Not to mention real scammers.
That is why it is crucial for any job seeker to learn how to find reliable information about employers. So to speak, to separate the “grains from the chaff”. Do not rack your brains while traveling to an interview, but understand in advance what will be there. This will be the subject of this article.
So, what ways can you get information about the real state of affairs in the organization you are interested in?
Sources of Information About Employers
1. Employees of the Company, Both Former and Current
No one knows the climate of an organization better than those who are inside (recently left or still working). If you can find them and get them talking, this kind of insider information can be really valuable.
2. Recruitment Agencies, the Company’s Partners from Various Sectors of the Economy
Recruiters in this sense are among the most informed interlocutors. They can tell you a lot. Business partners who have been working with the firm you are interested in for a long time would probably also add something interesting from themselves.
3. Employer Reviews
Analyzing public reviews on specialized platforms is an important source of information about most firms. Unless it’s a startup or a newly registered firm, there are quite a few reviews to be found.
4. Social Media and Professional Communities
Anything can be found on social networks. Employees can write about the employer in their profiles, in comments under publications, in thematic groups. Similar discussions can also be found in professional communities.
5. Publications in Mass Media, Blogs, News, Analytical and Information Portals
Journalists, bloggers, analysts, not being bound by obligations to the company, can freely publish information, sometimes even scandalous, obtained from their sources.
Naturally, the organization itself may refute it, and negative publications may indeed be commissioned. So you should take note of these “leaks”, but check through other sources, such as those mentioned above.
6. Information Resources of the Employing Company
You are unlikely to find anything sensational in official sources, but in any case, in preparation for the interview you should carefully review the organization’s website (general information, management, history, news, press releases, links to publications), its pages in social networks and professional platforms.
At the interview itself, too, be sure to ask the questions you’ve been looking for answers to. Naturally, with the exception of provocative questions like “Do you cheat candidates at job interviews?”
What Information About the Employer Should You Research?
– Salaries and bonuses, the regularity of their payments.
– Opportunities for career growth.
– Corporate culture and team climate.
– Problems, conflicts, intrigues.
– The level of employee satisfaction.
– Personnel turnover.
– Interaction between management and employees.
– The fulfillment of promises by the company leadership.
You will also need to inquire about any other nuances of working in the company that are important to you (e.g., the ability to take time off, work remotely, travel to other cities for conferences, etc.).
Practical Tips for Finding Out the Truth About Employers
- Develop and maintain broad and regular contacts in the professional environment (colleagues, competitors, partners, contractors, clients, recruiters, HR managers). For this purpose, attend trade shows, conferences, seminars, and online events.
- Be professionally active on social media and industry resources.
- Take note of the information you hear about different employers, which may be useful in the future. To avoid relying on memory, record these reviews in your notebook.
- Be sure to spend enough time to prepare for the interview, especially to gather information about the employer.
- Take into account that each person judges the company subjectively, may harbor resentment, hide something, doesn’t get the big picture.
- Check the information you receive in alternative sources.
I hope my advice will help you to gather complete and most reliable information about the employing company and make an informed decision about whether this organization is suitable for you.
