Applying For A Job? What To Look For When Researching Potential Employers

When it comes to finding the right job at the right company, your chances of being noticed by the recruiters are proportional to the time you’ve taken to apply for the job, prepare your cover letter and prepare yourself for the interview.

Researching the company is an important aspect of landing a well-paid job. It’s part of the process that shouldn’t be overlooked, so doing your due diligence is the first thing you need to do before the interview.

But how can you decide whether a company is the right choice for you? Remember, you’re also interviewing the company where you’ve applied for a job – it’s not only a case of them seeking talented professionals who will join the company.

Check Our Tips

In this brief guide, we’ll analyze some of the core concepts and insights on what to look for when researching a potential employer. Here are some conventional and “out of the box” tips that will help you get a better picture of what the company has to offer. This way, you can make a more informed and confident decision about whether they are the right employer for you.

The Importance of the Use of Compensation Tools

One thing to look at when you research a potential employer is to find out what sort of compensation structures they have implemented when it comes to salaries and base pay. Whether you’ve already received a job offer or you’re at the beginning of the interview process, it is important to do your research when it comes to salaries.

Also, rather than focusing purely on how you can “sell” your skills to the potential employer, you must figure out whether they’re the right fit for you as well. Consider the company culture, the work-life balance, the career path opportunities, and the opportunities for incentive pay, retirement plans, insurance plans, and other benefits.

You can use some of the best compensation tools to get an insight into salary structures.

Check Their Website

A company’s website will tell you all you need to know before the interview. It’s the golden hub of information where you will find more about their mission, culture, history, vision, values, and people.

Some companies even have a “news” dedicated area with the latest achievements and contributions they’ve made in a particular sector or industry, press release articles, or company milestones.

Get more of an idea about what the potential employer’s vision and values are, get the big picture, and gather information. Make sure to analyze their background, consider what’s so unique and different about that company, and whether you can see yourself integrating into the company’s work culture.

Most importantly, check their blog and follow their social media accounts. Seek out the information the potential employer is publicly communicating, search their posts, and observe how engaged they are with followers. It’s an indication of how they respond to positive and negative feedback.

Employee Benefits

Before the interview, learn as much as you can about the company’s employee benefits and business operations. Companies often disclose benefits like healthcare, stock options, flexible work schedule, and additional perks to attract employees.

Furthermore, learn more about how the company makes money, who buys their products or services, how highly they are rated in the marketplace, and other pertinent information. What is the industry the company operates in? Is it a startup or a well-established entity? There are many questions you need to ask yourself as part of your research.

The answers to all of these questions will give you an insight into the potential benefits the company offers to its employees.

Check Company Reviews

Sites like Glassdoor give an insight into the salaries for each position in a particular company. These sites are a valuable part of your overall research since they can offer another perspective on the company’s quality of life, culture, and career advancement.

However, you need to take these reviews with a grain of salt since some of them can be biased and unsupported by facts. Rather, use the reviews to get an overall picture of the company.

Sign Up For The Company’s Newsletter

Another important step in your journey of researching a potential employer is to sign up for their newsletter. Many companies send out weekly or daily newsletters with recent news in their industries, available job positions, real-time depiction of what is happening inside the company, and the latest achievements.

Learn Before You Apply

Now that you’re familiar with some of the best practices on how to analyze and research a potential employer, it’s time to apply and prepare for the interview.

Make sure to learn as much as possible for the company before continuing with the next steps. Hopefully, our short but sweet analysis will help you in the search for the right company.

Main Pic Source (Copyright: Campaign Creators on Unsplash I License: CC0 Public Domain)

HR Future Staff Writer