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How to Vet a Potential Employer
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TheWaterCooler said:
on November 3, 2009 04:42 PM ET
edited on November 3, 2009 04:45 PM ET I'm sharing this information, which I posted elsewhere on the Water Cooler, in response to several questions about how and why jobseekers should vet potential employers. If you have suggestions or lessons learned related to this topic, please share!
Researching an organization you wish to work for is important for many reasons, one of which is to check the legitimacy of the company. In addition, you can research a company to explore it's performance, workplace culture, benefits, advancement opportunities, and more.
Begin vetting a company by searching the Internet for its website. Most organizations' websites will include a profile of their mission, history, primary customers, and new products or services. To get a snapshot of a company's financial status and workplace culture, you can check their website, but know that you may get better results by searching an external site. To do this, enter the company's name in the "search box" of an Internet search engine such as Google or Yahoo. The search engine will pull up related articles, reports and other information relevant to the organization you're interested in.
One resource not to be overlooked is Hoovers.com. Hoover's extensive database provides up-to-date information on 33+ million U.S. and foreign companies. Much of this information is free and available to the public (more detailed reports are available to subscribers for a fee). To research an organization using Hoovers.com, select the "Browse for" tab at the top of the homepage. Then select "Companies A-Z," to see if your company is in the directory. If it's listed, check out the "360-degree" information pane to read a description about the company, find locations, learn about job opportunities, and even identify the company's primary competitors.
Another helpful resource, especially for vetting smaller or more local companies, is your area Better Business Bureau (BBB). The BBB database lets you review company profiles and check whether consumers have filed complaints against them.
These resources can help you learn more about a company, weed out fictitious ones, and identify those that are underperforming, which are probably best to avoid. Don't forget to ask your local reference librarian for assistance. Oftentimes, they can assist with research or point you to resources to help you conduct your own research.
Your advice or lessons learned? |
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A very good reason for researching a company before applying for a job there, is to become as familiar as possible with its services or products so that you can show your interest, admiration and possible use of them. You want to show above all the skills you have which would be of benefit to and enhance the organization. You want to praise the organization and what you feel is its value to the community. For further self marketing tips refer to my book, "Thinking About Retirement? Think Again: Goal Exploration and Employment Strategies for Midlife and Beyond", available at Borders, Barnes and Noble and Amazon.
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