Articles

How to Research a Potential Employer

If you don’t count a series of mergers/acquisitions at my first employer where I was a project manager, I’ve worked as a project manager at five companies over the last 20+ years.  While that may sound like I haven’t had to do a lot of job searching, I feel like I’ve done more than my share, especially since I was laid off from two of the companies.  Layoffs, and job searching, are a fact of life for many professions, including project management.  Both times I was laid off, my employer also provided access to training and services to help those of us who were laid off with our job search.

One thing I’ve learned from my experience, and the experiences of others, is the importance of researching potential employers.  Not only can knowing details about a company make you look better during the interview process, it can also help you determine if you really want to work there.  Below are some things that I’ve learned to research over the years.  Before I list them, I want to explain how the list is structured.

Research takes time.  Some research is best performed before you apply, mostly to make sure you don’t waste your time applying some place you wouldn’t want to work.  Some could take place before you apply, but you might want to wait until your first interview is scheduled, and some can probably wait until after the first interview.  These are just my thoughts.  You may feel more comfortable approaching it differently.  I won’t complain if you do.

Before you apply:

• Check WARN notices for layoff history (do they habitually lay off employees?) and possible current/planned layoffs.  Companies planning to lay off more than 100 people for more than 6 months are supposed to notify Workforce Services at least 60 days in advance, although there are exceptions.
  • https://jobs.utah.gov/employer/business/warnnotices.html
  • https://www.warntracker.com/
  • If you work for a big enough company, you might also want to check here, every now and then, if you’re worried about layoffs.
• Company website - what products or services do they offer?  What markets are they in?  What do the About Us and Company History pages say about the company?  Do they have a blog?  What does the tone and content of the blog tell you about the company?  What benefits do they offer employees?
• If you’re a college student, check with placement/career services offices at your school.  They can tell you what companies are looking for.

Before the first interview (after the HR phone screening, assuming there is one):

• Follow the company on social media and use it to research company leadership listed on the website or LinkedIn.  If you can get names, research the people interviewing you as well.  It might feel a little stalker-ish, but you might also find out you know someone they do.  This could be a good thing - use your judgment.
• Do they have a newsletter you can subscribe to?  These are less common but can keep you up to date on current events at the company.
• Check Glassdoor for online reviews and be aware that people are more likely to post negative reviews than positive, and sometimes the company wasn’t really the problem.  PRO TIP - don’t ask about specific negative reviews during the interview process.
• Use the Company Search feature on indeed.com to research the company.  Keep in mind that, like Glassdoor, there can be subjective information posted here, as well.
• Check your network.  Do you know anyone that currently works there or recently worked there?  This can help you verify any positive or negative information posted on company review sites and provide more details on the realities of working there.

After the first interview (assuming additional interviews will happen):

• Has the company been in the news recently?  Consider congratulating interviewers on positive news stories.  Be selective with negative news.  Anything too negative could be considered a red flag for working there.  At the same time, it can also mean an opportunity to fix problems.  I once interviewed with a company that had gotten in trouble with the FTC.  The purpose of the role was to help fix the problems.  If you like these kinds of challenges, knowing that at some point the problems will be fixed and you'll either be let go or your role will change, it might be worth pursuing.
• Is the company listed in trade journals?  What do they say about the company?
• Company website - Do they have press releases or financial information available on the site?  There can be a lot of boring information, but it can help inform you about the direction of the company.
• Are they publicly traded?  How has their stock been performing?  Did they recently go public or private?  Going public can mean the company is trying to grow and things may be a little chaotic.  Going private can mean the company is struggling.  It can also mean company leadership wants more control over the direction of the company.  This is something you can ask about after the first interview, as you meet with more senior employees.
• Research the competition - who is their primary competition?  You don't need to conduct a full competitive analysis, but knowing a little about who they compete with, and why, can give you an advantage as it demonstrates interest in the company.

One last thought, but I don't recall which training this was from - when you're out of work, finding employment is a full-time job.  It can be hard, and sometimes you don't get hired because, even though you did awesome, one person did just a little bit better.  Hopefully the above resources and information will help you be that one person.

You now know my secrets, which means I've given away my advantage if we are ever competing for the same job.  May the best project manager win!

Thank you for reading the full article.  I was going to add my author bio here, but most of the articles, so far, are from me and I figured I'd give you a break (until next time).  Let me know if you'd like to contribute an article or blog post that will appear in the newsletter an on the website.  Happy New Year!