Potential Employer Research Basics - Employer Research - Interviewing Skills Workshop

Researching Company Culture

Once you've identified companies you're interested in, it's a good idea to find out what it's like to work for them. Corporate culture can be difficult to define. Think about your ideal work environment. What things are most important to you? To find out details about company culture, benefits, you may have to look for information from a variety of sources, not just the library.

Research? Why? How?

5 Things to Research Before Your Job Interview
"Doing research on the organization you are about to interview with will allow you to assess whether the organization is right for you, ask better questions during the interview, and help you craft better answers."
14 Ways To Research Company Culture
"Consider what the ideal work environment would be for you, and filter the responses through that. "
Don't Conduct A Job Search, Conduct A Company Search
"The best companies are hiring for attitude. That’s what makes them the best companies. They don’t want someone doing a generic job search. You can have all the skills in the world, but if you don’t pass the attitude test and make it over that cultural hurdle, you won’t get in."
The Ultimate Guide to Researching a Company Pre-Interview
"Even if the first time you’ve ever heard of the company you’re interviewing with was the day you sent in your application, you can still walk in like you’ve known about the place for years."

Things to Look for

Preparing for a job fair, company visit, or interview? Here are some things you may want to know before you go:

Mission, vision, and values
Brand objectives
History
Future direction (where are they going?)
Products and services
Who their customers are
Direct competitors, their products, and what differentiates them
Company size, number of employees, and locations
Recent news and current events
Recent accomplishments
Reputation/industry standing
Names of key players
Managers' backgrounds
Short- and long-term goals
How the company has resolved problems
Recent layoffs
Training programs offered
Benefits and employee-perceived "quality of life"
Career and growth potential (do they hire from within or outside?)
Office, division, and headquarters locations
Financial status

Source: Professor Robert Bergman