Tips for Researching an Employer
by Janet Farley, Ed.M.

Looking for a good job is hard work in itself. When you land an actual interview for one,  you want to be ready for it. 

It's a given that you will dress for success, show up on time and send a thank you note post interview. What you say and how you say it in the space between hello and thank you for coming in, however, can make or break your chances for an eventual job offer.

To make the best impression possible, conduct due diligence and carefully research the employer and its main players before the interview. By doing so, you will speak more eloquently and appear more informed than if you didn't.

Here are some helpful tips to kick start that process for you:

Get Digital Dirt on the Employer

It has oft been cited that 70% of employers Google or otherwise search potential candidates online before interviewing or hiring them.

That little drill can cut both ways.

Visit the company's website and social media feeds. What is your first impression? How do you think they want others to perceive them? What is their stated mission and/or vision on their website? Are their stated missions and core values mirrored in their actual words and tangible actions? Do they intersect with your own?

After you've absorbed those impressions, figure out what the rest of the world says about them. Do they show up in the news positively or negatively? What is their community impact, from the viewpoint of the community?

Connect the People Dots

Of course you want to find out who is in charge overall and who you will be potentially interviewing with, if they aren't one in the same. Posted leadership bios are a good starting point. LinkedIn activity might also provide you with good information as well.   

Don't stop with just knowing who you might be interviewing with or ultimately working for however. See if you can't get that 20,000-foot view regarding the organizational structure overall.

Think of yourself as a puzzle piece. Where would you fit in?

If you have the connections, talk to current or former employees. Ask them about the culture and what it's really like to work there. If your contact is no longer with the company, find out why.

Identify the Players

Determine the employer's credibility factor with other companies. Who do they play nice with? Who is their competition? What do other companies or their customers say about them?  Do they appear to be well-regarded within the industry? Where could they do better?

Become a Part of the Landscape

Once you have all this good intel, summarize it. What is their business in one sentence? What do you see as their biggest obstacle? Their greatest success? How could you affect positive change based on the information you have discovered?

If, during the interview, the employer asked you what your 90 day impact would be, how could you answer that?

Janet Farley is a career services specialist at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs and the author of several career guides targeted to veterans and military spouses most recently, Mission Transition: Managing Your Career and Your Retirement (Rowman & Littlefield, 2017). Connect with her at www.linkedin.com/in/janetfarley

Have an employment question for Janet? Ask here. Your question/answer may be printed in a future issue.