Just showing up to an interview is hardly going to be enough to secure a job. Employers expect job seekers to know about the company and why they want to work there. You’ve already done some preliminary research when you applied for the job, but now it is time to take a deeper dive into the company’s website and social network profiles of employees. The sooner you get started, the better.
General research. Using a variety of resources, including the company’s website, you can acquire the necessary information about most employers. You’ll need to know about the products and services offered, how long the company has been in business, basic financial information, where the company has locations and what divisions, departments and subsidiaries the company has.
Combing the employer’s website is certainly a smart move. However, this information is just the tip of the iceberg. The real research happens when you acquire information from people who work inside the company. If your network is small or you are having difficulty finding people to speak with, using the following online research tips should help you learn more about the company’s culture and values.
Company website. Take a look at each page on the site. Look for news that may help you understand new projects, announcements about promotions and awards and recognition. Also look for the company blog, which may have more insights. If the company does have an active blog, subscribe to get updates. Look for the employment page (sometimes labeled as “careers” or “jobs”), and you may be lucky enough to find interviews with employees. And finally, look for the social network icons. If the company is active on social networks, follow the accounts and take note of the updates shared. You may come across news or information not shared on the company’s site.
LinkedIn. You should have looked for employees you know on LinkedIn when you were applying, but in case you didn’t, now is the time. Go to the company page on LinkedIn, and look for employees you may know. It is quite possible you know people who work at the company you haven’t connected with on LinkedIn. Next, try an advanced search for job titles similar to the one you are interviewing for. Take note of where those employees worked previously, what interests they have, groups they support or belong to and colleges they attended. You are looking for information that may help you understand the culture and values within the company. You are also looking for the skills and technology mentioned in employees’ profiles.
Unless you know someone inside the company, don’t connect on LinkedIn … yet. You want to find out if these employees have active accounts on other social networks, especially Twitter and Google Plus. Unlike LinkedIn, you do not need to be connected to people to see what updates are they sharing. Assess topics and issues being shared to learn what seems important to the employees, both professionally and personally.
Twitter. Don’t worry if you don’t have a Twitter account. Twitter is a public network, which means you can view profiles and updates without an account. If you were lucky enough to find the Twitter account of an employee, enter the account name in the search bar on Twitter, and check him or her out. You may need to work a bit harder to find this information. You can try a Google search of “Twitter.com: [first name last name],” or use Twitter’s advanced search with the employee’s name in the “this exact phrase” box.
Read the account bio, and look for trending topics and information in the status updates. This should help you get a sense of what is important to the employee. You may choose to use some of this information to break the ice at the beginning of the interview. And be sure to follow the accounts if you’re on Twitter to keep an eye out for news and updates.
Google Plus. You may not find information on this lesser used network, but it is worth investigating. You will need to have a Google Plus account to search profiles. If you don’t, you’ll have to use a search method known as “X-ray search.” From your Google search window, search “site: plus.google.com [first name last name] works [company name].” Once you have found the correct profile on Google Plus, you can see updates. Be sure to click on the “about” tab and see the employee’s bio, known on Google Plus as “story.” Also take note of listed links, which will enable you to view the employee’s accounts on those networks. You can add employee accounts to your own circles as well.
Glassdoor. Glassdoor is a free site that collects anonymous company reviews by employees, including information on salary, benefits and interview reviews and questions. This is just one more way to research hard-to-find information about a company.
Hannah Morgan writes and speaks on career topics and job search trends on her blog Career Sherpa. She co-authored “Social Networking for Business Success,” and has developed and delivered programs to help job seekers understand how to look for work better.
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6 Ways to Research Employers Before Interviewing originally appeared on usnews.com
