When you interview for a job, you are also interviewing the company to see if it is a good fit. But how can you really tell if the employer is right for you?
Careful work on your part before you accept a job, can lead to greater job satisfaction and save you from bouncing right back to your job search.
Inventory what is important
Consider what role you are targeting, what work-life balance you want, think about salary, the geography (or remote-work options), think about the work environment itself (everything from company culture to the physical layout of the workspace). For each one of these elements decide on what would be ideal, what would be great, what would be acceptable, and what you aren’t willing to settle for. No company or job will be ideal, but you want to have a firm idea of what your targets are and steer yourself towards a position that hits as many “ideals” and “greats” as possible.
Consider values
Do you have any deep beliefs that would exclude or include types of companies in your job search? Does the company you are researching include values that resonate with you on their “About Us” page. Is the product or service something you could, or already do, care about? If you’re looking for a more permanent position, it’s important that the company’s mission and values align with your own.
Check the news
Review news articles and press releases about the organization. Are you proud of how they represent themselves publicly? Does the company do things that elevate their brand and employees.
Follow on social media
Pay attention to the content they post and think about what it says about the organization as a whole. Do you like how or what they promote? Also, pay attention to how they interact with people that comment, ask questions, or complain. A good company will treat it’s employees well and then empower them to treat customers the same.
Evaluate the employment brand
Look at everything you can find publicly about how they portray themselves as an employer. Their employment brand may be different from their consumer brand. Look first at their career site, social media profiles, and online review pages.
- Does their brand speak to you and what is important to you?
- Do you see yourself fitting into the image they project?
Browse online reviews
Keep in mind that people are more motivated to complain than they are to gush about an employer. Also try to take note if the reviews are from current or former employees.
Find an insider
Use online networking tools, friends, colleagues, and family and try to meet someone who works there and interview them about what it is like to work for that company. Try to find someone who has been there for awhile and can give you valuable information to help you decide if the employer is right, but also give you great cover letter and interview preparation information.
Come up with questions
Use the interview as a way to discover more information about what it is like to work there. Ask about a typical day in the role, what the interviewers like about working there, ask them why they chose to come to work with the company, and ask them to describe management or their management style (if they are the manager). Keep questions open and then, like a good interviewer, ask follow-up questions. Take notes and review them later as you further consider their company and use the information to help you formulate meaningful thank you letters to interviewers that explain why you are interested in the job and the company.
Pay attention to details
Throughout the hiring process, pay attention to the little things.
- Does their Human Resources team follow up within promised times?
- Do you like the office layout?
- How did you get along with the interview team; were you able to develop a rapport?
- Did you get a sense of what type of a workplace it was?
- Did people that you saw there seem happy, busy, focused, or whatever adjective matters to you?
- If you have physical requirements about the office, such as location, accessibility, or overall comfort, are they met or would you be able to make adjustments to make things work for you?
An employer will be putting their best foot forward, so pay attention to what they consider their best.
Weigh the benefits
When looking at an offer, it’s important to look at what you are getting besides the salary. How will their other perks affect your life, routine, or your family? Insurance plans, flexible spending accounts, vacation time, personal days, commute times, flex-work days, paid professional development, or training, and more are all part of the mix when you are making the final decision.
Think ahead
Whenever you are deciding to join a company or accept a position, you have to think about what job you might want after this one. Think about your career as a larger story.
- Does this move make sense in the larger story of your career?
- What does this organization offer you in terms of value for the bigger picture?
- When you talk about the company and the position to your next employer, what is it you hope to be able to highlight from this part of your work history?
Keep asking questions
You’ll notice most of this article is filled with questions. No one can dictate to you what the right company or right position is for you. The important thing to do is to consider your decision about where to work very carefully. You’ll spend a significant amount of your time and energy at work, so it benefits both you and the employer if you pick a company that is a good match to the things you value most.