Being nervous about going to job interviews and thrilled to receive the employment letter from your future employer? Well.. these are the steps of getting a new job. We all know that, right? What we tend to underestimate is the value of questions to ask the interviewer and what they can unlock. Every candidate should study what kind of questions to ask in an interview and which ones are more suitable, for example. Combined with company reviews or employee reviews, you will be able to have a comprehensive understanding of your prospective employer, and if you would actually want to work there, in the first place.
In this guide, we talk about why it’s important to evaluate your future employer, how you can do it, and how to interpret all the information you gathered.
Why should you evaluate
Benefits of questions to ask the interviewer
How to interpret the information you gain
What employees say
Interpret customers feedback
What others say
While the best parts of finding a job are accepting the offer and signing the contract, how do you know the role is right for you? Well, before considering a job, it’s important to learn about your prospective employer.
Why evaluate your prospective employer?
By assessing your prospective employer, you’ll figure out if the open role fits your skills, expectations, and career development path. This way, you’ll be able to make a conscious and informed decision about your next professional step and find yourself in a better-tailored and more satisfactory working environment. Besides, it will definitely help you in your discussion with the recruiter and manage the company’s expectations.
A 360 evaluation process
Some organizations conduct a 360 performance review where managers receive collective feedback regarding their team’s performance from various stakeholders. The goal of such a review is to understand how different client groups perceive the team and individual team members so that potential improvements can be considered and implemented.
Benefits of questions to ask the interviewer
Interview questions aren’t only to decide if the candidate is right for the position, but also for the job seeker to find out if the position is right for them. That’s why, at the end of every interview, the inevitable “Do you have any questions?” comes. Therefore, be prepared with a few questions to ask in an interview, for your prospective employer.
You want to find out as much as you can about the role, future growth opportunities, the team, and the interviewer. Here are some examples of questions to ask the interviewer:
- What are the most important skills needed to be successful in this position?
- The biggest challenges of this position?
- Can you tell me about the company’s culture?
- What does a typical day look like?
- Does this position offer ongoing training?
- Will this role’s job description change three months from now?
- Is there room for growth?
- Can you tell me about the people I’d be working with?
- What do you like most about working at this company?
Follow the advice above to evaluate your future employer and take it one step at a time. Don’t let stress overwhelm you and stop being worried about what to include in your resume. More important, for the discussion you are going to have, focus on your questions to ask in an interview, beforehand.
How to interpret the information you gain
How about we flip the logic we just discussed and consider the company research a ‘360 evaluation process’? Here’s how to do that.
What the company has to say
- Company reviews on their website: familiarize yourself with its activity, strategy, and Employer Value Proposition (EVP). Make sure you are aligned with the products and services that the organization offers and understand the employer’s intentions and proposition. Check if the company culture and values match your own or look into the corporate social responsibility (CSR) and charity activities, review the press releases and scan through available reports. Company reviews are important when evaluating your options.
- Employee reviews on social media: get familiar with the company’s profiles and social media sites, for example LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram. Depending on the activity area and maturity of an organization, various social media channels will be activated, including the less commonly known specialist sites. Therefore, organizations will typically share their information regarding ‘daily’ life in the organization, such as events the company takes part in, the release of the upcoming products and employee reviews. This makes it more tangible for you to understand how your typical day at work could look like.
Employee reviews
- Visit a website that provides employee reviews: it’s beneficial to conduct research and analyze the information available on official channels with first-hand feedback from current or former employees. For example, visit sites like Glassdoor and Monster or have a look at conversations taking place on the company’s Facebook page. These pieces of information will help you understand how the employees perceive the organization “from the inside”.
- Engage with your network: more often than not, someone in your network works, used to work, or knows someone who worked for the organization you’re applying to. Don’t be shy and reach out to those individuals. You might be able to collect some valuable feedback there as well.
Company reviews
Depending on a product or service that the company provides, it’s worth checking what customers are saying about the company. To find out how satisfied they are with the service, you can read company reviews for example. You can understand a lot about how the organization manages its employees based on how it approaches its customers.
Have a look at Google or Facebook reviews, check customer testimonials available on the company’s website and you may be able to take a sneak peek into your future working place.
What others say about your prospective employer
There are multiple institutes and organizations which recognize and award companies for their working conditions, ethical values, or corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.
Have a look at the awards and accreditations your prospective employer holds. Also, verify if these are in line with your personal values and beliefs. If you don’t find any, it’s not a reason to be concerned about. It is an opportunity for questions to ask the interviewer and can prove your interest to know more about the company.
For example, the awards and accreditations may concern:
- Excellent working conditions and development opportunities (e.g. Top Employer, Employer of Choice, Great Place to Work).
- Diversity & inclusion awards (e.g. The Inclusive Companies Awards).
- Equality awards (e.g. White Ribbon).
- CSR awards (e.g. The International CSR Excellence Award).
Recommended articles:
Recruiter Expectations And How To Manage Them
Selection Process: What To Expect And Complete Guide
Job Application Process: Steps To Follow For An Easier Approach
How To Read A Job Description
Recruitment Process: 10 Red Flags To Watch Out For