Facts You May Want to Know about Employers
It is important to first establish what information you will want to know about a potential employer. Researching an employer will provide an overview of the organization including valuable information regarding: products and services offered, financial health, plans for future growth, potential career path options, and employee training, among many other areas. The information obtained through research will be useful in helping you decide whether or not to accept a position.
The following list will help you organize information that will be useful to have at your disposal during the interview.
Checklist
Company overview
___ What does the company do? what products and services do they provide?___ What is the size of the organization (number of employees)?
___ How is the current financial health?
___ What is the anticipated growth? Are there any expansion plans?
___ How is the organization structured (Management)?
___ What is the organization's national and local reputation in the market?
___ What awards or recognitions hate they received?
___ What is their relationship to competitors?
___ What associations are they actively involved with?
___ What is their sales growth over the last five years?
People
___ What are the credentials/qualifications of the top executives?
___ How would you describe the organizational culture/working environment?
Locations
___ Where is the corporate headquarters located?
___ Where are branches, subsidiaries, stores, satellite offices, etc. located?
Professional Development Concerns
___ What type of training programs are offered to employees?
___ What is the typical promotional path?
___ What is the typical career path in the field compared to that of the
company?
___ What benefits are offered?
___ How are employees reviewed or evaluated?
References: www.career.fsu.edu and the The First Job Hunt Survival Guide (Morton & Fox, Eds)