How to research potential employers

Joining a new company is always risky. Will the company culture be a good fit? Are the opportunities for career growth really as described?

Researching potential employers beforehand can alleviate these uncertainties by helping you find organizations that align with your personal values and professional aspirations. Conducting research will also increase your chance of landing your dream job.

In this article, we explain how to research potential employers to guarantee success with your new employer.

Key takeaways

• Researching potential employers informs your decisions and strengthens your application throughout your job search process.

• It’s also key to achieving long-term job satisfaction because it also helps you understand employers’ cultures, values, and growth opportunities. This helps you seek out employers and roles that align with your personal values and career goals.

• Company websites, employee review sites, and other sources are rich sources of information that can improve your chances of landing the right role.

Why research potential employers?

Researching potential employers should be an essential step in your job search process. Most people don’t make major or online purchases without doing some research. So, why wouldn’t you research for something as big as a job or career move?

The information you uncover from researching potential employers benefits you throughout your job search process. Here’s how.

1. To focus your job search on worthwhile employers

Researching potential employers helps you target your job search efforts – so you apply only for companies you actually want to work for. 

The info you dig up enables you to find employers that:

• Match your values: When your personal values align with your employer’s, you’re more likely to find purpose in your work. Studies have found that this creates higher levels of job satisfaction.

• Offer further career opportunities: An employee retention study by the Work Institute revealed that having no clear career path is the top reason employees leave their jobs. Researching potential employers can help you avoid this problem and find employers who’ll support you in meeting your career goals.

• Have positive work cultures: It’s easy to get excited about a job opportunity only to find yourself in a toxic workplace. Arming yourself with research can help you avoid the risk of joining a company with a toxic work environment.

This approach boosts the likelihood of finding a role that satisfies you and your career path. It also helps you avoid wasting time on companies you don’t want to work for. 

💡 Pro tip: Research can also help you discover companies that use skills-based hiring. These employers require skills over degrees and experience in their job postings – and ask candidates to take skills assessments during the hiring process. These assessments let you stand apart from other candidates based on what you can do instead of what’s on your resume.

2. To make sure your initial application lands you an interview

The research you do into your potential employer gives you everything you need to write a standout job application. 

Career coach Danielle Holmes advises that you should always tailor your resume to the job you’re applying for. When you dig deep into potential employers, you uncover everything you need to do this.

Use what you learn to align your application with the role requirements and the employer’s values. 

Say you learn that the company likes employees who take the initiative. You can show you’re a good fit by incorporating examples of when you’ve taken the initiative – such as a time when you proactively solved a challenge in a previous role.

The aim is to reinforce your ability to fulfill the role’s requirements and highlight your fit for a specific organization.

✨ Guess what? Companies that use skills-based hiring often don’t require you to fill out lengthy applications or even resumes. For instance, companies that post on our skills-based job board require candidates to take an assessment as the very first step of the application process. 

3. To gain a competitive edge during interviews

Armed with research, you can also position yourself as a proactive candidate who has genuine interest in the organization.

For example, if your research turned up a blog post about a recent acquisition, mentioning it during the interview would show that you’ve gone the extra mile to learn about the employer. Starting a relevant discussion like this reflects well on you and can set you apart as a more informed candidate. 

In some cases, it can open the door for deeper conversations about the company’s future – and your potential role within it.

5 essential steps to research potential employers

Here’s how to research potential employers. 

1. Know what you want from a new job

Before you start browsing job boards, you must figure out what you want from a new employer. Consider these questions:

• What’s driving your search for a new role?

• Which values should your new company have? 

• Which type of company culture do you want to be a part of?

• How important is career progression to you? 

• What red flags will make you steer clear? 

Once you’ve pinpointed your motivations and priorities, you can start your job search and begin shortlisting potential employers that meet your needs.

2. Take a deep dive into the company website

The company website should be your first stop in your research process. Look for a mission statement to see if the company’s values and goals align with yours – you can usually find this in a "Our Values" or "Our Culture" section. If sustainability is one of your priorities, look for a company's environmental policy and pay attention to what practices they’ve implemented to meet their sustainability goals. 

Most company sites will have an “About Us” section, which should give you an understanding of their history and leadership. You might even find a "Why Work for Us?" section focused on what the company offers its employees. 

Then head over to the “News” section to gauge their current initiatives. A “Press” or “Media” section might include valuable information in the latest press releases and photographs.

3. See what current and former employees have to say

Sites like Glassdoor serve up the inside scoop on what employers are like from people who’ve experienced it firsthand.

When reading employees reviews, consider the following:

• The overall balance of positive vs. negative reviews: A high proportion of positive feedback indicates a favorable work environment. A few negative reviews should be expected, but be cautious of companies with an abundance of negative reviews.

• Whether current employees are satisfied in their positions: What was true a year ago might not be the case now, so look for recent reviews to get up-to-date perspectives.

• Mentions of the company’s work-life balance: Green flags might include flexible work arrangements and a culture that values employee well-being. Frequent mentions of excessive hours or high demands that squeeze out personal time could signal a company to avoid.

• Opportunities for career growth: Look for comments about professional development and advancement opportunities to assess the company for long-term fit. Do these insights align with your career aspirations and the company’s claims?

• Hiring process: Learning about people’s hiring experiences can help you decide whether or not applying is worth your time. Positive feedback is a good indication that the company is well-organized and values its people's time. In contrast, lengthy, illogical, and other negative experiences can signal disorganization or a lack of respect for candidates.

• Why previous employees left the company: Learning why former employees chose to leave can give you a clearer understanding of the company's culture and work environment. Major red flags include any forms of workplace abuse, toxic leaders, unfair pay practices, and other ethical concerns. 

💡 Pro tip: Each company profile on Glassdoor has an “Interview” section where past applicants post interview questions – for example, here’s Apple’s. Use these to practice and prepare for interviews.

4. Review the company’s key metrics and activity

Company profile sites such as Crunchbase are great sources of information on a company’s funding, financial health, and business activity. This information can be especially important when you’re thinking of applying to startups, as it helps you assess their stability and growth potential.

You can also find out who’s on the board of directors and the company's advisors – which can shed light on the company’s strategic direction.

5. Scour the company’s social media

Looking at a potential employer's social media can reveal how the company interacts with its customers and the wider general public. 

LinkedIn focuses on professional networking and provides a platform for businesses to showcase their culture and achievements – so it’s a good starting point. 

However, checking out a potential employers’ presence on X and Facebook can be more informative. These sites tend to be less curated and showcase more of a company’s interaction with the general public. Seeing how a company handles negative and positive feedback will add to your understanding of their values and workplace culture.

When you’re invited to interview with a company, revisit their social media to check for any recent announcements. Doing this will give you up-to-date discussion points and show that you’ve done your research and are genuinely interested in the company.

Use your employer research to get your dream job

The steps for researching potential employers include understanding what you want in a job, looking at companies’ websites, seeking out employee feedback, and looking at key metrics and activities. Sites like Glassdoor, Crunchbase, and social media can be great for this. 

Searching for a remote job? Reach potential employers that value your skills by using our job board. These employers take a skills-based hiring approach to find job-seekers with the skills and characteristics they need.. 

When you apply for a position through TestGorilla, you can skip the tedious resume rewrites – instead, you get to demonstrate your skills and suitability immediately. Have the skills the company needs? You might get hired on merit. 

Ready? Then find a vacancy you like, research the employer to make sure it’s a good fit, hit “Apply,” and ask to take the company's assessment. Not sure how to take an assessment? Use our assessment guide.

Learn more about showcasing your skills to potential employers over at our job seeker hub.

FAQs

How do you evaluate a potential employer?

Collect info from various sources – including the company website and employee review sites like Glassdoor. Compare what you find to make an informed decision. Considering questions like, “Do employee reviews match how the company presents itself?” and “How well can this employer support my career ambitions?”

How can you assess the culture and fit of a potential employer?

Gathering and analyzing information from the company’s website, its social media presence, and employee reviews. Look for insights about the company’s culture, from values to work-life balance to management style. Assess fit by comparing this to what you want from and value in an employer.

Where can I look for potential employers?

You can look for potential employers in several places. These include online job boards, company websites, social media, job fairs, and referrals.