Find your job search superpower

Employer research can superpower your job search. It can make the difference between not quite making the grade—and getting hired. It can also help you decide which company you’d like to work for, and to know that the job you accept is one you actually want.

What is employer research?

There are two dimensions to employer research:

1) Basic information about different companies that hire people in your field. This level of employer research helps to focus your job search on companies that are thriving, align with your values and priorities, and have good future potential.

2) In-depth information about any company you interview with, as well as all you can learn about the jobs you apply for. This helps ensure that you understand and can communicate how your experience and strengths match their needs. It’s also important for preparing for the interview, to be prepared to talk about the organization’s priorities, current projects or challenges. This in-depth research will also help you to ask thoughtful questions and understand whether you are likely to thrive in the position.

What kinds of information should you look for?

The term “employer research” encompasses a lot of different types of information.

• A starting point could be an environmental scan to gather information about opportunities and threats that are likely to impact the industry or types of organizations you’re interested in. Look for trends, competitor activity, changes in regulations or resource availability, weather impacts, security issues, and more.
• A great step is to look for details about the companies in your local area that are likely to hire people who work in your occupation or job title. Look for the essentials, such as: location/s; number of employees; when established; jobs the company typically hires for; hiring policy information. If they turn out to be good job prospects, you will be able to target an outreach to them directly, whether they currently have any jobs posted in your field.  
• As you focus on specific companies, identify the organization’s core purpose. Learn the organization’s mission–what they exist to do; vision—where they aspire to grow and move; and company values—what’s most important to them in how they get there. What is their messaging about the organization to the public?  These will tell you where the organization’s priorities lie.
• What are the major products and services provided by the organization? What are some of their prominent current projects and collaborations?
• What is the company’s financial situation? Is it making money? Has it downsized in the last five years? Has there been any recent important news related to the company? What do others think about the company?
• Company leadership. Find out who holds a prominent position in the organization. What can you learn about them?
• What do current/former employees have to say about working for the employer?

Where can you find this information?

• Company / organizational websites
• Financial reports
• Business directories
• Business libraries
• Company’s social media accounts/posts
• Social media profiles of leaders and other people who work for the organization
• Annual reports
• News sources
• Professional and industry associations and their publications
• Employee review websites
• Networking with current or past employees
• Recruiters

Next steps

• Visit the Business Finder to identify businesses in your area that hire in your field, and gather essential information about organizations that interest you.
• Need to clarify your work values? Try the Work Values Matcher.
• Read more about researching employers on CareerOneStop.