There are almost as many to find information on companies as there are companies
Most job seekers spend a significant amount of time identifying target companies. They generally select those employers because the job seeker has long admired it; the company has a good reputation among trusted colleagues; they seem to be a good fit for values and culture; etc., etc.
Those are all good, sound reasons and once identified the savvy job seeker knows how to find out everything possible about employer. There are business directories such as Reference USA and Hoovers. There are online destinations such as LinkedIn and Glassdoor. There is even the company’s own website.
To no one’s great surprise, there are more – many more sources of information.
Present employees – who knows better than an insider? There are vendors who have the especially valuable perspective of someone intimately involved with the company but who is on the outside looking in. There are former employees. And don’t overlook competitors – it’s their business to know what that company is like. Recruiters occupy a special vantage point on a slew of employers. Of course, social media can be a treasure trove of information.
One often overlooked peek into a company’s soul can be found in their own news releases. Many companies post recent news releases on their own websites, and many others can be found on a variety of news venues such as PRNewswire and BusinessWire.
While reading those news releases can yield telling insights, don’t neglect to read the news release through to the end – and then read the comments that other readers post on those releases. Those external viewpoints can provide knowledge never before imagined.
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