6 Ways to Evaluate an Employer
This could be the year you land a new job, especially if you are in financial, information technology, health care or engineering sectors. Steve Lowisz, CEO of Qualigence International, a talent acquisition and recruitment research firm, has seen an increase in well-paying, highly skilled jobs nationwide, especially for engineers, financial analysts, network systems analysts, health educators and personal care aids.
So, whether you have noticed more jobs available, feel like you've been taken advantage of over the past few years or are looking for a significant increase in your salary, changing jobs requires you to thoroughly investigate the new opportunity, management style and corporate culture. You will want to conduct due diligence before accepting that new job offer.
Remember: The grass isn't always greener. Below, Lowisz suggests a few ways to evaluate a potential employer:
1. Find out what are people saying about the company or manager online. Search social media streams, such as Twitter or LinkedIn, to see what people are saying about the company and what news the company posts about itself. Lowisz recommends checking real-time social media as well as an anonymous employer review site like Glassdoor, because, "often comments are from employees who maybe have been terminated and are scornful."
2. Ask current and past employees about the company. LinkedIn makes is easy to see who works for the company and who used to work there. Use this information to reach out and talk to people about their experiences.
3. Pay attention to how much talking the interviewer does. Watch out for an interviewer who spends most of the time selling the company and the position. Lowisz says that "some managers do not know how to interview" and others are just looking for a warm body to fill the opening.
However, if the interviewer is asking you questions to better understand your experience, personality and work style, that's a good sign that the company knows who would be a good cultural fit in the workplace and within the team. This is also an indication that the company values employee engagement and job satisfaction.
4. Listen for clues about management style. "Look out for managers who say they are not micromanagers -- those are usually the ones who are," Lowisz says. There may be other untruths or inconsistencies you discover through the interview responses as well. If you have concerns, ask multiple interviewers and company insiders more questions to test for similarity in answers and dive deeper into the genuine answer.
5. Learn how job performance will be measured. Is the job description clear? Can the interviewer explain, in quantifiable terms, the role's expectations? You will have to ask clarifying questions to flesh out exactly how your job performance will be evaluated. You want to be successful in your next role, and the best way to do this is to ensure you and your future manager are on the same page. "If responsibilities cannot be quantified, how do you really know if you are performing the job appropriately?" Lowisz asks.
6. Find out if the company cares about training and development. "Every candidate should ask questions about training and development opportunities" Lowisz says. When a company invests in its employees, it shows a commitment to your success. While it may not be a formal process or a defined career progression, companies that invest in employees empower them to create their own paths.
Hannah Morgan writes and speaks on career topics and job search trends on her blog Career Sherpa. She co-authored "Social Networking for Business Success," and has developed and delivered programs to help job seekers understand how to look for work better.
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