Analyzing Your Potential Employer
There are many important areas of preparation to deal with prior to the interview. By thoroughly preparing, you increase your chances of making a positive first impression. One of the most important steps involves researching the employer.
It is annoying for an employer to talk with a candidate who doesn’t have any knowledge about the company. A favorite question asked is, “Why are you interested in our organization?” If you don’t know anything about the employer, you won’t be able to answer the question intelligently.
Researching the organization also helps determine whether your goals will fit the promotional structures defined by that employer. For example, there are some employers who have a reputation for being conservative and if you cannot fit in with this type of work environment, you know that talking to the organization would be a waste of time.
It is wise to begin researching employers when you begin the job search process. You may find a great deal of information and you must be able to sort out the pertinent information and retain the key facts. The other circumstance may be you find limited information about the employer and you may have to contact the employer for information.
If you are interviewing with a number of different employers, it’s smart to keep a file on each one. As you do more research, the file will help you keep facts organized making the preparation easier.
The information in each file should include articles from periodicals or newspapers, tips and comments from others and annual reports. When it is time to write your cover letter and prepare for the interview, you can organize the information in a way that will impress the employer during the interview.
Before searching for background information about a potential employer, first determine what kind of information you’re looking for. Then determine where to find that information. Take this research project one step at a time and allow yourself enough time.
It’s a mistake to assume you know enough about the organization without doing any research. For example, you may know that Ralston Purina makes pet food, but are you aware the company also makes cereal for humans, owns a major tuna fish company, and owns and operates resorts and restaurants? You may be talking with a subsidiary of a much larger company and not realize it.
- Size of organization in industry
- Annual sales growth for past five years
- Complete product line or services
- Potential new products or services
- Age of top management and their backgrounds
- Location of corporate headquarters
- Number of plant, stores, and outlets
- Recent developments visa news stories
- Name and correct spelling of interviewer
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- Potential growth
- Competition
- Geographical locations
- Organizational structure
- Type of training program
- Promotional path
- Relocation policies
- History of organization
- Typical career path in your field
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Some information will not be available and you should ask the employer for clarification during the interview. Tell the interviewer you are aware of certain policies with in the organization (proving you have some knowledge of the company), but you would like to discuss certain management policies in more detail.
Never leave the interview without knowing the interviewer’s name (including correct spelling), title, and address. This information will be invaluable when you begin your correspondence with the organization. If you are not comfortable asking the interviewer their name contact the company after the interview to make sure you have the correct name and spelling.
Researching an organization can be done through a variety of sources. The primary source should be annual reports and employment brochures. While this information is prepared by the organization and includes predominantly positive information, it is a good starting place. All publicly held companies are required to report to their stockholders via annual reports. If the library does not have necessary information, you can contact the organization directly. The library should also have different business periodicals and newspapers. Robert Q. Traxel, author of Manager’s Guide to Successful Job Hunting, suggests using the following publication.
- The Wall Street Journal
- Barron’s
- Dun’s Review
- Business Week
- Forbes
- Fortune
- Trade Publication
- Finance and business section of local newspapers
Many versions of these publications can also be found on the Internet. Useful directories include:
- Standard and Poor’s corporation records
- Dunn and Bradstreet reference library
- Moody’s manuals
- Thomas’ Register of American Manufacturers
This may seem like a great deal of work to go through just to be prepared for the interview. Finding the right job is had work and should be approached in such a manner as to stack the odds in your favor.
The market place is very competitive and you’re trying to market a product – yourself – successfully! Remember, you are tying to create a positive impression by appearing informed and goal-directed. One way to demonstrate your goals is to indicate during the interview what interests you in that specific organization and how your goals, qualifications, and personality fit that employer’s opportunity.
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