What Research Will Help You Prepare Before You Apply for a Job? – Freesumes

Did you know that most people resign because of unmet expectations? They get “sold” one vision during the interview, which is then shattered with a completely different reality. That’s frustrating for both sides: Time and money get wasted. 

To avoid falling into the same trap you should always be researching employers before applying for a job — and here’s the kind of data to look up first. 

What Are You Looking for When You Research a Potential Employer?

When researching a company, you’d to learn six important things:

1. Company mission and values
2. Main products and services
3. Financial performance
4. Organizational structure
5. Work culture 
6. Salary and benefits 

Company Mission and Values 

When doing employer research, you first want a 411 on their mission and values. These are the guiding principles that shape the company’s culture and decision-making. 

Dig into their website and any public materials to get a scoop. Do they emphasize things like innovation, sustainability, or community impact? How do they talk about their purpose and the problems they’re trying to solve? You can then decide whether you want to work for this company. 

Also, company research gives you great nuggets for customizing your cover letter when applying. And if you get an interview invite, you’ll also know how to answer questions like “Why do you want to work here?” or “What motivates you?”. 

Key Products or Services 

Go a level deeper into your brand employer brand research and focus on the company’s product or services portfolio next. What do they actually do? How do they generate revenue? What sets them apart from the competition? Understanding their core is important for demonstrating business acumen in your application materials.

Pro tip: Double down on product research if you’re applying for roles in sales, marketing, or customer service. Most hiring managers will expect to see some degree of commercial awareness on your resume and cover letter. They’d also likely ask questions about their product/service lineup during an interview. 

Financial Indicators 

Knowing how the business is doing financially is key to avoiding unsavory surprises like low-ball salary offers or getting laid off for economic reasons. 

Try to track the following financial metrics: 

• Revenue trends over the past few years
• Profit margins and net income
• Debt levels and cash on hand
• Growth rate compared to industry peers
• Any major investments or acquisitions on the horizon

Doing this research will help you understand the company’s stability and whether it’s a solid long-term bet. 

Organizational Structure 

You want to know how the company is set up — who reports to who, what the different teams and departments are, and how decisions get made. This will give you a better idea of whom you may interact with during different types of interviews (so that you could research those peeps too!). 

Also, an org chart gives you a preview of the company culture.  Is it a flat, collaborative structure or a more traditional, hierarchical one?  Do they have clear career paths for different roles? These are important tidbits to figure out if the gig is really for you. 

Work Culture

The last thing you’d want is to walk into a toxic workplace.  So do your due diligence — check employee reviews on sites like Glassdoor. Run a quick search on LinkedIn to see if there are any rants or controversies. 

Next, peruse all the available employer branding materials to understand the employer’s take on:

• Preferrer team dynamics 
• Leadership principles
• Work-life balance 
• Flexible work arrangements  

Doing this research also helps you prepare for a culture-fit interview, something most companies do these days. 

Employee Benefits and Compensation

Lastly, you don’t want to waste time on a job that doesn’t pay well. Legally, employers in 16 states including California, New York, Colorado, Washington DC, and Ohio among others must disclose pay ranges in job ads. If this information wasn’t included, you can reach out to the recruiter directly for a ballpark. They can’t refuse this information and if they do, you’ve probably dodged a bullet. 

You can also find more deets, you can head to anonymous salary curation websites and check if there’s any data about your target company: 

Getting a good number is important as you may be asked to state your desired salary range in a cover letter or an online job application form. Having a number in mind also helps you better negotiate a salary during the final interview stages. 

At the same time, don’t forget about the benefits. A smaller base pay may be still worth it if the company provides other great perks like full health insurance coverage, an accommodation stipend, an annual education budget, or a lavish relocation package.  

Conclusion 

Remember: Research isn’t icky snooping. A good potential employer wants you to research it before your interview because they value everyone’s time. Few companies want to coerce people into working with them (because that only breeds low morale and high turnover). 

Instead, most search for candidates who vibe with the company mission, culture, and growth ambition — and have the right skill sets to improve all of these. By spending an extra hour on research, you can learn exactly what the company seeks, check this against your compass, and then perfectly tailor your application to their expectations.