RESEARCH POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS

"Not being familiar with the company you're interviewing with will hurt your chances in as many as 75% of the interviews you encounter."  *

*From:  The Robert Half Way to Get Hired in Today's Job Market.

From this statistic, it is apparent how important researching a potential employer is in your job search.  Researching also has other advantages: the more informed you are about an employer, the better 
you will be able to answer and ask questions in an interview.  The research may also help you decide whether you want to work for the organization.  With the knowledge gained from your research, you will impress the interviewer with your interest in his/her organization and enter the interview with increased confidence.

Use our Vault On-line Career Library to identify and research employers.
   
Questions and Issues to Consider When Looking for Information on an Employer
1.   If the organization is a business, what is its financial status and growth record?  Who are its major competitors?  How does it rank in the industry?

2.   If it is a non-profit or public service organization, what purpose does it serve?  How is it funded? Who does it serve? What functions does it perform?

3.   What is the public image of the organization/company?

4.   Does the product line have a quality image?

5.   Do future trends look good for the services or products?

6.   Are there plans to offer new services or products?

7.   Are there plans for expansion or retrenchment?

8.   To whom does the company/organization sell its goods or products?

9.   What new divisions have been recently formed or old divisions sold? 

10. Is the company/organization a division of a larger organization or is it independently run?

11.     How old is the  company/organization?

12.     What is its history of development and growth?

13.     What does the organizational chart look like?

14.     How centralized is the organizational structure?

15.     How does one advance within the organization?

16.     What is the stated and/or underlying philosophy of the company/organization?

17.     What are the company president's or organizational heads' primary concerns for the next year?

18.     Who are the key people that run the company/organization and what are their backgrounds?

19.     What is the company/organization's preconceived idea of what "their" kind of people are?

20.     How are the policies and procedures of this organization different compared to its competitors?  What is the reasoning for this?

21.     With what professional organizations are employees affiliated?

22.     What kind of training do new and current employees receive?

23.     To whom would I directly report?

24.     What is the employee turnover rate in the company/organization?

25.     Where are the headquarters of the company/organization?  Where are its branches?  Are there opportunities for me at all branches?

26.     Is the company/organization family owned?  If so, how will this affect advancement?

27.     To what degree is the company/organization involved in the community? 

28.     What are some of the key phrases, buzz words or jargon used in the industry?

29.     What are current legislative or political issues that affect the company/organization and industry/field?


You will get answers to some of these questions through your research.  To answer others you may need to ask them in an interview, if you feel it's appropriate.



RESOURCES FOR OBTAINING INFORMATION ON EMPLOYERS

Written Resources Other Resources
Annual Reports (CSC and directly from the employer) Customers/Consumers
Employer Literature (CSC and directly from the employer Competitors

National Association of Colleges
and Employers (NACE)

Stockbrokers/Financial Planners

Professional Journals (Roy O. West) Trade and professional associations
Trade Magazines (Roy O. West) DePauw alumni
Electronic Reference Resources allow you to access articles from books, periodicals, journals & magazines (Roy O. West) Employees of the organization
Directories:
* specifically for business and industry:
.Standard and Poor's Register
.Moody's Corporate Manuals
.Dun & Bradstreet:  Million Dollar Directory
.Everybody's Business:  An Almanac (an Irrelevant Guide to Corporate America)		 Communications, Public Relations or Personnel Office of the employer
*Stock Reports (from stockbrokers) People mentioned in trade journals.
*Organizational Charts
The person who set up the interview or who will conduct it.
*Employer's Advertisements  
*Newspaper and Magazine Articles:
.Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature
.Business Periodical Index
.New York Times Index
.Wall Street Journal Index
.For small companies:  the local newspaper		  
White and Yellow Pages of the local phone book.  
10-K Form:  Every public company must file this report with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).