Lots of people on a job hunt find the job they want and then go to hell for leather to get that role. However, in doing this there is one major oversight. When people apply for the job they want they don’t necessarily consider the company. It’s just as important to find the right company to work for.
Some argue that it’s even more important to find the right company and not necessarily find the perfect job that suits you. So what does it take to ensure that you identify the right job but also pinpoint the right company to work for that will be invaluable to your career development, as well as your professional and personal happiness?
Here are 7 effective ways to find the right company to work for;
1. Understand Yourself
One of the key parts of applying for the right roles is to get a better insight into your skills and strengths. The other side of the equation that will help you to find the right company to work for relates to your values. Your personal and professional values may be completely different. But if you are looking for a high salary, you’ve got to be aware that you may encounter more cutthroat companies because it’s all about earning more.
You have to understand what you want and what you can bring to the table for that company. When you understand what your values are and your long-term career goals, you can find an organization that will give you that perfect fit in the short and the long term.
2. Don’t Go for the Perfect Role
You may be selling yourself short because you are looking for the right job, but not necessarily the right organization. You may have goals to progress up the career ladder but can you sacrifice not having your ideal job right now for the sake of working in an organization that values its employees? This is why researching the right employers can guide you more towards how your skills can suit them, especially those companies that have a wide variety of jobs on offer. This is where platforms such as Glassdoor are invaluable.
You can find an ideal role that excites you but you can then encounter one Glassdoor review that really gives you an insight into how the company operates. It can be frustrating to find yourself looking for a role that is potentially beneath your skill set, but you’ve got to think big picture. Finding the right organization that truly looks after its employees is worth more than finding the right role right now that you will want to leave in a year because of a highly pressurized or toxic work environment.
Look for those organizations that consistently win awards. In the healthcare sector, the Jones Healthcare Group won the 2022-23 WILL Award, which recognizes an individual, group, or company that makes a contribution to support newcomer job seekers. Ensuring that you can put your ego to one side and find the right company to work for could serve you really well in the long run.
3. Look at the Current Employee Roster
If you are on the hunt for the right company you’ve got to do a lot of detective work. LinkedIn is a wonderful platform for this very reason. It doesn’t just help you to understand the company but it also helps you to understand the employees and if you can fit in with their overall approach to work. It also gives you a number of different insights.
If you can see a lot of employees that have been with the company for more than two years this is a good sign that they are happy to work there. Typically, people will look to change careers after two years and, in fact, some look to progress after one year. When you look at the current employee roster you will see the type of people that are part of the culture.
The culture of the organization is one of the critical components to ensure that you can find an organization that aligns with your values. Doing that LinkedIn research and then digging into those employees and their backgrounds will also give you a better insight into how you can tailor your application to their needs.
If you find someone that is similar to your skillset there is absolutely no problem in asking them for any advice. The worst thing they could say would be “no.” Reaching out to someone, especially if the HR manager is on LinkedIn, will also help you to get a feel for the company. A few messages back and forth will either cement your decision as to whether you should apply for them or not. You can achieve the same thing by messaging the person and asking for a phone conversation.
If you looking for a bit more background about the role and the organization itself, reaching out to someone allows you to speak to someone on the front line but it also will silly defy in your mind if they are worth applying for right there and then. We can message someone to discuss a role but if they do not reply after a week this pretty much will say it all. Granted, there are extenuating circumstances, for example, they are incredibly busy but don’t underestimate how you can get a feel for the company with one simple LinkedIn search.
4. Use the Interview Process
If there’s one mistake people can make about the interview process it’s that they try to make themselves fit in with the company and therefore don’t use the interview process as a way to get more insight about the company. When they ask you if you have any questions, you can ask a number of thoughtful questions about the values their mission their team structure as well as how they support employee goals.
The interview should give you an insight as to if the company’s values align with your own. You will see little indications that they prioritize well-being and professional development through your LinkedIn detective work but you can also use the interview to ask about the team dynamics, the company culture, and those important values that will solidify in your mind if they are worth working for. Remember, you could be offered the job but do you have to take it?
5. Do they Offer Trial Periods or Internships?
Finding the right company to work for you can be a lengthy process but while most people don’t have the opportunity to freelance for a company to get a proper insight or explore any form of contract work with the company can help you see if they’re worth committing to full time. Getting that real insight from the other side is going to help you understand if they really are worth working for.
6. Address the Perks
You need to identify if those values align with your own but you should also consider the potential for career advancement. Lots of organizations encourage growth from within and this can be a reason to go for an opportunity that is a bit lower than your current skill set. You might think that you should not do this because it pays less than what you’re used to. However, it’s about recognizing the impacts of doing this in the long term. The right company to work for that fits your needs will nurture employee growth and development.
Additionally, you should evaluate those compensation packages and recognize that it’s not just about salary but about everything else as well. They could be performance bonuses in addition to the salary, as well as a highly competitive 401K or pension contribution. When you find the right perks don’t just weigh them up against the salary but think about the compensation package on a grander scale.
7. Trust Your Gut
We can find a role that we think is perfect for us but we can overlook the company because we are set on a certain career path or a certain set the duties. The research process is critical because when you start to go through Glassdoor or LinkedIn and you start to find certain red flags, you shouldn’t ignore them but consider them in relation to what your overarching goals are.
Sometimes we can feel that the job is not going to go our way and this could be during the application process or hearing back from some employee via LinkedIn. It’s important to listen to these feelings. We can be determined to find something that pays an amazing salary, but an amazing salary doesn’t necessarily mean an amazing job.
We all have certain thresholds that we’d like to meet in life and when it comes to finding a job you will love, it is so important to remember that it’s not just about those benefits, but about ensuring that the right company to work for is about the time and effort that is essential for a fulfilling career. We can all be short-sighted because we want to get a great salary or a job that has infinite potential but it’s just as important to find the right employers as well because this will be the defining factor that contributes to your happiness.
