Researching A Company Like An Insider For Your Career Jump!
When you are in the midst of back-to-back interviews, making your career jump, hunting jobs with multiple companies to evaluate, confusion is natural. You must have 100s of questions about the company but no reliable source of information. While you may feel like spraying and praying to strike an immaculate career jump, you still hold the power.
“A majority of respondents (61%) to a Glassdoor survey said that they found aspects of a new job different than what they had expected based on the interview process. Company culture was cited as one of the factors that differ most.”
~ Harvard Business Review (How to Find Out If a Company’s Culture Is Right for You, Kristie DePaul)
The struggle of finding the culture fit is real, not only for the companies, but for you as well.
This guide is your opportunity to gain deep understanding on the company you’re targeting to join. Now it is possible for you to identify if a job is really a gem, pin down opportunities to close the open position, explore unexpected career keys, gain insights into the company as good as an insider, and sideline the companies with culture misfit to allow greater opportunities to show up. This is exactly what you’ll achieve with this comprehensive guide.
1. How to define your Culture Fit
In order to identify a perfect leadership role you must have an ideal culture fit mapped out in the first place. Why is it critical to check that the culture of the company aligns with your values?Because when company culture and your values are in sync, your career satisfaction, motivation and achievements peak.
Here’s a quick practical way to clearly define your culture fit —>
2. How to tap the Company Insiders
2. a. Tapping Network For Information
Key people to consider while investigating a company before an interview or before accepting the job offer:
Existing network working in this organization
Existing network who have connections in the organization and can help you connect too
Existing employees you can reach out to on LinkedIn
Former employees in your network or on LinkedIn
Former leader in this role
💡 Tapping untapped network on LinkedIn
Using LinkedIn filters set to 3-degree connection, adding the company profile of your target organization (presently working or former employee), or common educational background, you are highly likely to pave a path toward your desired point of contact.
💡 If your targeted point of contact is part of a community, preferably join the community, provided it is feasible and you have time in your hand to do your research.
Your exploratory discussion should least sound like an interview. Try to establish an informal setting that can smoothen the discussion and lead your point of contact to open up.
2. b. Landing an Informational Interview
Step 1:
There are 3 ways to go about it:
Reach out to an internal employee through your network
Reach out to HR to help you connect with the right person
Reach out to existing/former employees on LinkedIn or other platforms (prefer someone with common background as you)
Step 2:
Send a brief note that explains who referred you (if there is someone), describes your interest in learning more about the company or career path, and outlines the discussion. If you are already considering joining the company, state that as well. Ask for a 30-minute informational interview at their convenience.
Ask for a meet-up with a venue convenient to them. If that’s not possible then ask for a Google meet. Remember that you are willing to build a relationship that should ideally survive longer. If connecting over a video call is a no-no then settle for a telephone discussion.
Venue of ease: Lunch, Coffee near their office/location
Venue of interest: Sports club, Galleries, Community your point-of-contact is interest in
Remote meeting: Preferred platform for connecting (Skype, Google Meet, Zoom, etc)
Step 3:
Follow up. You may not get a response on the first attempt as your targeted contact may be running busy.
2. c. Correct Approach to Informational/Exploratory Interview
Ask for advice:
Keep in mind that you are not asking for any favor with job or recommendation. You’d be delighted with some insights into how macro and micro tasks take shape within the organization.
Mention your referral (if any):
“Our mutual friend, Deepti Sinha, suggested that I contact you…”
Explain your stance:
“I have been working in development for nonprofit organizations for the last five years and am currently looking for my next opportunity. I would love to hear your advice on areas to explore.”
Questions to ask the existing & former employees —>
Conclude the interview by asking about the best way to stay in contact. Within 24 hours of the interaction, reach out to the individual to convey your gratitude for their time.
💡 Be prepared to answer certain questions that may arise in the mind of the person across you.
🔴 Red Flags
Vague answer on “why you like working here”
Frequent hiring & firing
A repeating challenge that company is facing can be due to bigger management challenges
Culture is not matching your values
Office politics and authoritative leadership style
🟡 Yellow Flags
Alienated employees due to remote work culture
Vague answers to most of the questions. The individual might have a guard up unwilling to share details.
🟢 Green Flags
Company is a culture match
Former employees speak mostly good about their working experiences and departure
A company challenge that your expertise can resolve
Projects that interest you
Healthy attrition rate
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3. How to read the In-office Environment
In-office visit is not an option, it’s a must if you are going to work from office and if the company has an office space. If you didn’t go the route of an Exploratory interview within the company premises, you may still reach early for your interview and explore.
Here are the key aspects you should focus on when you visit the office:
3. a The office built & environment
Open spaces or closed cabins?
Concrete walls or glass walls?
This Hints: Collaborative or individualistic environment
3. b. Your working space
Is this somewhere you envision yourself working for years to come?
This Hints: Whether it seems like a right fit for your vision
3. c. Environment
Is the environment dynamic or settled down?
Is the workforce mostly young, or middle aged?
This Hints: Whether the company values experience over innovation or vice versa
3. d. Cafeteria
Hang around the cafeteria during lunch hour if possible. The employees are more off guard and the conversations around you may spark a point of interest or insight. This is, in fact, one of the places where original discussions take place.
This Hints: You may come across discussions or energy levels suggestive of either burnout culture or work-life balance.
🔴 Red Flags
A comparatively younger fresh workforce may also suggest that the company is not willing to pay a high package.
The training and development of the young workforce might be a challenge for the company. Take a note so that you can ask relevant questions in the interview.
🟡 Yellow Flags
You witnessed open spaces workstations but the energy fell flat
🟢 Green Flags
Happier & engaging employees
High number of young employees could suggest active hiring (or firing and hiring, that you must pick up in your interview)
4. How to access Finance & Project Information
Do an in-depth research on the financials of the company. If the company is publicly listed, it is convenient to find the reports online. However, if the company is not listed, it may be a challenge. Either way, you can gain terrific insights into the finances and projects of the company in the following ways.
4. a. Questions to ask yourself & your network about finances
These are some questions you can answer yourself or raise in the Exploratory interview:
How long has the company been in business?
Has it been profitable over the past several years?
Has the company recently merged with another company – or does it seem poised to do so? This could signal a period of upheaval where layoffs are not only possible but likely during the restructuring process.
4. b. Digging up financial reports
Public companies have their reports published and you can find them easily. However, did you think digging into a private company’s finances in India would be difficult? It’s time we change that opinion with a fact. Every registered company, even private limited companies have its financial report available online at the government’s site.
Toggle to see how you can get access to almost any Indian registered company’s finances.
For overall company information:
Go to the website of MCA (Ministry of Corporate Affairs)
Home > MCA Services > MCA Master Data > Company LL Master Data
Type in the company’s name and company CIN.
If you don’t know CIN then you can look up the CIN by clicking on the search icon beside the Company Name’s field.
This sheet will open an overall data of loan taken, open loans and closed loans.
For the complete financial report:
Home > MCA Services > Document related services > View public documents
Type company’s name and CIN and you can see the financial reports of the company.
💡 Note:
You can download and view the report by paying INR 100 for each financial report
You must register yourself on MCA website and log in to your account in order to download the report.
💡 It’s easy to investigate if the company or company’s Director is under a prosecution case on MCA website.
4. c. Making best use of the News
Here’s what to look for:
Financial news about the company - pay cuts, new projects, layoffs, mergers, acquisitions, new shareholders on board, investment rounds, valuation.
Economic outlooks for the industry - industry growth or decline, latest revolutions, major players, major projects (governmental projects auctioned), how can it play in favor or against the company you are eyeing at?
Competitor information and activities - the segments where the competitors are doing better, the factors associated with their successes, identifying the areas of growth, and identifying what is hindering growth in that segment.
4. d. Uncovering finances & projects during the interview
• How much of your business is concentrated in a few major accounts or clients?
• When was the last time something detrimental happened–like losing a major client or a round of layoffs–and how did management handle it?
• Can you describe the last time you pursued a bold new idea as an organization?
🔴 Red Flags
The company receives financial backing from a family that’s also a part of management.
Pay cuts & lay off can make employees feel insecure and a hands-down challenge for you to deal with
Consistently high expenses in “Others” section of balance sheet
Increasing Debt Equity ratio
Consistently decreasing revenues
Fluctuating cash flow
Undesirable fluctuation in the market price of shares
A pending lawsuit against the company
Board members looking for an out
Speedy hiring
🟡 Yellow Flags
The interviewer being vague about the answers is usual. You must notice the consistency in what you’ve found through your research.
🟢 Green Flags
Even if the company is currently burning, you have a gut feeling and you can see how this company can turn profitable.
You like the product
Strong attrition rate
Clean balance sheet
Growing revenues
A clean media image of the company leaders and the company
5. How to read between the lines (Optional)
Important Note: This section is subjective to your personal preferences in work culture. The information covered here is suitable for younger professionals who are still in the early stages of company evaluation.
5. a. Job Description
The way a job description is written, speaks volumes of the work culture at the organization. The phrases used are not only the expectations from the candidate but also, the grounds widely used across the organization to evaluate success and failure.
“By thoroughly researching the employer you increase your chances of making a positive and memorable first impression. I would recommend digging deeper than just general knowledge about an employer”, says Nicole, Hiring Expert at the Manpower Group.
🔴 Red Flags
Job description is poorly written
The list of “must haves” goes on and on and on and….
🟡 Yellow Flags
If the JD doesn’t talk about why it is beneficial for YOU to work at this company
Possible signs of burnout culture or that management aren’t clear of your role.
"fast-paced environment”
"self-starter”
"work hard, play hard”
Candidate needs to be “resourceful”.
💡 These might as well be your culture fit and green flags instead. Don’t mark a job unfit based on one uncertainty. You can evaluate the real meaning behind these phrases by asking the right questions to the right people. We’ve discussed this in the section 2.
🟢 Green Flags
50% of the JD talks about why it is beneficial for YOU to work at this company
Here’s what we offer
Here’s what you get working here
Here’s the awesome team you’ll be working with
5. b. Socials
Social media platforms (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest,) offer valuable insights about the company culture, customer service, and how they interact with others. You can also get an idea of how forward-thinking the business is from social media entries. Businesses that are looking forward to the future are engaging their audiences, interacting with them, teasing them, and keeping them on the hook – eagerly awaiting the next big reveal.
After looking at the company’s social handles, it’s time to run through the employee’s social handles as well to catch some unexpected angle to the company.
🔴 Red Flags
Controversial comments or campaigns that do not align with your values
🟡 Yellow Flags
The company keeps a diplomatic stance on social handles
Lack of real office time sneak peeks = Lack of transparency
🟢 Green Flags
The company has a similar social and cultural stance as you, evident on social handles
The company runs campaigns and acts on issues that matter to you
You can see intra-organizational activities and voice of employees uploaded often
5. c. Website
About Us Page This is the page where you can learn about the business, its products and/or services, origins, key company leaders, and mission statement.
Job Seekers/Career Section
You can go through the Job Description for not only your prospected Job position but also other JDs. Try to understand which departments are getting a newer workforce, what is designation/experience level required, what might be the growth rate based on this, and what else can you figure out.
🔴 Red Flags
The company is not actively hiring.
🟡 Yellow Flags
Most of the attributes or values you find on the page will be yellow flags as these are not tested truth. Instead these are what the company conveys about itself.
A missing Mission statement.
🟢 Green Flags
Transparency of its office culture with a dedicated sub-page.
5. d. External Review Sites
There are multiple sites like Glassdoor, Indeed, Comparably, Muse, and CareerBliss that provide company authentic reviews. Don’t account for one unique complaint as a red flag. Instead, look for red flags like multiple reviews that describe similar negative experiences.
People take the initiative to post genuine negative and positive feedback only when they are driven to extreme in their experience. Kindly remember that majority of the staff members exist in the middle and you will not find their reviews on these sites. Please also check for timeliness of the reviews provided.
🔴 Red Flags
Many people complaining about the same/identical issue
Extensively glowy feedback is often posted by companies to balance out negative reviews. Be wary of those reviews. It’s possible to identify such reviews as they lack personal anecdotes and references and paint only a heavenly picture of the company and the management.
🟡 Yellow Flags
No patterns in the negative reviews found
🟢 Green Flags
Very few/No negative reviews
Good average ratings from employees
Apparently real positive reviews
Final words
You must have earmarked that the best source of insider information is people. No wonder smarter people join communities, learn, share tremendous benefits, and grow in the rarest top roles. Sparklehood is building & helping the top 2% of professionals to tap growth opportunities limited to Industry elites.
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