Author : Scott Shireman
Many people seeking a new job or a change in careers believe that all of the power in the employment process is in the hands of the employer. Nothing could be further from the truth if the goal is a long term mutually beneficial and respectful business relationship.If you look at the basis for any type of successful relationship it requires both parties to be interested in each other. This process often requires mutual meetings in a variety of situations. If all of the interest of questions are from only one side of the potential relationship it is one sided from the beginning and doomed for failure as a result of unexpressed desires, wishes or needs which lead to resentments. Where there is communication there is understanding, where there is understanding there is no room for misunderstanding.Most successful companies do some type of research on prospective employees. Companies often require references of potential employees. These can be from previous employers, friends and coworkers or even clients (if it is a sales or management position). Depending on the exact nature of the position sometimes companies require more sensitive information such as personal finance info.Companies are looking at potential employees as investments. Any intelligent type of investment requires research. So why then do employees often fail to do an equal type of research on their possible employers? The answer quite simply is FEAR. Many people are afraid that if they ask too many questions or they are to inquisitive the employer will look at them less than favorably.Reality proves be quite the opposite of this fear based thought process. Many employers in today's market are impressed when prospective employees approach the hiring process from a more thorough, balanced and inquisitive approach.Extensive research and questioning of prospective employers is vital if one is to make an intelligent choice in employment. There are a great number of ways to find out if the company you are seeking employment with is the right one for you.• Have a list of questions to ask the interviewer from the first meeting that can give you some insight into the overall company philosophy.–What is the average time that employees have been with the company?
What separates this company from your competition?
What qualities do you look for when hiring new employees?
Does your company have written job descriptions for all positions?
Does your company have a business plan?
Can I meet with the President of CEO of the company?
Looking back on the last year how close did your company come to achieving or surpassing the goals of the company?• Talk to vendors of the company – Sometimes vendors will be hesitant to be specific about company's business practices. Often when the company being inquired about has a stellar reputation vendors are the first to sing their praises! Sometimes when a company has any type of financial troubles their vendors will be the first to suffer the consequences.• Talks to their competition – Often competitors have a better prospective on a rival business than their own company. This is especially true in very competitive markets, industries or geographic areas of the country. A word of caution here about motives. Always consider the motives of the company you are speaking with. After all you are asking them about the "enemy". If they are threatened by another companies success this tells you something too. You have to be able to translate this information into useful info to help you base your decision.• Tour the company or plant – Much can be learned about a company and the atmosphere of it by a simple plant tour. Notice the environment as you tour. Is it clean and organized? Do the employees look happy? How do the employees interact with you and the person giving you the tour?• Talk to current and past employees – If the company you are interviewing is open for you to speak to employees in their company that have nothing to do with the hiring process it often speaks highly of how secure they are in their business. It can also give you some information about how much the company values it's employees. If you can speak to past employees they can be a valuable source of information also. It is important to remember that past employees can also have a biased based on what the terms of their departure was. If the employee was terminated for any reason there lies a chance that they will have a negative opinion of the company only as a result of the "end".• Internet Research – I can't stress this point enough. The available information on the Internet is of great value. The companies web site can be helpful but will certainly give you a one sided view. If it does not tell you that they are a great company, what the company does, what the overall beliefs of the company are and how they help their clients, this is a big red flag! Spend some time doing other internet research by doing a web search on the companies name, product or service. It can also be helpful to search their trade organizations for information on them also. Many successful companies will have articles published about them in their local newspapers, business journals or trade/industry publications.Approaching the hiring process from this prospective will not only give the potential employee a more realistic view of the company but a greater sense of power in the hiring process. This approach also greatly reduces the chance of surprises after joining the company. When using this approach with a prospective company the superior companies will often be impressed with the thoroughness of the potential employee and will increase the "value" of their "investment".Scott A. Shireman, Louisville, Kentucky - 25 years in printing and graphic communications
shireman@insightbb.com
Keyword : Interview, Employment, Hiring,
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