Using Employer Review Sites in Your Job Search

You’re looking to make a job change. You’ve tried doing research by asking around about companies and checking on their websites but that doesn’t seem like enough. Maybe one (or more) of your last companies had sub optimal work environments, leadership styles and/or pay ceilings. 🏢

With so many options available, it can be challenging to know which companies are truly worth considering. Sorta seems like every company says it’s a “Best Place to Work”. 🤔

Maybe give some employee review sites a spin. These platforms provide invaluable insights into what it’s like to work at a company, giving you an insider’s picture of the culture, management, and overall employee satisfaction. 💫

Here are some of the top sites for employer evaluations. Most, if not all, offer salary reports/surveys, interview tips and Q&A sections as table stakes. Here are a few with some differentiators:

💡 Glassdoor Glassdoor has been a go-to resource for job seekers for years, and for good reason. The site boasts millions of company reviews, leadership/management ratings, salary reports, job interview tips, and more.

💡 Comparably. One of the most unique features of Comparably is its Bliss Score, which is calculated based on employee satisfaction, pay scale, and overall happiness.

💡 Jobcase, Inc. One of the most unique features of Jobcase is its focus on community. The site has a strong social media presence, and its users are encouraged to connect with one another to share tips and advice.

💡 Blind is a popular platform where employees can anonymously discuss their experiences at work and review their employers’ culture, management and overall work environment. It is primarily used by employees in the tech industry, but it is expanding its reach to other sectors as well.

💡 Levels.fyi  A couple of the unique features of Levels.fyi are its use of crowdsourced data and its focus on helping job seekers understand the salary negotiation process and how to get the best possible deal.

In the past, I’ve been reluctant to give much credence to employer evaluation sites as they have typically been frequented by mostly complainers. Those engaged with their work are usually too busy to be posting online – they show their satisfaction by excelling in their job. Over the years, however, enough data has been compiled and controls put in place to mitigate some of this. 📈

So if you’re doing research on a company, one or more of these five sites are excellent resources to learn more about a company before joining it. Each site offers a unique set of features and benefits, and by using them together (and taking everything with a grain of salt), you can get a well-rounded view of what it’s like to work at a company.

#careers #careercoach #cpacareers #workplaceculture #warfortalent