How to Use Glassdoor for Job Searching
When you’re looking for a job, it’s important to do research on the types of roles you’re interested in, which companies are hiring, and what these companies are like. We spend a lot of time at work, so the work environment and company culture will likely be big factors in deciding on your next career move. Remember — as much as you’ll be interviewing for a job, you’ll also be interviewing companies to identify which one you think will be the best fit for you and your talents.
Luckily, there are some great sources out there to learn more about a company, from social media profiles and employers’ career pages to job boards and blog articles. One that I’ve found very useful in the past is Glassdoor — a platform that gives you a closer look at companies through the lens of their people. Review their company profile, browse photos, and read reviews from current (and past) employees to better understand their company and recruitment process. Here are some ways you can use Glassdoor in your job search to get more insight into the employers you’re considering.
Company culture
Employers use company profiles to share information about their company they feel would be valuable to candidates, like what their company values are, what their team culture is like, what makes them stand out as an employer, and what the perks and benefits are of working with them. They can also share company updates, giving you a closer look at what’s happening within the company and some of their recent accomplishments.
Glassdoor reviews
Employee reviews on Glassdoor can be a great resource during your job hunt. Before getting started, a helpful strategy is to think about what’s important to you when you’re considering a new role. If you have these factors in mind while reading through reviews on Glassdoor, you’ll be able to pick out what information is most relevant and useful for you.
Pro Tip: Look for common themes! No two experiences (and thus, reviews) will be the same, but it’s a good idea to keep track of whether or not a theme exists.
Read through the reviews on a company’s Glassdoor profile and make a note of the things that come up over and over again, positive or negative. These are most likely to be reflective of real benefits (or issues!) at a company. Looking for themes will also help you identify outliers. When there’s a review that’s drastically different from everything else you’ve been reading, it’s advisable to take it with a grain of salt. If there are any themes that stick out to you, make a note of them and ask about them during your interview.
Particularly in the fast-moving and ever-changing tech industry, it’s important to pay attention to the dates of the reviews. The newest reviews from current employees will likely be the most relevant and will give you the best look at the culture within a company as it stands today. Take advantage of Glassdoor’s sort feature to organize reviews from most recent to oldest or use their filter feature to sort reviews by role, location or employment type.
Interview reviews
The interview process can be the most difficult and nerve-wracking part of the whole job search process, and it’s different at each company. With Glassdoor’s interview reviews, you can get a preview of other candidates’ experiences. Reading through these can be helpful — not only will other job seekers share what the process looked like (from the different steps they went through to how interviews were structured to how long the entire process took), but Glassdoor also gives them the option to share questions they were asked during their interviews. Use these insights to get ready for your own interview! This way, you’ll be fully prepared and already have great answers in mind. As I mentioned before, not everyone will write rave reviews (especially if they were rejected) so take what you read with a grain of salt and find the key pointers that can help you succeed during your interviews.
What is the employer saying?
One of the most important things that I look for on Glassdoor is whether or not a company has responded to past reviews. This is especially important whenever there are critical reviews — if a company representative responds to these concerns thoughtfully and sincerely, it shows that they take both the experience their employees have, the candidate experience, and the culture that they are building seriously. In my experience, employers showcase whether they value feedback and their willingness to learn and grow in how they respond to reviews. If it sounds defensive or accusatory, it could be a red flag.
Salary estimates
Another feature that Glassdoor offers is a salary comparison tool. While it’s a great idea to do your research and determine the value of your role to an organization, the salaries listed on Glassdoor will never be completely accurate. This can happen when there is too little data (one or two data points isn’t reflective of the norm) and other data is used in the calculation in order to compensate for this. To get a better sense of salaries for similar roles, you can review multiple sources of data in addition to Glassdoor, like government data, industry reports, Payscale, and other research.
Another thing to keep in mind is the total compensation package. Remember that things like vacation time, a flexible work environment, and health benefits are other factors you should consider the value of in addition to salary. Take a step back and ask yourself — what’s most important to you?
By doing your research and using a tool like Glassdoor, you already know an amazing workplace can impact your career growth and job happiness. Keep in mind what’s most important to you in order to find the information you need. Use the resources you have, from the company website and social media profiles to Glassdoor reviews and different reports on salaries, to do your own due diligence when job searching. With this information in hand, you’re well on your way to making an informed decision and finding a role (and an employer) that will be a great fit for you and your career goals!
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