Hiring is a two-way transaction.
Hiring managers and company HR pros are collecting information about candidates that will enable them to make the best selection decisions. Candidates must do the same due diligence to learn everything possible upon which to base their career change decisions.
From the candidate’s perspective, information to make a career move is rather easy to find in today’s world. However, the world we live in still changes quickly and is complex. Company fortunes and leadership often change quickly. COVID-induced business dynamics mean that more data is needed to evaluate any possible move.
Here are a few quick but crucial tips on how you can do proper due diligence during your job search to make the best possible decision for yourself.
Growth – ORGANIC GROWTH. A great thing to look for in a new organization is growth, ideally top-line and bottom-line growth. Companies with a stout growth strategy can offer more career potential. Growing companies typically offer the best rewards, benefits, work time balance, equity, etc. However, all growth is not the same. Companies that have learned to grow organically have a leg up on those that don’t. Look for growth, and if they have ORGANIC GROWTH, give them extra points in your evaluation.
Finances – Learn to read a balance statement. Find out the company’s debt to equity, free flow of cash, and other financial indicators. There are many companies that have a lot of debt on their books. In today’s world with cheap cash available, that debt is not overly concerning but when rates start to change that debt eventually becomes a burden. The ability to have a strong balance sheet means the company has the ability to be adroit and take advantage of the market cycles.
Megatrends – Getting into certain fields and industries are strategic career moves. Some people will make lateral moves for small, but not insignificant compensation gains. Others will make sacrifices to get industry or technical expertise that translates to better opportunities in the future. Be the latter.
Brand – This is the external perception of the culture of a company. Be careful here. A company’s employer brand can linger-on, well past the reality. Is GE still a great company to work for? Why are unions forming at Google? What is it really like to work for Amazon? Is anything on Glassdoor really meaningful or useful around what it is really like to work at that company?
This is the area that requires the most amount of work and is an entire article or book in and of itself on how to get real information around the perception vs. the reality of working somewhere.
Boss – What will it be like to work for this person? You do not want to cyberstalk a boss prior to interviewing. As the process unfolds, you should use LinkedIn to evaluate what it might be like to work for this person and add any learning to your personal impression from the interview.
JIM KUHN | PRESIDENT
Kuhn Global Talent, LLC
O 216.780.0865 | www.kuhnglobaltalent.com
