What Is the best way to gauge a company’s culture for a strategic job search when you don’t have a personal contact there?

Dori

March 9,2023 at 1:57PM UTC

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What Is the best way to gauge a company’s culture for a strategic job search when you don’t have a personal contact there? Sometimes what a company portrays on its social media may be misleading.

(I will be targeting remote-first companies, advocacy for women, work/life balance values, etc. )

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AnonymousMarch 9,2023 at 3:14PM UTC
Without an inside source, this is hard to gauge. LinkedIn is a good place to connect with current or past employees of companies and is generally more candid with fewer "trolls" than other sites. When you do connect for an interview, these are essential questions to ask them. Ask them to give examples of how they help employees manage work/life balance and what specific benefits apply.
Jennifer WeaverMarch 9,2023 at 6:45PM UTC
This is so hard! I use Glassdoor reviews as the bible for culture because I didn't listen to the reviews for one of my jobs and they ended up being spot on. It was horrible. I know some people consider the negative reviews to be unhappy former employees. And yes, they are. So listen to them. If the same thing is said over and over, it's probably true. Indeed has reviews too.
AnonymousMarch 9,2023 at 9:08PM UTC
Follow the company to keep up on what they are doing. As mentioned, check out Glassdoor for candid reviews, and then try to connect with some people there. You may have a mutual connection who can provide an introduction.