What are the best ways to analyze a company's website for job search research?

I prefer to ask these questions while researching on the company's website to get an overview: 1) What is the core mission or purpose of the company? Understanding the company's mission provides insight into its overall goals and values. 2) What products or services does the company offer, and how do they distinguish themselves in the market? This helps in assessing the company's offerings and its unique value proposition. 3) Are there any recent news, updates, or blog posts? Staying informed about recent developments provides a sense of the company's current activities, industry involvement, and overall vitality.

Employers want to evidence that you’ve done your due diligence, that you have considered that they do, stand for and that you actually want to work for THEM as oppose to just a good graduate recruiter. This means ‘going the extra mile’ in your understanding of what they do (beyond what is blatantly obvious information on their website) and showing that you have considered what they stand for and have found an alignment to your own perspectives / values / visions. Always pay attention to what the organisations ‘brand’ stands for (mission statement and values) and have a reason why that aligns with what matters to you and be able to use their words / values in an example or situation that has impacted or mattered to you.

Dentro do site da empresa, é importante buscar um pouco da história da empresa, sua miss?o, vis?o e valores e ver se eles se alinham com seus valores pessoais. Além disso, é importante saber mais sobre o negócio da empresa e como ela se posiciona no mercado. Agora uma procura importante, que n?o está no site da empresa, é buscar informa??es sobre funcionários que trabalham ou já trabalharam. Para isso, eu oriento pesquisas no Linkedin e no site Glassdoor. No Linkedin tem muitos profissionais que dividem suas experiências em processos seletivos ou mostram sua rotina diária. No Glassdoor você consegue visualizar a média salarial e o depoimento de quem participou de entrevistas ou que trabalham ou já trabalharam na empresa.

I find one of the most telling places to look on a company's website is where they have pictures and bios of key leadership and/or board members. Is there diversity? Do any of those people look like you?

A company's website sections provide a snapshot of its core information and show its priorities. This process is a great way to learn more about the company and its core values. It's important to prepare to engage with the company, whether as a potential customer, job seeker, or partner, as it helps establish a foundational knowledge base for informed interactions.

In my opinion, the best way to understand a company's culture and personality is to go through some of the employee initiatives the company offers. By looking for evidence on policies, benefits and development opportunities, it is easy to assess the company's culture and personality.

Take a look at a companies partners they have listed. You will usually find this listed on a button " partners who trust us " or a scrolling feed of logo's in color or greyed out. See who their customers are and will help give you an understanding of why the company exists in the first place before going deeper.

Examine how they position themselves against competitors and address customer needs to gather valuable data for assessing their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Check out social media platforms and blogs to see how they handle feedback and criticism. This will provide insights into their adaptability and commitment to improvement, which are essential factors in evaluating a potential business partnership or employment opportunity.

Taking a look at the companies executive leadership team is a tremendous strategy. Sometimes a company will have the executive teams LinkedIn pages tagged in the team members section. Click each one and see if you have any connections to the following: - college they attended - previous place of employment - similar charity work

Don't forget to explore downloadable resources and webinars as they can provide an in-depth understanding of the company's expertise and industry engagement. Thorough research that goes beyond the surface can help make more informed decisions and assessments of a company's credibility.

One thing that I have found helpful, is not to rely solely on the companies webpage. If they are on social media, look into their presence on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. This may give you some insight into their involvement in the community, what they support, etc. You can use this in connecting with the interviewer if it reflects your values and interests.

In my experience, the best way to understand some hidden information is by directly interacting with some of the leadership mentioned on the website. This can be done by sending an invite to some employees from the company on LinkedIn and directly having a conversation. This way, one can form a healthy relationship and learn more about the inner workings of the company.

To check if the information gathered is factual, it is wise to compare consistency across sources on the internet. For example, if a company claims that their employees are happy with work-life balance, one could probably check if people have spoken about this positively on websites such as Glassdoor, Indeed, Reddit, LinkedIn etc, and look for any proof of employee testimonials. The more that validate the information, the more confidence one has in the source.

I find other resources to be much more neutral and factual than the company's website. I can usually find really good, reliable information in Wikipedia, as well as glassdoor.com.

Industry publications and associations can offer a broader industry perspective, while online directories and review sites may provide candid feedback from employees and customers. Leveraging your network is invaluable, as personal experiences and recommendations add depth to your research. This critical step enhances your ability to make informed decisions about potential employers and fosters a more strategic job search.

Basic search about a company prior to checking out the companies site can be useful through these channels: - google search ( company size, revenue, employee count ) - chatgpt ( can ask it anything you want pertaining to the firm you are interested in ) - Glassdoor type sites which give reviews from employees

Taking organized notes helps you gather insights and allows you to make informed decisions. You can then tailor your communication, application materials, and interview responses effectively, increasing your chances of securing the job. It's a strategic step that sets the foundation for a successful job search.

There are many note-taking tools that could aid in this process, namely Notion, Obsedian and Roam Research. Spreadsheet is the most effective.

Keep an organized excel or google sheet - Who you have spoken to ( how did you acquire the interview and what was discussed / asked ) - Keeping tracking will allow for some self reflection after interviews of which you don't move along the process - Details of hiring managers who interviewed you (if something specific was mentioned about similar interest in sports or charity work, don't be afraid to follow up on LinkedIn with a message) - Be yourself, everyone you interview is a breathing human being like you.

Do not under any circumstances rely on a website for research. It is available to all candidates and so therefore is not only the lazy/easy option but also going to offer you little in terms of competitive advantage. I would highly recommend focussing your research beyond the website. Read the local, national and industry press - what are they being mentioned for? What awards are they winning - or their competitors and why? What new products or services have they launched. If they have physical stores go and visit or shop their on-line offer as a customer - do your own primary research in terms of client experience. Most importantly talk to and follow folks who work in that organisation and sector to understand what is important.

Based on my experience, most candidates review the company, its mission, values, etc. While this is important, it's the bare minimum. To stand out, dive into customer success stories, case studies, and reviews to understand the value they provide their customers. These real-life examples offer insights beyond basic product information or the mission statement in a concise manner. Focus on how the company's solutions or services tackle significant challenges and benefit customers. Key considerations: 1. Identify the unique value the company provides to its customers. 2. Reflect on how their primary value propositions further excite you about the opportunity (your WHY) and how you’ll be able to contribute positively in this role.

A company's website is a good place to start and can provide some good questions to ask at an interview. However, depending on the sector in which the company operates, you can visit retail outlets (if it's a retailer) and get an understanding of how they do their merchandising, talk to the staff, and in addition, reach out to your network and ask questions. If it's a listed company, look at their annual report, find the executive team and look up their profiles on LinkedIn. Look at Glassdoor but always be cautious about taking comments on face value! That applies to anything you read, whether it's in the AFR, or the SMH or the Australian. It is worth searching for articles written about the company. And, talk to an insider!