Important things to know about a company

Here are a few things to look for when considering an organization:

Stability: publicly owned companies will have posted financial statements so that you can get an idea of their financial stability. But privately owned companies can be trickier to evaluate. Pay attention to certain factors such as how long the company has been in business, and the success rate of competitors, and market share. Find out whatever you can about their history and financial stability. Corporate closures and foreclosures happen and it can be extremely disheartening to lose a job you spent months trying to get. If you are considering an offer from a new or not well established business, you may want to consider adding a severance payout clause in your employment agreement.

Employee morale: it is very difficult to determine this statistic without talking to someone who works there. The level of happiness among staff is a very good indicator of what a company is like to work for. If you know someone who has a friend or relative who has worked for a particular organization, they might have some insights to share. Generally, if a company has a bad reputation for employee morale, it is usually well founded and not likely to change unless there is a change in ownership.

Employee turnover ratio: this is a good way to gauge a company’s record for employee retention. If there seems to be a revolving door situation, there is probably good reason.  Companies who have a solid basis of loyal employees are considered to be safe bets in terms of general morale and lowered risk of job loss.

Company’s ethical policies: this is extremely important. You should know before you take a job what the organization’s position is on ethical matters such as harassment or bullying, sexism or racism. You would not want to find yourself on opposing sides of a political debate within your place of employment. Know going in that your employer’s views and policies on these delicate issues line up with your own and that there is a policy in place to deal with politically and ethically incorrect behaviors.

There could be countless other variables that apply specifically to your own personal requirements in terms of judging the compatibility of an organization.  Many of these questions can be addressed directly during the interview process. It is your right and responsibility to make an informed decision about where you choose to work. Identify the things that matter to you and make sure you clarify them before you commit to a job.