Why you should search for a company, not just a job

We all know that accepting a new job comes with a level of uncertainty, because it’s hard to know what it’s really like to work at a new company until your first day. SEEK data shows that more than half of all working Australians (51%) felt that their new place of employment did not align with their initial impression of the company.

In the past, working Australians haven’t had a huge range of resources to use to research local companies. More than half us search a company’s website to find out more about an employer (55%), while 42% utilise their network of friends and family. But in reality, the best way to discover insider information about the company you work for, or would like to work for, is from the people who work there. Makes sense, right?

That’s why SEEK have created a helpful resource – company reviews - where you can find and share trusted information about what it’s really like to work at thousands of companies across Australia. This in turn can help you assess whether a company is aligned to your own career and workplace values, such as the ones we’ve listed below, increasing your chance at job satisfaction and success in that new role.

SEEK data shows that more than half of all working Australians (51%) felt that their new place of employment did not align with their initial impression of the company

• Work-life balance. Knowing about a company’s culture will help both you and the employer decide whether you’d be a good cultural fit. If you feel like one in three candidates who consider work-life balance to be the most important factor in a new role, it’s important to search for a company that advocates for this.
   
• Salary. Asking about remuneration in an initial interview is a sure-fire way to deter your interviewers, but earning a decent salary is an important part of feeling valued at work, and necessary to support our modern lifestyles. SEEK found that 20% of candidates are seeking a better salary, so it’s important to have access to honest information to help you find a company that remunerates fairly - without jeopardising your chance of landing the job.
   
• Career development. The investment a company makes in their employees’ career development is for the benefit of both the organisation and the employee, so many companies offer in-house training, mentoring, and seminars to ensure continued growth, productivity, and employee satisfaction. If you’re eager to work for a company that will be engaged in your career development, being informed beforehand will help greatly.
   
• Benefits and perks. Flexible work arrangements, paid study, free lunches, lateral moves, team building trips – there’s a work perk to please every kind of employee! But whether the company in question offers the perks and benefits you’re after is something worth looking into. For example, discounted childcare won’t be much good to you if you don’t have kids. On the other hand, that overtime pay you read about on SEEK company reviews might be what gets you to click “Apply.”

Theoretically, you could have the best job in the world but if the company doesn’t align to your personal and career values, then it might not really be worth it. The time is now. Check out SEEK’s company reviews and be better equipped with the information you need to succeed in any role.