Gauging the Atmosphere: 4 Things You Can Learn From Company Reviews

Gauging the Atmosphere: 4 Things You Can Learn From Company Reviews

Before you make the move to a new company, you should consider carefully whether it’s the change you need. I’m sure you’ve already thought about the salary and compensation package in general. Maybe you’ve even considered the new location and moving away from the people you’re used to dealing with. You might even be one of the rare few who consider the new working environment, including bosses and colleagues. But how do you find information about these things without being on the inside? You use company reviews.

What The Working Environment Will be Like

The first one is pretty obvious – you get to figure out what type of environment there will be. You might want to work somewhere quite friendly and casual for example, only to find your prospective employer is quite strict and enforces the rules. Likewise you can find out other small details such as information on how management deals with certain issues, or if people are generally happy there.

All of this should play an important part in what decision you make, because while it may look good on paper and in terms of pay, getting through the day is a lot easier and nicer when the environment is a good one.

Why the Job Rocks & Why it Sucks

Reading through a variety of reviews will reveal to you exactly what the pro’s and con’s of this specific job opening are. There might be perks you hadn’t considered, like an unknown all-star food place around the corner, or an active social life within the workplace. Other times you might discover details you’d rather not have to deal with – like higher ups who micromanage everything or a cutthroat working environment. The thing with reviews, especially anonymous ones, is they will give all of the gritty details about things that otherwise might stay hidden.

Any Big Events in the Past

Your company may have been involved in some kind of big event or scandal in the past. Reading reviews will usually reveal this because it will be mentioned. If there was some kind of big court case or scandal, it’s nice to know beforehand – because there might be some stigma involved with working there. The opposite could also be true though. Sometimes a company is known for having been awarded prestigious prizes or taking part in big charity efforts and fundraisers. All of this information gives you a good overview of the company and its’ character. This is useful while making your decision.

How The Company Changes Over Time

Reviews can be new and old, but there’s a way to look back over the history of the company by using them properly. By doing this you can spot trends in what the issues were within the company and when. You can also see if and when problems disappear, which gives you an idea of how effectively issues are spotted and dealt with. After that, if the reviews are informative enough, you might even get first hand feedback on what changes happened, how and why.

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