Check Out Glassdoor.com
And, take it with a grain of salt. But, it can be a useful resource during your job search.
Glassdoor.com’s goal, as stated on their web site, is to create an online community where employees can post reviews about the companies they work for – and share salary information.
How this is beneficial for your job search:
- You can get a sense of what it is really like to work for the company – the inside scoop instead of the ideal story that you hear during the recruiting process.
- You can see what salaries are at the company – and at other companies in your industry and geographic area. This, coupled with Payscale.com or Salary.com, can help you answer that dreaded salary question.
The downside:
- Ratings: Just as a customer is more likely to complain after a bad experience than to provide a testimonial after a good experience, a bitter/jaded/burned out employee is more likely to post a rant than a happy employee is going to post a glowing review. Take note of how many reviews there are about a company. If there is just one review, then you’re clearly not getting a very in-depth picture of the corporate culture. If there are 45 reviews and they all paint a consistent picture…well, you may want to take that seriously. Also keep in mind what you are looking for in your career and what you need to have on your resume to take the next step. Just because a company isn’t a good fit for one person, doesn’t mean it isn’t a good fit for you. You may have something to gain there, while others have acquired it and need to move on.
- Salary: You need to give information to get information. Some people – perhaps most people – don’t want to share their salary details, but want to see what others earn. The temptation to provide bogus information in order to see the salary data is too great, which then skews the accuracy of the information. Even if the salaries are accurate, there is always an individual component when negotiating compensation – years of experience, technical expertise, etc. Nothing will turn a company off faster than a candidate saying, “I saw on Glassdoor.com that engineers make $x here.” That will likely mean you will earn $0 there.
So, as with most things in life, approach Glassdoor.com with moderation. It should be one resource of many in determining whether a company is right for you and in negotiating a fair and competitive compensation package.
Here are some links with more information and reviews about Glassdoor.com:
