Once a company extends an offer of employment to you, and the celebratory phase has passed (congrats!), you are met with a pivotal decision for the trajectory of your career. While many factors go into the evaluation of a finance or accounting job opportunity, including compensation, career prospects, and scope of work, the culture and health of the company as a whole cannot be overlooked.

If you accept the position, you will be working alongside these new teammates on a daily basis, in all likelihood, for years. How this company treats its employees and how those employees relate to one another – the company culture – will ultimately color your experience at the firm, for better or worse.

So, how exactly do you get the inside scoop without having worked there? Here are four tips for vetting a company in a timely manner before accepting a job offer.

Consult Your Network

As soon as you receive the good news, send word to trusted business contacts and industry colleagues. Ask for their unbiased take on the company from personal experience, and get the names and contacts for any mutual friends who have dealt with the firm in the past. Personal recommendations and referrals are some of the strongest drivers of business for successful companies, so if the firm has a solid reputation and good reviews amongst your network, it’s an auspicious sign.

Read the Company’s Literature

Next, give the firm the benefit of the doubt (at least for a moment) by exploring what they say about themselves. Navigate to their website and dive into the literature regarding company culture, core values, and performance. Do these ideas line up with your ambitions and personal principles? What is your impression of the tone and formality of the material?

While these items can be biased toward the positive, they also serve as a useful glimpse into the leadership mentality of the firm, as these communications were most likely written or approved by C-suite executives.

Connect with Current and Former Employees

This tip bears emphasis: the most valuable and reliable intel you will receive regarding a prospective employer comes from those who have experienced it first hand. Via LinkedIn, see if anyone from your alma mater or geographic area is a current or former employee, and ask to connect with them at their earliest convenience. Don’t be afraid to ask about management, company culture, and daily workflows.

Reflect back on the interview process as well. What was the general manner of the employees who interviewed you? What did they have to say about their roles and the company as a whole? Were they excited and vibrant, or frustrated and worn down? The subliminal clues these individuals gave you could speak volumes. 

Digest Online Reviews

This final tip should be taken with a grain of salt; especially when it comes to employers, scorned individuals are much more likely to leave negative reviews than satisfied employees are to leave positive ones. With that in mind, don’t let the first negative review you read send you reeling.

However, sites like Glassdoor, Trustpilot, and Indeed can provide valuable insights from past employees about the key benefits and drawbacks of working at the firm. You may even be able to filter based on job title, depending on the size of the organization.

All in all, if you use the resources available to you and stay true to your gut feeling, you will likely arrive at the right decision relatively quickly. Trust yourself.

Discover More Houston Hiring Insights with Talance Group

Discover valuable teammates in navigating your career. The dedicated recruiters at Talance Group focus on building long-term relationships with the candidates we source, providing you with a staffing agency partner to fuel your career. Our number one rule is always to do what is in your best interest, because we want to see you achieve your goals and thrive in the marketplace. Visit our website to start a conversation with a qualified Houston recruiter and take the next step towards a successful future.

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