The Internet continues to amaze me for all its usefulness. A new website recently launched that may just be one of the most valuable tools you can have at your disposal when you are considering whether or not to accept a new job.
The website is called GlassDoor.com, and it is essentially a member-generated bank of reviews and salary information for hundreds of different companies. Insider information is available for many companies, including giants like Google and Microsoft, and all you have to do to gain access is write and submit your own review. In my opinion, the best part of this website is that all the information is provided anonymously, so it encourages genuine opinions without fear of reprisal.
The reviews include information about the positive and negative aspects of the company, opinions about senior management, and an overall satisfaction rating. The reason this information is so valuable is that it gives you the opportunity to gain an insider’s view of the company before you commit to working there. I doubt that, during your tour of the company, many of the people you meet will feel comfortable telling you what they really think of your future boss, so access to this type of information through GlassDoor is particularly useful.
The salary information provided on the site is helpful as well. It’s all anonymous, but the company and position are both listed so you can get a pretty good idea of what a company pays its employees and whether you’ve received a good offer.
Picture this: You’ve just received two job offers following a three-week round of interviews with numerous companies in your area. The job offers are fairly comparable on paper with similar pay amounts, benefits, and responsibilities. After receiving the offers, you ask for one day to think things over. You check out the companies on GlassDoor.com and find out that offer A involves working for someone who three reviewers labeled as “offensive and incompetent” and that offer B came from a company that has employees who are very satisfied working there and who generally approve of their boss. You have just made picking the best offer a lot easier.
The one thing to bear in mind is that this website just launched in June 2008, so it may not have many, if any, reviews for smaller companies. The best way to address this is to add your own reviews and invite others to do the same. The more people who post reviews, the more useful the site will be for everyone. If you work for a great company, let other people know. If your company leaves much to be desired, warn people! As the website says, it’s good career karma!
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