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Due Diligence by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Pix4free.org

When searching for a new role there are a number of things people look for. Location, salary, progression and work-life balance are all big draw cards. Job security is more important now than ever. Today I’m going to talk about some of the things you can do to establish if a firm is stable and give some tips on questions you can ask to make sure you have everything you need to make the right decision for your next career move.

Tools

Companies Register – https://companies-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz/ – By searching the company’s name you can see how long the company has been registered, the number of Directors and any name changes. You can learn more about the directors in the ‘directors’ section. Have of their previous ventures been successful? Are they experienced? How long have they been with the company?

Wage subsidy – https://services.workandincome.govt.nz/eps – Here you will find a record of all businesses who took advantage of the wage subsidy. Taking the wage subsidy doesn’t necessarily mean a company is unstable. In recent times, even some of the most established companies have struggled. Knowing if a company has used this subsidy can help with your questioning during an interview.

LinkedIn Page – With various paid subscriptions, you really can delve into a company’s history. However, you can still learn a lot with a free LinkedIn account. Every company’s LinkedIn page has a link to see the current employees. Here you can see how long current staff have been with the company. Just remember if you look at somebody they will be notified that you have been looking.

You are also able to look at people who used to work for the company. Once you have a list of current employees, click on the “All Filters”

In here you will be able to select past companies

This will then show you a list of people who used to work for the company and you will be able to get an idea of how long previous staff have worked with the company. If the company has high staff turnover, this may be a red flag. Take note of where the employees have moved from. If the company has brought staff over from reputable companies, this is usually a good sign.

LinkedIn Network – Use your own linkedIn network. Keep an eye out for any current or ex-staff members that you have a connection with. Reach out to these connections.

Recruiters – A good recruiter should be able to steer you away from companies in the market that have a high turnover or a reputation for having an unpleasant work environment. Picking a good recruiter is a different conversation, but look for one with tenure as a recruiter, tenure in their market and good LinkedIn recommendations. Look at connections in common and ask friends and colleagues about recruiters they have used.

Questions you can ask during an interview:

How did the lockdown affect your firm and clients? – This is a fairly direct question and the response you will get may reveal more than you initially thought. If the company took the wage subsidy, they had to prove they had a revenue drop of 50%. A company that has taken it should be honest and upfront about COVID’s impact on their business and be able to talk about how they have bounced back. 

What is the reason for the vacancy? – This will usually come up organically during the interview. If it hasn’t, it is always worth asking. It may also be worth asking how long your predecessor was in the role and how long your potential team members have been with the company.

Get in touch today for a chat for more information on what due diligence you should do before accepting your next role.

Ben Holloway | 03 244 0258 | bholloway@tylerwren.co.nz