How to Analyse Company Reviews for Your Best Job Application Yet

Research is key in your job-search journey. It is crucial to gather information about the company you might work for before sending applications or accepting job interviews. Aside from official websites, company reviews will also come in handy. Fortunately, there are now easier ways on how to find reviews on a company.

But how will you make use of company reviews? Read this article to learn the best ways to analyse them.

What are company reviews?

Company reviews describe employees’ experiences inside a company. They have ratings and comments about the culture, management, benefits, and workload. Any employee can write reviews. So it is always best to verify how objective, reliable, and relevant they are.

How to find reviews on a company

Job portals have integrated reviews on the companies’ profiles. Just search for companies on JobStreet to check their ratings, reviews, and current job vacancies. You can browse the featured or popular ones or use the directory to see more listings.

Visiting different review sites will help you compare the accuracy of the information and provide more insights about the company.

How can company reviews help?

Reading reviews is an essential task with benefits that can give you a better job search experience.

1. Enhances your cover letter and resume

Aside from the job descriptions, company reviews may also say something about the specific skills and characteristics the company values in its employees. Knowing this can further tailor your cover letter and resume to make you more qualified for a role.

2. Assists in your decision-making

Candidates should always evaluate every potential work opportunity the same way employers do in every application. Company reviews can provide the information to help you think about whether to pursue an application or look for others. You can shortlist and rank companies that are ideal for what you are looking for.

3. Provides another view of the work culture

A company overview can show a glimpse of the work culture—what they are known for, their values, and principles. With reviews, you can learn if the company uphold them and if they met the employees’ expectations. However, remember that employees’ experiences may depend on where and whom they work with.

The company culture, sub-cultures of each department, and the difference in roles can influence an individual’s feelings and perceptions. The Accounting Department may have significantly different team dynamics compared to Marketing Department.

4. Checks company legitimacy

Part of researching is checking if a company is legit. Reviews prove that a business is operating and that real people are working for an organisation. Another way to verify the legitimacy is to check their registration number.

In Malaysia, companies and businesses need to register with Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (SSM) or the Companies Commission of Malaysia. The registration number is the combination of a company’s founding year and its type of entity. The best way on how to check company registration numbers is through the SSM website or SSM E-Info. Search results will include the old and new registration numbers, entity type, and company status.

5. Identifies what you need to know more

Company reviews can shed some light on what is not highlighted on official websites. However, they may also leave more questions. Reviews can be sources of relevant queries and other discussions to ask during the interview. This way, you can know the company from the recruiter’s viewpoint as a management representative and as an employee.

6. Links to similar companies

When you check a company’s profile and reviews, you will also see their competitors and other similar businesses. This will give you options to work in companies from the same industry, especially if they have better reviews.

How to analyse company reviews

Company reviews are valuable sources of information that can help you visualise your future work. Here are tips on how to use them objectively and efficiently.

1. Look at the numbers

The ratings are the first thing that will catch your attention. High-rated companies can make a vision of an ideal workplace. But remember that the total ratings are based on the number of reviews. The more reviews there are, the more reflective the ratings. For example, a 4.6 average rating from 600 reviews is likely to be more accurate than a rating of 5.0 from five reviews.

Few reviews can also make you wonder. Is it because the company is a start-up with only a few employees? Does this reflect what is in the company information? While it is hard to conclude using numbers, they can still make an impression.

2. Examine the content

Look closely at the quality of the reviews and what they say. Determine if the review title highlights what you are looking for— salary and benefits, work culture, work-life balance, career growth. The title is usually a summary, but some reviewers write longer and more detailed descriptions in the headline.

Take note of the reviewers’ info—job title, department, and their years in the role—to know if there are legitimate employees and to compare consistency in the comments. Do people from the same department and position have similar experiences? Do entry-level positions have better job satisfaction than managerial roles? Are there differences in how short-tenured and long-tenured employees feel about their stay in the company?

Check the dates to identify if the experience from months or years before is the same as the most recent reviews. Are there improvements that show the company listened to employees? The details in a review can be a basis for the validity and relevance of the message.

3. Check the themes

Company reviews can be grouped into positive, negative or challenging comments. Find the pattern. Identify what the comments have in common. Are you finding more reviews about great bosses, friendly culture, and learning opportunities? Some reviews may clearly state there are no cons or negative experiences. These can be good signs.

Are comments on the lack of work-life balance, inadequate career development opportunities, or long working hours trending concerns? List these down as possible warning signs. Evaluating negative, cons, or challenging comments can be tricky, so you need to know what matters to you. There are some issues you may not consider as dealbreakers. Some comments may be about employees’ personal issues on the job and not exactly about the management.

The more sides you see, the more realistic the experience can be. You will know which aspect can help you stand out in your application.

4. Read as many as possible

Quantity and quality matter. Go over many reviews to gain better insights. It is easier to paint a bigger and more balanced picture if you have many references. From people’s similar and diverse experiences, you learn what is unique and standard in an organisation. You can create a more objective view of what is happening inside the company.

5. Use reviews as interview questions

During the interview, you can use the comments to ask questions. Doing so will give the interviewer the impression that you have done your research and are interested to learn more about the company. Be specific. You can use different approaches, but the goal is to get genuine responses.

You can be direct even with difficult questions. For example, “I noticed in your company reviews that some employees are concerned about the lack of career development opportunities. I would like to know how you address this issue?” or “What are some career development opportunities you offer to your employees?”

Aside from verifying the accuracy of the comments, you can learn if the management is aware of these feedbacks and how they are resolving them.

6. Keep researching and verifying

Company reviews are helpful references, but always consider them just one source of information. They provide a few pieces in the puzzle but not the entire picture. Find areas where there are gaps. Go further in your research by looking for other information sources and putting them together. You will only know the moment you confirm them yourself.

Before buying something or going somewhere, reviews are your go-to before deciding. The same should be with the companies you apply for. Perusing company reviews can make you look and feel more ready for your interview. Just remember that people have different backgrounds and experiences. Learn to distinguish the intentions behind the messages if they aim to be helpful or driven by intense emotions after a bad day at work. Stay objective and impartial until you have verified evidence.

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