Current and former employees are a great source of information about what it's like to work at an institution. You can use employees' descriptions of working at a company to learn more about the workload, hiring process, and employee satisfaction, but make sure to read multiple accounts and consider why differences may exist between people’s experiences.
Current and former employees may talk about their experiences working with a company on a variety of different platforms, from formal publications or interviews with news publications to social media posts. Social media and other online sources can help you find and compare employees' descriptions quickly, but it is important to note that people's online accounts may be exaggerated and you may not be able to verify the poster's experience working for a company. When you are looking for employee experiences online, consider using tools designed specifically for professional networking and job searching (see examples below), and always read multiple people's perspectives.
In the United States, Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) are usually publicly available. The Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) within the United States Department of Labor has a consolidated resource to look up union officers, financial reports, and CBAs.
Many unions will also have their own website with their organizational goals, values, and information for represented workers.
When you are entering a field, it can be hard to know how a company's salary, benefits, or employee turnover rate compare to their peers and competitors. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has multiple resources that can help provide information about these topics across an industry.
It is also common for state and municipal governments to provide information on pay scales, salary ranges, and position descriptions. These sources can provide helpful information about both the pay expectations for an immediate opening and for possible career advancement.
Benefits package - A catch-all term for non-wage compensation for employees, such as insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off.
Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) - A contract between a union and an employer that outlines terms such as wages and working conditions for a group of represented employees.
Company Culture - The management style, leadership, communication, values, and procedures within a company that help shape the workplace environment.
Turnover rate - The percentage of employees who leave a company during a set period.
Retention rate - The percentage of employees who remain with a company during a set period.