1Why Most People Skip This Step
When you're deep in a job search, the temptation is to apply first and research later. You see a decent job title, a reasonable salary, and you fire off an application without looking into the company at all.
That's how you end up in interviews you wish you'd skipped. Or worse, accepting a job at a company that's about to do layoffs, has toxic leadership, or pays well below market after the first year.
Ten minutes of research before you apply saves you hours of wasted prep, interviewing, and second-guessing. Here's the exact framework I use.
2Step 1: Glassdoor (3 Minutes)
Start with Glassdoor reviews, but read them strategically. Don't just check the overall rating. Filter by the department you'd be joining and look at reviews from the last 12 months. A company with a 4.2 rating but recent reviews mentioning layoffs, management changes, or benefit cuts is a very different picture than the star rating suggests.
Pay attention to patterns, not outliers. Every company has a few 1-star revenge reviews and a few 5-star reviews posted by HR. The truth is in the 2 to 4 star range. Look for themes that repeat across multiple reviews.
Check the salary section too. Glassdoor salary data isn't always accurate, but it gives you a ballpark. If the posted role doesn't list salary, Glassdoor can help you calibrate expectations.
- Filter reviews by department and "last 12 months"
- Look for patterns, not individual reviews
- Red flags: repeated mentions of micromanagement, high turnover, broken promises about promotion
- Green flags: people mentioning specific managers by name positively, comments about work-life balance being real (not just a policy)
3Step 2: LinkedIn (3 Minutes)
LinkedIn tells you what Glassdoor can't: how stable the team is and how long people actually stay. Search for the company, then click on "People" to see current employees.
Look at the team you'd be joining. How many people are in that department? How long have they been there? If a 200-person company has 15 people in marketing but most have been there less than a year, that's a turnover signal. If people tend to stay 3-5 years, that's a good sign.
Also check: has the company been growing or shrinking? LinkedIn shows total employee count trends. A company that went from 500 to 350 employees in the last year is probably still cutting.
- Check the "People" tab to see team size and tenure
- Look for the hiring manager and see their background and tenure
- Employee count trends show growth or contraction
- Check who left recently by searching "[Company Name]" + "Former" in the people filter
Doing company research alongside your job applications? ShouldApply scores your fit for each role so you can focus your research on the companies that actually match your skills.
Score Your Fit4Step 3: Crunchbase and News (2 Minutes)
For startups and mid-size companies, Crunchbase reveals the financial picture. When was their last funding round? How much runway do they have? A startup that raised a Series A three years ago and hasn't raised since might be running low on cash.
For public companies, a quick Google News search for the company name over the last 6 months gives you a snapshot. Look for layoff announcements, leadership changes, lawsuits, or major product pivots. Any of those might affect the role you're applying for.
You're not doing a deep financial analysis. You're spending two minutes to see if there's a giant red flag you'd otherwise miss.
- Crunchbase free tier shows funding history, founding date, and key people
- Google News search for "[company name]" filtered to the last 6 months
- Watch for: layoffs, leadership departures, acquisition rumors, hiring freezes
5Step 4: The Company's Own Website (2 Minutes)
Check the careers page and the company blog. The careers page tells you how many roles are open (lots of openings in one department can mean growth or turnover). The blog tells you what they're investing in and how they communicate.
Read the "About Us" or "Values" page with skepticism. Every company claims to value innovation and collaboration. What you're looking for is specifics. Do they name actual programs? Do they share employee stories with real names? Or is it all stock photos and buzzwords?
Also check: does their product or service actually make sense to you? Can you explain what the company does in one sentence? If you can't, the interview is going to be rough.
6What to Do With Your Research
You've spent 10 minutes. Now make a decision.
Green light: Reviews are generally positive, the team is stable, the company is growing or well-funded, and the role makes sense. Apply and prep your application carefully.
Yellow light: Mixed signals. Some good reviews, some concerning patterns, unclear financial picture. Apply if the role is strong, but keep your eyes open during interviews. Ask direct questions about the concerns you found.
Red light: Consistent bad reviews in your target department, recent layoffs, shrinking team, or financial instability. Skip it and move to the next opportunity. Your time is limited, so spend it on companies that pass the basic smell test.
After researching the company, score the actual job description. ShouldApply tells you how well your resume matches the role's requirements so you can decide whether to invest more time.
Score the Job7Research Questions to Ask in the Interview
Your research gives you better interview questions, which makes you a stronger candidate. Here are a few that show you've done your homework without being confrontational.
"I noticed the team has grown from X to Y over the past year. What's driving that growth?" Shows you researched the company and gives them a chance to tell a positive story.
"I saw on Glassdoor that some people mentioned [specific thing]. Can you share your perspective on that?" Only use this for relatively neutral topics (work-life balance, remote policy), not scathing reviews about a toxic boss.
"What's the biggest challenge this team is facing right now?" This isn't research-specific, but it's the question most likely to give you honest, useful information about what you'd actually be walking into.
Written by
Jesse Johnson
Founder, ShouldApply
Founder of ShouldApply. I write about job search strategy, hiring, and how to spend your time on opportunities that actually fit. Full bio →
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Frequently Asked Questions
Ten minutes is the sweet spot for a first pass. Check Glassdoor reviews, LinkedIn team size, and a quick news search. If everything looks clean, apply. Save the deeper research (reading their 10-K, watching CEO interviews, studying their product roadmap) for when you get an interview. You don't need to write a thesis on every company you apply to.
Small companies and early-stage startups won't have much on Glassdoor or Crunchbase, and that's normal. Check their website, LinkedIn company page, and the founder's LinkedIn profile. Look for their product on Product Hunt or industry-specific forums. If you truly can't find anything, that's not a red flag by itself, but ask extra questions in the interview about company culture, funding, and growth plans.
Only if you can do it diplomatically and the topic is relevant. Don't say "I saw terrible reviews about management." Instead, try "I've been doing research on the company and I'm curious about the team culture in this department. How would you describe the working environment?" This gets you honest answers without putting anyone on the defensive.
Individually, not very. People tend to leave reviews when they're either very happy or very angry. But patterns across multiple reviews are reliable. If 15 different reviewers over two years all mention the same issue (lack of growth opportunities, micromanagement, unclear priorities), that pattern is real. Ignore the outliers and focus on the themes.
Absolutely. Interviewers notice when a candidate has clearly done their homework. Referencing specific things about the company (a recent product launch, a blog post, team growth) shows genuine interest and separates you from candidates who applied blindly. It also helps you ask better questions, which is one of the most underrated ways to stand out in an interview.
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