How to Evaluate and Select a Company To Start and Grow Your Career At
The recruitment process is a two-way street, and candidates should be evaluating companies just as much as employers are evaluating them. But what criteria should you look for when figuring out if a prospective employer is a good fit for you? And how can you find the information you need to make an informed decision?
We spoke with four employees who started their post-college careers at PURE insurance, a fast-growing insurance carrier that specializes in the high net-worth market, to learn about their experience evaluating companies at the start of their careers. They shared some of the key factors that went into their decision to work for PURE, as well as some of the top things to consider when evaluating an employer.
Consider your Values and Do Your Research
The first step in figuring out where you want to work is to outline what you’re looking for. Consider everything from the salary you want, to the type of role, to the environment you want to work in. Write down your “must haves” as well as the factors that are still important but aren’t necessarily deal breakers.
Don’t forget to consider your values. Is there a certain industry you absolutely would not want to work in, or aspects of a company culture that must be present for you to accept a job? When you go through this process of considering your own wants and needs, you’ll be able to approach everything from the job search to the interview process and offer acceptance with much more clarity.
Once you have outlined your search criteria, start doing your research. Utilize tools like Glassdoor, LinkedIn, company career pages, RippleMatch’s Discover page, and your own professional network to learn everything you can about your target companies. Company career pages can provide a lot of information on factors like benefits, training opportunities, and company initiatives that can help you decide whether or not the company seems to fit your needs. Take your research a step further by reading employee reviews or even reaching out directly to employees to learn about the company culture and determine if what the company says they offer is actually practiced in reality.
After you’ve established what you’re looking for and have done your initial research, it’s time to start applying and interviewing for jobs. As you go through the interview process, remember that you’re interviewing the company just as much as they are interviewing you. Make sure to consider all of the factors you’ve already identified as deal breakers during this process.
Reflect on the company’s culture and how it fits into your values
One of the most important factors to consider as you’re interviewing, is whether the company’s overall culture and mission align with your values. For example, does the company offer employee resource groups to promote allyship and support diverse communities? Do employees support each other or compete with each other? Other factors, like work-life balance, whether the company holds social events to help employees bond, and the existence of volunteering programs to encourage employees to give back to the community, are also important to consider.
Thomas, a current Claims Representative who started his PURE career as part of the Member Advocate training program in 2017, knew that company culture would be a critical factor in his job search. He shared about PURE, “The culture in the office is something I appreciate. Collaboration and connecting with my coworkers is very easy, and management prioritizes having an engaging office environment. Also, I have been able to take advantage of PURE’s Volunteer Time Off program which also allowed me to spend multiple weeks each summer volunteering with non-profit summer camps, specifically Camp Kesem, which serves children whose parents have or have had cancer.”
Melissa, a Member Advocate at PURE Insurance, has also appreciated how supportive the company environment is, even during unexpected times. She said, “The people are always reaching out to one another to ask how you are as a person, not just a professional, and we continue to feel supported. The world of claims can be an uncertain one, we won’t know when a hurricane will strike an area and flood thousands of homes, but we do know our managers are there to support us when we need it most.”
To determine whether or not a company has a culture that matches your values, you have to ask! During the interview process, ask questions about how they build community, how employees communicate with each other, and whether or not they have Employee Resource Groups to dig into the factors that impact company culture. If you can, connect with current employees to get their perspective. Company culture can be one of the most challenging aspects to fully understand during the interview process, so it’s important to be upfront and ask about any initiatives that are particularly of interest to you.
Ask how a company invests in new hires through training and onboarding
Another critical factor for new grads is whether or not the organization offers training opportunities. Even if you have had internships, entering the workforce full-time can be overwhelming. Proper onboarding and training programs can help new grads make a smooth transition into the working world and ensure long-term career success.
Rob, an Underwriting Manager at PURE insurance, shared that the company’s robust training program was a significant factor in his decision to begin his career there. “The training was engaging and I was surrounded by intellectual, curious individuals who challenged me to be my best self, which I appreciated. The friendships I built with my training class hold strong almost 5 years later,” said Rob.
Erin, a Member Advocate who started at PURE earlier this year, was “absolutely stunned” by the company’s training program for incoming employees.
“I had never received such robust training in any other job I have had. The program was comprehensive and easy to digest, especially when considering that many of us in the training had no previous experience. The trainers are extremely knowledgeable yet super approachable. Even before I started at PURE, I was definitely attracted to the fact that there was a training program. It proved to me that PURE invests in their employees and wants to give them the tools and resources to succeed within their role and achieve within their career,” Erin said.
Even during the uncertainty of COVID-19, training and development were top priorities for employees who joined the company remotely. Melissa, who joined PURE on the day New York went into the first COVID-19 lockdown, said, “The original plan was for our training to happen in person in White Plains, NY, but since the world had different plans, PURE had to adapt. We were able to complete our training remotely and were provided everything we needed in terms of technology, laptops, headsets, monitors, and in some instances, cameras.”
She added, “No one could have anticipated what 2020 would be like in terms of training, but PURE did remote very well. I was anxious going into it, worrying what things would be like if I couldn’t see someone face-to-face, and Zoom fatigue is much more real than I ever would have thought, but the evolution of training still allowed me to feel connected and part of something special.”
To learn more about an employer’s onboarding, ask what types of training programs incoming employees would undergo. This may include online courses, one-on-one instruction from different departments, or shadowing current employees to get a sense of their day-to-day work.
Evaluate professional development opportunities and growth potential
A company’s investment in employee training should not end after orientation. Ongoing professional development, as well as upward mobility, are two major factors for new graduates to consider when selecting an employer. Don’t be shy about asking what the company’s opportunities for growth and development are in your interview process. You can even ask for examples of employees who have experienced career advancement after starting in entry-level roles, as well as descriptions of the specific career paths available and what the company does to support an employee’s progression along those paths.
For example, Rob started his PURE career as an underwriter, then progressed to a senior underwriter position before undertaking his current role as an underwriting manager. Rob says that in addition to his career growth, PURE supported him through the multiple insurance designations he received, including the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Associates in Reinsurance (ARe), and the Chartered Private Risk Insurance Advisor (CPRIA).
Likewise, Erin feels valued in her role and doesn’t believe that newer employees are dissuaded from taking an active role in growing professionally. “In other jobs I have had, it always felt like I could not be taken seriously as a ‘newbie.’ There seemed to be this unspoken rule that if you have been in a role for only a few months, you don’t have much to contribute. Not once have I felt this way at PURE. I have felt interested and invested in.”
When evaluating employers, find out how each company challenges employees to learn new things. Some questions to consider include: Do they offer tuition reimbursement or ongoing training courses? What is the internal mobility process like? Do managers and other company mentors hold consistent one-on-one meetings with employees to guide them through professional development? Dig into the specifics to learn whether or not the company is serious about supporting employees’ growth.
Consider the stability of the industry and employers
One of the factors that you should have considered in your initial evaluation before starting your job search is which industries you want to work in. Many new grads are drawn to industries that may seem exciting, like the technology or entertainment industries, but these might not be right for everyone, or the best option for long-term career growth.
It’s also important to consider the impact the pandemic has had on nearly every industry. In a 2020 survey conducted by RippleMatch, 51% of graduating seniors cited job security as a major factor that would impact how they evaluated a job offer—up from 22% of graduating seniors in the class of 2019. To get a better sense of how a prospective employer and its industry have fared during the pandemic, you can ask recruiters about how the company has adapted, what processes and priorities may have changed, and what some of their future goals and expectations are.
The employees we spoke with at PURE Insurance have been impressed both by the stability of the insurance industry and how PURE has been able to grow. Thomas said, “Insurance has historically been a stable industry despite changes in the economy. That was part of the appeal of studying insurance in college. PURE’s line of business also is more resilient to fluctuations with the market, and I have always been confident in its stability.”
Melissa agrees. “People always need insurance. There will always be a market and opportunity to work in this industry and it isn’t going anywhere. It’s a nice feeling to think that the skills I’ve developed while at PURE will last me my entire career life and as the industry grows so will my opportunity to continue to develop,” she said.
Another factor to consider for job stability is how well an employer retains its employees. When evaluating a prospective employer, consider asking interviewers how long they have been at the company and what the average tenure is.
Erin said, “More than its growth, I was impacted by PURE’s retention. During interviews, I was speaking with people who had been with the company for almost a decade. That spoke volumes to me. People want to stay with a company where they can do good work, continue to grow, and make an impact in the process. PURE provides an avenue for growth as well as stability.”
Do your due diligence before accepting an offer
It’s clear that there is a lot to consider when evaluating companies at the start of your career. When it comes time to accept an offer, you’ll want to make sure you’re making the decision that is right for you and your future. If you prepared properly and asked the right questions during the interview process, you’ll be well situated to do so.
Before accepting, do a final evaluation of the organization. Does it meet everything you set out to look for? Is the compensation and benefit package fair? Reach out to your family, friends, and trusted advisors to get additional points of view and ensure you’re considering everything you need.
Remember, you will spend a good portion of your time at work. You should feel assured that your future employer will support you and be a partner in your growth. Most importantly, you should want to work there.
If everything fits, you can feel confident in accepting the offer. When you find a job and a company that match your values and ambitions, you’ll set yourself up for long-term career success—and have fun in the process!
Learn more about PURE Insurance here.
