Can ChatGPT Help Research Companies During Your Job Search?

We recently spoke about how ChatGPT can assist you in preparing for a job interview and how it can help tailor your cover letter and resume to a job description, but did you know that it can also be used to research companies? If you’re in a pinch and need to save time or you’re new to researching companies in your job search, all it takes is a well-constructed prompt and ChatGPT will provide you with a whole ton of information.

Before we get started, it’s worth mentioning that all the information provided by ChatGPT will be cited along with links to each source. It will also include a lengthy “conclusion” paragraph at the end of its response that summarizes all the information provided. Unlike the responses you might get from using ChatGPT while asking for assistance in preparing for an interview or tailoring your cover letter and resume, you won’t receive embellishments, superfluous information, or ChatGPT’s “opinion,” as ChatGPT will only provide material that has been previously published by reputable sources.

For our purposes, all citations and the conclusion paragraph at the end of ChatGPT’s response will be omitted; however, they will appear if you feed ChatGPT your own prompt or a variation of the prompt below. We used Google as the company in our example, as ChatGPT was able to provide a wealth of information. Check out this example prompt and ChatGPT’s response:

Example prompt: Can you research the mission, core values and culture of Google and summarize them? I’m getting ready for a job interview and would like to determine whether my personal values align with the company’s. Please provide specifics on the company’s work environment, employee testimonials, and any corporate social responsibility initiatives Google is known for.

ChatGPT: Understanding Google’s Mission, Core Values, and Culture

Google’s Mission:

Google’s mission is straightforward yet profound: “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” This mission underpins all of Google’s operations, driving their continuous efforts to innovate and improve user experiences through various products and services.

Core Values:

Google’s core values emphasize the importance of user focus, a commitment to excellence, and a culture of innovation and respect. Here are some key aspects:

• User Focus: Google prioritizes user needs and designs its products to provide exceptional experiences.
• Excellence: They strive for high standards in all endeavors, encouraging employees to perform at their best.
• Innovation: Google fosters a culture where creativity and risk-taking are encouraged, highlighted by their famous “20% Time” policy, allowing employees to spend 20% of their time on passion projects that could benefit the company.

Company Culture:

Google’s culture is renowned for its emphasis on innovation, inclusivity, and employee well-being. Here’s a closer look:

• Innovation: Google nurtures a creative environment where employees are encouraged to think outside the box and experiment with new ideas. This is supported by their fall-fast approach and dedicated innovation labs.
• Inclusivity and Diversity: Google is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. They actively promote diversity through recruitment practices and support various employee resource groups and inclusive policies.
• Transparency and Open Communication: Google values transparency and fosters open communication through regular town hall meetings and accessible leadership, ensuring that employees feel heard and valued.
• Flexible Work Arrangements: Google offers flexible work arrangements, including remote work and flexible hours, to support work-life balance.
• Employee Well-Being: Google prioritizes both physical and mental well-being, offering wellness programs, healthcare, fitness facilities, and other perks to create a healthy work environment.

Work Environment:

Google’s work environment is designed to be supportive and empowering, fostering a sense of belonging among employees. The company’s emphasis on continuous learning and development, through opportunities for training and mentorship, ensures that employees are always growing professionally.

Employee Testimonials:

Employee testimonials frequently highlight Google’s supportive and innovative work environment. Employees appreciate the autonomy they are given and the company’s commitment to their well-being and professional growth. The culture of transparency and open communication is often praised, along with the opportunities for creative exploration through initiatives like the 20% Time policy.

Corporate Social Responsibility:

Google’s corporate social responsibility initiatives are extensive. They include:

• Sustainability Efforts: Google aims to be carbon-free by 2030 and continuously works on reducing its environmental footprint through various eco-friendly practices.
• Community Impact: Google encourages employees to engage in community service and offers programs that leverage technology to benefit society, such as crisis response initiatives and digital wellbeing programs.
• Date Privacy and Security: The company prioritizes user data privacy and has implemented comprehensive training programs to ensure employees are well-versed in protecting user data.

As you can see, ChatGPT provides quite a bit of information. It’s important to keep in mind that since ChatGPT is pulling materials from all around the internet, newer or lesser-known companies might not have as much information available. In addition to researching a company’s values, mission, and workplace environment, ChatGPT can also assist in researching a company’s history, recent activities, and products and services. Check out these example prompts:

Example prompt: Can you summarize [Company Name]’s history, recent accomplishments, product launches, and news articles?

Example prompt: What are [Company Name]’s primary products and services, and how do they set [Company Name] apart from competitors?

Either of these prompts will get you a decent amount of information depending on how established the company in question is. You may also add more specifics to your prompts, such as a date range on products and services, or who the current CEO of the company is. For the sake of space, we won’t provide ChatGPT’s responses to the example prompts above. Instead, set aside some time to experiment with ChatGPT on your own using the example prompts here as a starting point.