Interviewing the interviewer - glassdoor.com

Thanks to Techcrunch (www.techcrunch.com) for the heads up.

Out of California a site called www.glassdoor.com has launched. It's getting attention so far as it gives the user an insight into what staff at companies such as Yahoo!, Google and Apple are getting paid - from Marketing Directors to Engineers, Adops etc ...

How does it work? Well - it relies on users to post their salaries, experiences, opinions on management and more. It is what Techcrunch has called a 'give to get' model ... ie, you can find out more info on salaries etc at other companies, but you must disclose your salary, employer etc.

The site has satisfaction ratings for companies as well - Google is currently at 4.2 ... and some of these ratings are substantiated with detailed reviews.

The revenue model is about targeted advertising around content (ie for job seekers) as well as compiling the data and selling it to HR types. Traffic wise the site is pretty low - now - but given the attention it's gotten through the tech blogs, twitter and digg this week this should change.

I think glassdoor starts to explore an interesting area - allowing potential employees to research their prospective employers.

Think about it - when you apply for a job the whole experience is reasonably one sided. You are asked to provide a detailed CV, go through an interview process and supply references. It makes sense - an employer wants to make sure you are the right candidate and needs to be diligent research wise to ensure they employ the right person.

Trouble is, the employee doesn't have the same opportunity. Sure, Google is good for research but it's not THAT GOOD that it will tell you anything particularly meaningful about your employer and specifically the environment/department you are about to enter. For the employee a lot of the decision making (beyond initial research about the company, clients etc) is based off a gut feeling. Rarely would you meet your co-workers, team ... get an idea of the management capabilities, internal feelings regarding the corporate direction ... or get an idea of a fair and accurate market rate for your skills.

Yet these are all areas the employer can research reasonably easily.

It could also help people when dealing with recruiters.

Glassdoor can help improve the balance. It is tapping into what the web does best - distributes information and sparks discussion. To borrow from the late Don Chipp - it could 'keep the bastards honest' and in doing so empower both employees and great employers.

Imagine seek.com.au with some of Glassdoor's functionality - powerful huh! Adds another dimension to the job hunting equation.

Glassdoor's pitch to employers: "With Glassdoor.com, your employees — as well as prospective recruits, investors, media, analysts and even customers — can see real-time feedback on employee satisfaction, compensation, and leadership. Although this might feel a bit uncomfortable at first, we think offering more transparency will have far-reaching benefits for everyone involved. "