A guide to finding out how many employees a company has, using online research, annual reports, direct inquiries, observations, and respectful follow-ups.
Unless a company is willing to openly disclose the number of its employees, no one can really know the exact figure. If your work involves profiling companies, you have a lot of research to do to determine how many employees a company has. This is not a big problem when dealing with small companies, but with large ones such as multinational corporations, you can imagine the burdensome work ahead.
Here are some suggestions on how to find out how many employees a company has.
- Make a general assessment of the company first. Do research online. Almost all businesses nowadays have websites, and you can use these sites as sources of information. If you are lucky, the company website may have the information you are looking for right in the 'Staff' or 'Human Resources' pages.
- If you are dealing with a multinational company, go to the main website. Review the list of branches and franchise holders, usually found on a separate page. Read the profile of each branch. Multinational companies usually share information freely, so chances are you will find the number of employees directly on the site.
- Ask the company to provide you with a copy of its annual report. Make your request with the Human Resources Department. But be warned: some companies keep all records confidential. In that case, tell the HR department that you only need the figures (number of employees), not the details of the report.
- Click the 'About Us' section of the company website for a possible lead to the information you are seeking. If a company has several offices or branches, add up the number of employees from each branch to get the total number.
- Make a rough estimate. If the company is located nearby, make personal observations. Talk to a reliable employee and ask them to count the number of 'punch-in' cards on the daily time record rack. To avoid looking secretive, speak to the employee openly. Do not act as if you are hiding something or have dark plans in mind. Be courteous, friendly, and polite. Explain why you need the figure, and assure the employee that you will not meddle with confidential records.
- Talk directly to the hiring manager. Again, be sure to introduce yourself to the manager when asking for an interview. You may email a request or go personally to the company location. A face-to-face interview is preferable because you can establish a rapport of trust and confidence with the manager.
- If you happen to know someone from the company, seek their assistance. However, make sure the employee is not restricted from sharing the information. Ask them, but do not force them to provide it if they insist they are not at liberty or do not have the right to give the figures. They could end up in hot water if the company finds out they violated company rules.
When requesting this information, be sure to explain your objective fully. And remember, you can never force a company to give you the figures if doing so would violate its company policy. In that case, do not insist; find another way to get the data you need.
How to Find How Many Employees a Company Has
A guide to finding out how many employees a company has, using online research, annual reports, direct inquiries, observations, and respectful follow-ups.
Unless a company is willing to openly disclose the number of its employees, no one can really know the exact figure. If your work involves profiling companies, you have a lot of research to do to determine how many employees a company has. This is not a big problem when dealing with small companies, but with large ones such as multinational corporations, you can imagine the burdensome work ahead.
Here are some suggestions on how to find out how many employees a company has.
- Make a general assessment of the company first. Do research online. Almost all businesses nowadays have websites, and you can use these sites as sources of information. If you are lucky, the company website may have the information you are looking for right in the 'Staff' or 'Human Resources' pages.
- If you are dealing with a multinational company, go to the main website. Review the list of branches and franchise holders, usually found on a separate page. Read the profile of each branch. Multinational companies usually share information freely, so chances are you will find the number of employees directly on the site.
- Ask the company to provide you with a copy of its annual report. Make your request with the Human Resources Department. But be warned: some companies keep all records confidential. In that case, tell the HR department that you only need the figures (number of employees), not the details of the report.
- Click the 'About Us' section of the company website for a possible lead to the information you are seeking. If a company has several offices or branches, add up the number of employees from each branch to get the total number.
- Make a rough estimate. If the company is located nearby, make personal observations. Talk to a reliable employee and ask them to count the number of 'punch-in' cards on the daily time record rack. To avoid looking secretive, speak to the employee openly. Do not act as if you are hiding something or have dark plans in mind. Be courteous, friendly, and polite. Explain why you need the figure, and assure the employee that you will not meddle with confidential records.
- Talk directly to the hiring manager. Again, be sure to introduce yourself to the manager when asking for an interview. You may email a request or go personally to the company location. A face-to-face interview is preferable because you can establish a rapport of trust and confidence with the manager.
- If you happen to know someone from the company, seek their assistance. However, make sure the employee is not restricted from sharing the information. Ask them, but do not force them to provide it if they insist they are not at liberty or do not have the right to give the figures. They could end up in hot water if the company finds out they violated company rules.
When requesting this information, be sure to explain your objective fully. And remember, you can never force a company to give you the figures if doing so would violate its company policy. In that case, do not insist; find another way to get the data you need.
How to Find How Many Employees a Company Has
By Howtodotips
A guide to finding out how many employees a company has, using online research, annual reports, direct inquiries, observations, and respectful follow-ups.