Your quest for information about a company involves a little legwork. Reference books, computers and Internet searches and the interview itself are the sources for your pursuit. First, learn a company's financial stability and growth. Public companies are required by federal law to disclose financial information, so it's easy to obtain reports and monitor its financial performance. Private companies, however, don't sell stock, and aren't required to file financial reports, so the information isn't as readily available.
Many public companies post their financial reports on their Web sites.
It's important to research a company's history and plans through articles in newspapers, magazines and trade publications. These are signs, experts say, of unsettled management, possible layoffs and cultural changes that will alter the work environment. You can access public records of lawsuits against a company using computerized searches at the county or city municipal buildings in which the business is located. To learn if a company violated wage laws, such as overtime, minimum wage or family and medical leave, write the U.S. Department of Labor and, stating the company name and location, ask if the company has any prior history with the labor department. Also contact the Illinois attorney general's office to see if a company is on file there.