How to Find Your Competitors’ Employees Count

Introduction

The realm of competitive intelligence has greatly expanded over the years. Gone are the days when merely understanding your competitors’ pricing strategy or product features was enough. In today’s hyper-competitive market, even knowing the number of employees working for your competition can give you an edge. This seemingly minute detail can provide insights into their potential capacity, areas of focus, and growth trajectory. So, how do you find out your competitors’ employee count? This guide dives into various strategies to help you glean this vital piece of information.

Why is knowing your competitor’s employee count essential?

Understanding the size of your competitor’s workforce can be more revealing than one might initially think. For starters, it can hint at the scale of their operations, their investment in specific departments, and their overall growth rate. For instance, a sudden spike in hiring within the R&D department might indicate a push towards product innovation. Conversely, significant hiring in customer support could imply they’re focusing on improving customer relationships. By monitoring these patterns, businesses can anticipate moves and strategize accordingly.

Moreover, knowing the employee count can be a metric for comparison. For a new startup, comparing your team size with a market leader can set realistic expectations and long-term goals. For example, if Company X, a market leader, has 500 employees and a startup in the same domain has 10, it sets a perspective on the journey ahead. Not to mention, it can also be an excellent metric for potential investors or stakeholders when pitching or presenting your company’s potential and scalability.

To find these numbers, several methods come into play. Here’s how:

LinkedIn: It’s no secret that LinkedIn has become an essential tool for professionals worldwide. Most companies maintain a LinkedIn profile, showcasing their culture, updates, and more importantly, their employees. By browsing through a competitor’s LinkedIn company page, one can often get an approximate count of their employees. For a more segmented view, using LinkedIn’s ‘People’ tab can provide insights into employees based on their roles, locations, and tenure.

Company Websites: While it might sound rudimentary, many companies, especially those in the B2B space, often showcase their team on their website. This can be under sections like ‘About Us,’ ‘Team,’ or ‘Company Culture.’ While this won’t give an exhaustive count, it can give a glimpse into their key players and overall team size.

Industry Reports & Databases: Websites such as Glassdoor, Owler, and ZoomInfo often provide data on companies, which sometimes includes employee numbers. While some might require subscriptions or purchases, others can provide a ballpark figure for free.

Direct Approach: Sometimes, the direct approach can be surprisingly effective. Whether it’s a casual conversation at an industry event or a more formal market research strategy, asking directly can sometimes yield results. However, this requires tact, as not every company would be open to sharing such details.

To illustrate, if you’re in the tech domain and eyeing a competitor like ‘TechX Innovations’, here’s how you can go about it:

Start with their LinkedIn profile. Let’s say they have 250 employees listed. However, remember that not everyone might be on LinkedIn.
Head over to their website. Under the ‘About Us’ section, they mention they’re a ‘300 strong team spread across 3 continents.’ This gives a clearer picture.
A quick search on Owler reveals they’ve had a hiring surge and have grown to 320 employees in the last quarter.
Finally, during a recent webinar, their CEO mentioned having onboarded 25 new team members in the current month, bringing the number to approximately 345.
By piecing together these nuggets of information from multiple sources, a more accurate figure emerges.

Can job postings give an insight into employee count?

Job postings can be a goldmine of information, not just about the vacancies but also about the company’s current status. If a company is continually posting job openings, it can be a sign of growth. On the flip side, if there’s a sudden influx of senior positions being advertised, it might hint at a management shuffle or even internal challenges.

For instance, ‘TechX Innovations’ recently posted 10 job openings for their R&D department. This could indicate a push towards new product development. Furthermore, if they’re hiring for roles in a new city or country, it might hint at geographical expansion.

However, it’s essential to interpret this data with caution. While an influx of job postings might indicate growth, it could also be due to high employee turnover. In such cases, platforms like Glassdoor can provide insights into company culture, employee satisfaction, and reviews, painting a clearer picture.

What are the limitations of these methods?

While the strategies mentioned can provide insights, they come with their set of limitations:

Not Everyone is on LinkedIn: Especially in non-tech industries or regions where LinkedIn isn’t prevalent, relying solely on it can give skewed data.

Private Companies: Unlike publicly-traded companies, private companies aren’t obligated to disclose as much information. This can make gleaning details like employee count challenging.

Freelancers & Contractors: The gig economy is on the rise. Many companies extensively hire freelancers or contractors who might not be included in official employee counts on platforms like LinkedIn or company websites.

Time Lags: Databases, industry reports, or platforms like Owler might not always have real-time data. Companies might have hired or downsized since the last update.

In the quest to find your competitor’s employee count, it’s essential to use a combination of methods, corroborate data from various sources, and always consider the limitations.

How to ensure the accuracy of the data?

Accuracy is paramount, especially when making strategic decisions based on competitor data. Here are some steps to ensure the data’s precision:

Cross-Verify: Always use multiple sources to gather data. If three different sources provide similar numbers, the chances are that they’re accurate.

Regular Updates: Competitive intelligence is not a one-time task. Regularly updating your data ensures you’re always working with the latest figures.

Engage with Industry Insiders: Whether it’s forums, webinars, or industry events, engaging with peers can provide anecdotal evidence, further verifying your data.

Use Paid Tools: While several free tools provide valuable data, investing in premium tools can often offer more accurate and comprehensive data.

Summary

Method	Description	Pros	Cons
Using LinkedIn	Visiting a competitor’s LinkedIn profile to view the number of employees associated with that company.	Accurate for many firms, especially larger ones. Provides additional context on employee roles.	Not all companies have updated profiles. Some may not disclose full employee counts.
Company Websites and ‘About Us’ Pages	Checking the ‘About Us’ or ‘Team’ sections on company websites for potential employee listings or counts.	Direct source from the company itself. Can give insights into key players.	Not all companies disclose full teams or provide numbers. Can be outdated.
Job Posting Platforms	Reviewing platforms like Glassdoor and Indeed which might disclose company size.	May provide additional context like company growth or areas they are investing in.	Not always updated, and not all companies might be listed. Might not give exact numbers.
Industry Databases and Reports	Using databases like Owler or ZoomInfo to get insights into company sizes.	Accurate for publicly traded companies. Comprehensive data often available.	Subscription or purchase may be required. Might not have data on smaller businesses.
Direct Approaches	Reaching out directly to inquire about company size.	Direct source, might get an accurate number if they are willing to share.	Requires tact and diplomacy. Some companies might not be open to sharing.

FAQs

1. Why is a competitor’s employee count significant?

Knowing the employee count can hint at a competitor’s scale, potential growth areas, and investment in specific departments. It can also serve as a comparative metric for startups and businesses evaluating their standing in the market.

2. Can I solely rely on LinkedIn to determine the employee count?

While LinkedIn is a valuable tool, not everyone is on the platform. It’s essential to cross-reference data from multiple sources for accuracy.

3. Do company websites always list all their employees?

No, while many company websites showcase their team, they might not list every employee, especially in large organizations. They might feature key players or department heads instead.

4. How can job postings be indicative of employee count?

Regular job postings might indicate growth, while postings for senior positions could hint at management changes or internal challenges. Geographical locations of the job postings can also suggest regional expansion.

5. Are freelancers and contractors included in employee counts?

Often, freelancers and contractors aren’t included in official employee counts on platforms like LinkedIn or company websites.

6. How often should I update my competitive intelligence data?

Regularly. The business landscape can change rapidly, so it’s crucial to keep your data updated to make informed decisions.

7. Are there tools specifically designed to find out a competitor’s employee count?

While there’s no tool solely for this purpose, platforms like Owler, ZoomInfo, and Glassdoor can provide data on companies, sometimes including employee numbers.

8. Can high employee turnover rates be deciphered from these methods?

Consistent job postings, especially for similar roles, coupled with reviews on platforms like Glassdoor, can hint at high turnover rates.

9. Is it ethical to seek out a competitor’s employee count?

Yes, as long as the methods used respect privacy laws and ethical standards. Using public data from platforms like LinkedIn or company websites is entirely ethical.

10. How accurate are industry reports and databases?

The accuracy can vary. It’s always best to corroborate data from multiple sources and consider potential time lags or limitations of these platforms.