How to Find Out Where Someone Works
When we meet someone new, whether it’s a friend or a date, we become way too curious. We ask them about their family, age, interests, and, of course, workplace.
We may also want to know whether someone is telling us the truth about their place of employment or verify if they are really working where they claim.
In general, there are many reasons for finding out where someone works. But what are some of the most effective ways to get hold of this information? In this article, we’ll discuss how to discover someone’s job details.
Where Does a Person Work? 7 Effective Ways to Find Out
Look Them Up on a People Search Website
People search websites are data aggregators that collect information about individuals, including their personal and professional details. To find someone’s workplace, it’s enough to know their full name, phone number, email address, or regular address. After you enter this information on a people search engine and click “Search”, you’ll be redirected to a list of individuals, or, if they have a rare name, straight to the page with this person’s background report.
People search tools collect the data they provide from public records, which means that you don’t violate the person’s rights by looking them up on a people search website as long as you use the information found correctly. For example, if you’re an employer looking to find where a job candidate worked before, using people search websites isn’t allowed.
Search the Company Website
If you have even the slightest idea about where someone might work, checking the company website can yield beneficial results. Many companies list their employees in the “About Us” or “Team” sections of their websites, along with the employees’ positions and in some cases contact details or email addresses.
If you couldn’t find anything this way, look at press releases and blog posts where the person in question might be mentioned.
Another method is to use the site’s search bar by entering the person’s full name to see if they appear in any of the company’s blog posts or announcements.
Check Public Records
Not all public records might disclose a person’s workplace, but some certainly do. In general, you can typically request employment information at the county clerk’s office or search online databases. This turns out to be effective in most cases as practically everyone has records of property ownership.
If the person’s work is a regulated profession, such as a doctor, lawyer, or real estate agent, there’s a chance that their employer is listed in state or national licensing databases. For example, you can check whether someone is a lawyer at the State Bar Association.
If the person works for the government, their employment might be listed in public databases, including federal employee directories and state and local government websites.
Talk to the Company’s HR
When you have details about someone’s workplace but are uncertain and want to confirm, why not reach out to the company’s human resource department? Some may refuse due to confidentiality issues, but at the same time, there’s a chance that some will give you the information you need.
You can either reach out to HR through their email or even call them, and don’t forget to provide a solid reason as to why you’re requesting someone’s employment information.
Go Through Their Social Media
Practically everyone mentions where they work on social media. If you’re aiming to find detailed information, such as a job title, company name, duration, job responsibilities, and skills, there’s no better place than LinkedIn. With more than 1 billion monthly active users from all over the world, it won’t be a problem to find the necessary person there.
Some also give away their employment details on Instagram, Facebook, or X (formerly Twitter) in their bios or mention it in their posts. So, if you have plenty of time and are determined to locate the necessary information, checking these platforms is worth trying.
Use a Search Engine
Finding someone’s place of employment is a piece of cake as long as this information is mentioned on an indexed page. The thing is, any search engine only shows pages that are indexed.
To find employment details on Google, Bing, Yahoo Search, DuckDuckGo, or any other search engine, you need to type in the person’s full name and the word [work], [workplace], [employment], [employed by], [company name] or anything similar.
If you know where they work but just want to confirm it, add the name of the company and their position in the search bar.
Ask Them Directly
When the above options don’t prove to be effective, talking to the person in question directly is the only option you’re left with. The most subtle and polite way to do this is to start with a small talk. Tell them something about yourself and where you work, and start asking questions about what they do for a living.
Ask them about their routine, as this is a significant giveaway of their workplace. For instance, if they say that they spend the whole day at home, that means that they might be working from home or don’t work at all. If they say that they return home at around 6, it might imply that they have a 9-to-5.
If they seem hesitant to answer, respect their privacy unless it’s, for example, your potential partner. In this case, explain that you don’t want to have secrets from each other.
Summing Up
These days, locating where a person works is much easier than ever before. At the same time, some information can be outdated or not true in general, so it’s always recommended to check the resources from which that info is gathered.
People search websites, company websites, and public records are the first sources to turn to. Talking to HR, checking the person’s social media (especially LinkedIn), using a search engine, and asking directly are other methods to get someone’s employment information.
