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Think an org chart is just an internal HR tool? Think again.

A public org chart can be your secret weapon to landing your dream job. At one glance, you can:

• Find and connect with hiring managers
• Peek into company strategies and goals
• Understand company values
• Arm yourself with the gaps in current teams to level up your application

In this guide, we walk you through how to use The Org and our database of over 200,000 public org charts as a job applicant tool. When done right, it can be used to land your dream role.

What is an Org Chart?

An org chart is a diagram of a company’s people. It maps out a reporting structure, from the most junior employee all the way to CEO. It’s an hierarchy of the roles and responsibilities each employee has, and organizes teams and how they relate to each other.

Inside a company, an org chart is primarily used by People and Culture teams to keep track of headcount, help onboard new employees and as a directory of a company’s people.

The Org gives founders and company leaders an easy, dynamic and accurate way to keep their org chart update, while also keeping it public facing. It’s a simple way for a company to remain transparent: both by letting internal team members know exactly where they stand, while also showing off their talented people to the world.

But an org chart can go both ways. On The Org, founders and hiring managers can insert open roles on their team right into their org chart, letting candidates know exactly what team they would be on and who they would be working with.

Discover how a public org chart can give you an extra edge in your job search.

Using an Org Chart as a Job App Tool

Find and connect with hiring managers

Think of the org chart as your secret weapon to always finding the right hiring manager.

As any good hiring manager will tell you, the key to making a lasting impression in a job application is to do your research. That’s why the first thing you should do in any job search is look up a company’s org chart.

It’s always important to do due diligence in your job search, and make sure you are addressing your application to the person you’d actually be working for. But that information isn’t always readily available. You can try platforms like Google or Linkedin, but you can never be quite sure you are reaching the right person.

By looking up a hiring manager in an org chart, not only can you see the team you would be joining, but where that team falls into place in the greater organization.

In one view, you can see all the teams at that org laid out in front of you, what office they work out of and can zero in on exactly the right person that would be your boss.

Once you’ve found who that person would be, take some time to read up on their position page.

An org chart position page let’s you know:

• The hiring manager’s name
• Their job title
• Job responsibilities
• How long they’ve been at the company
• Social media handles and contact information

All of this is helpful context when reaching out through an intro email or a cover letter. Even something as simple as addressing the hiring manager by their name or nodding to the day-to-day responsibilities you know they cover can go a long way.

Not only does it make your application look more professional, but it saves you time by connecting with the correct person for your role right off the bat.

Prep for your interview

Research and preparation are among the top things hiring managers are looking for in a job interview. According to a Glassdoor survey, say an informed candidate is a top-quality they look for when interviewing.

Getting a glimpse of a company’s org chart not only makes you look informed, but it provides powerful insight into a company’s strategy that you can lean on in an interview.

Here are some questions to ask about a company’s strategy as you are analyzing their org chart:

• What teams report directly into the CEO?
• How many people report directly to the CEO?
• Is there a hierarchy at this company? Or is power equally distributed?
• What team is hiring the most right now?
• What teams have I heard of that are missing at this startup?

Critically thinking about how a startup organizes its teams and people will ultimately tell you what the business prioritizes.

To boost your application one step further, identify how you can help fill important gaps in a company by also looking at its org chart.

For example, let’s say you’re interested in a product marketing role, but see that the marketing team doesn’t have a specific person dedicated to product. You can use that information when you reach out and offer your skillset, as well as examples from the website on where product marketing messaging could be added or improved.

Taking time to study what is missing can also gives you a huge leg up as a candidate.

Understand company values

How a company communicates, both internally and externally, says a lot about its values.

Maybe a company goes above and beyond and lists its values on its website or team page, but seeing it in practice is the best way for you to decide if a role is the right fit for you.

A public org chart expresses transparency, by simply showing off its people and their responsibilties to the world. This translates to company respect and trust of its employees—and goes both ways.

Transparency is the number one factor in contributing to employee happiness, according to a 2013 study of more than 40,000 workers at 300 companies.

A public org chart is an easy way to ensure transparency, giving employees access to everyone in their organization and information about company responsibilties and goals. Transparency also goes hand-in-hand with company culture, as companies willing to post a public org chart are "walking the walk."

To get a gut check about how strong a company’s culture is, ask yourself:

• Does every employee have a position page, or just leadership?
• Do employees fill out their bios?
• Do employees fill out their work styles?
• Is transparency listed as a value on their team page?

If the answer to several of these questions are yes, it’s more than likely that the organization takes building a positive work culture seriously. It’s not foolproof, but the more information you are able to see publicly, the more transparent the organization will be internally.

How a Hiring Manager Uses an Org Chart

Lastly, understand how a company or HR leader uses an org chart by looking at it from their point of view.

There are many reasons for a hiring manager to rely on a public org chart as a useful recruiting tool. Org charts streamline the hiring process in three ways:

• Attracts high-quality talent: A public org chart allows potential candidates to see open positions, current staff and the team structure, which helps them determine if your company is a good fit.
• Career advancement: Many employees are motivated by the opportunity to move up the company. An org chart provides a visual map for them to set career goals for advancement within the organization.
• Promotes equality: Diversity and equality are essential factors for modern organizations. HR managers can use org charts to meet diversity objectives and show off their employees when hiring new team members.

Put yourself in your hiring manager’s shoes. Viewing your application from this lens will help you realize if you are a candidate they are trying to target, and it will also help you decide if you can see yourself as part of this organization.

If you do your research, prepare for your interviews and reach out to the right people, you very well might be looking at your own position page in a company’s org chart one day.