Consider two organizations competing for dominance in the same market; both are expanding at a similar rate. However, one company experiences a significant boost in success while the other struggles to maintain its momentum. What accounts for this disparity? One company proactively monitors the performance of its rivals, allowing it to adapt and innovate swiftly. In contrast, the other company fails to recognize the changing dynamics around it, leading to a loss of opportunities. This tells us that keeping an eye on competitors is crucial for staying ahead.

However, with numerous players in the market, manually tracking every move becomes cumbersome. Moreover, monitoring the activities of multiple corporations takes much effort and is prone to human error. But there is no need to struggle—Matos simplifies the competitive intelligence process, making competitor tracking seamless and error-free.

This article explores how companies can effectively monitor their business rivals by focusing on several key areas, such as hiring trends and workforce composition.

The Power of Hiring Trends

Hiring trends offer valuable insight into whether a company is growing, facing challenges, or launching new initiatives. An increase in hiring often signals expansion and new projects, while a headcount reduction or hiring freeze can indicate internal challenges or uncertainty. 

Implementing automation allows companies to monitor these trends in real-time. Automation can provide companies with the following statistics in no time: 

• • Employee count
  • Hiring rates
  • Turnover rates
  • Job postings
  • Department expansions

Knowing these trends allows organizations to conduct headcount analysis of their industry rivals, leading to timely and informed strategic decisions. But how can market research firms or in-house research analysts continuously monitor such trends? 

Matos empowers companies by providing core metrics like workforce data, departments and functions, R&D, and patent activities. These metrics help companies understand the operational focus, strategic plans, and upcoming projects. By harnessing these insights, companies can change their course of action to maintain a competitive edge. Let us look at some real-life cases of companies where Matos proves to be an effective research automation tool. All the use cases discussed below involve companies that manufacture and sell the same products.

Spotting Struggles Early

Recognizing early signs of trouble using headcount metrics can provide a significant strategic advantage, allowing businesses to stay ahead in a dynamic market. For example, a hiring freeze often signals underlying issues, such as financial instability or strategic misalignment, indicating that the organization struggles to adapt to market changes. Similarly, layoffs can reflect internal challenges, revealing a need for operational restructuring. 

Let us look at an example of a technology company’s employees over a specified period. A significant increase in the company’s workforce from May 2022 to May 2023 indicates substantial workforce expansion. However, the company saw a decline at the end of another twelve months, an interesting trend for market research analysts to investigate.

Figure 1:Headcount data of a technology company,

Source: LinkedIn, powered by Matos

Now imagine an analyst or a team of analysts manually extracting similar headcount reports for dozens of companies and numerous timelines. Extracting this data is counterproductive due to the time and effort required. But with the help of Matos, all of this can be done with a few clicks, and analysts can utilize their time to build insights behind this data.

Predicting New Projects

In addition to identifying potential struggles, hiring patterns can reveal upcoming initiatives and tactical shifts within a company. Imagine a company significantly increasing recruitment in a particular department, such as research and development. This can signal that the company plans to launch a new product or technology. These insights can also be considered as the company plans to adopt the changing trends in the market.

To elaborate further, we are considering two companies that are direct competitors. Both companies design, manufacture, and sell the same products and have almost the same employee headcount. The hiring chart for both companies indicates that the engineering personnel in company A has increased significantly. At the same time, company B has not expanded and reduced the number of employees. This tells us that company A is looking at a robust pipeline of projects and opportunities and is investing heavily in its engineering department.

Figure 2:Annual growth of employees in two technology companies,

Source: LinkedIn, powered by Matos

Automation using Matos can make this analysis easier by pinpointing specific job roles related to these initiatives. This helps companies predict what their competitors might do next. By gaining these valuable insights, companies can plan their next move effectively, keeping them flexible and prepared to seize new market possibilities.

Departmental Focus and Strategic Priorities

Keeping track of the hiring trends is just the beginning. Observing the breakdown of employees in each department highlights the company’s focus areas. It reveals where organizations are channeling their resources and unveils their top priorities. 

For instance, the chart below shows how split customer support falls among a company’s top five essential departments. A robust customer service workforce indicates that the organization prioritizes customer satisfaction and support, reflecting its commitment to enhancing client relationships and retaining loyal customers. At the same time, a large and well-equipped sales department indicates that the organization is aiming to expand its market base.

Figure 3: Departmental split of technology company,

Source: LinkedIn, powered by Matos

Matos offers vital information on departmental distribution to monitor the organization’s focus areas, including the number of employees within specific departments, their experience, and seniority levels.

Patents and Innovations

In addition to analyzing hiring trends and departmental breakdowns, tracking the number of patents filed and approved provides crucial insights into companies’ innovation efforts. The rise in patent activity indicates that the company is investing in technology and cultivating talent to fuel its innovation engine. It highlights an organization’s commitment to stay in the spotlight.  

Additionally, recent patents often serve as a mirror reflecting the company’s hiring rates. For example, increasing engineering hires may coincide with developing innovative technologies. Automation allows companies to track patent records and reveal how they strategically align their workforce with innovation goals. 

So, tracking the hiring trends and patent activities empowers organizations to anticipate their opponent’s moves and refine their approach. Moreover, monitoring patent activities helps companies remain at the forefront in a swiftly changing environment.

Conclusion

Amid a sea of endless data points, understanding these metrics can feel like navigating uncharted waters. The vast amount of information can overwhelm even the most diligent teams. That is where automation becomes a game changer. With a business intelligence tool like Matos, organizations can cut through the noise and focus on what matters.  It enables them to track and analyze their competitors’ activities efficiently, providing real-time insights that drive strategic decision-making. 

Organizations must harness the power of automation and utilize tools like Matos to maintain a position of excellence.  

Do not just adapt. Lead the way!  

Embrace this opportunity to transform your competitive strategy and position your organization for long-term success in an ever-evolving market landscape.