A research scientist can differentiate a lab's approach not just by quality--which certainly is important--but also by the "flavor" of the work: the approach to problem-solving, the tools used, and intangibles such as originality and creativity.
Job-rumor sites are useful for "knowing whether a job you are hoping for has an offer out at all and whether it is to someone who has one or six other offers." --Joanne Cohn, University of California, Berkeley