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Are Glassdoor Reviews Poisoning Your Prospects?:
4 Ways to Turn Negative Into Positive

lassdoor Reviews Poisoning Your Prospects?

by Carol Doyle

It’s all too true that one bad apple can indeed spoil the bunch, and when it comes to employee reviews on Glassdoor, they can start to negatively affect your reputation and image. While we are supporters of total transparency, we do want to caution: taking Glassdoor reviews too seriously can lead to a great candidate missing out on an amazing career opportunity. On the other hand, for companies that don’t take it seriously enough, the consequences can be detrimental to your retention efforts.

Here are 4 antidotes to remedy the potential of Glassdoor poisoning:
1. First and most importantly, understand you’re going to have some negative reviews and that’s okay. These reviews can be helpful as you can learn from them and use them to make your business even better going forward. Look at each of these less than sparkling reviews as an opportunity to learn and develop. Use them as motivation to build an even stronger workplace culture and then get to work making it happen. For example, if people are unhappy with the work-life balance what can you do to be more flexible? Here are some ideas.
2. When a review calls you out for something that’s not entirely accurate OR absolutely requires a response from the company, please respond quickly and professionally and communicate how you’re going to address this issue going forward. There should be no tone in the message that conveys anger or frustration. Respond from a place of concern with the goal of setting the record straight and doing the right thing. Let a cooler head prevail because people (current and former employees) will be watching to see how you respond. #WhenTheyGoLowWeGoHigh
3. If there’s too much negative and not enough positive, it’s time to take action and work to get positive testimonials posted. Many of your employees can offer an authentic look at all the great things your company offers and give a true sense of the culture. Ask your managers to discuss with their teams how they can give a more balanced view of the company on Glassdoor and encourage them to take a few minutes to write about their experiences.
4. If a Glassdoor review comes up during an interview with a potential new hire, be prepared to discuss the issue candidly and share how the company is addressing the area of concern called out in the review. Never discredit what someone has posted rather use it as an opportunity to position the company in a good light—one that shows you’re proactive and care a great deal about creating a positive workplace environment.

For companies, Glassdoor is a good thing (though this can be difficult to appreciate when harsh reviews are posted). Workplace culture can’t take a backseat in today’s job market. It is front and center and often the reason people join your team or stay put. Perspective helps a lot when it comes to deciding how much attention to give to what’s been posted and what actually deserves a response.

And we have some advice for job seekers, too. When researching a company, don’t give more weight to Glassdoor reviews than they deserve. It’s similar to what you might do when reading reviews about a restaurant you’d like to try. Ultimately, you decide whether to try the restaurant or not and find out for yourself whether it’s worth the hype or is getting a bad rep for no reason. alaant workforce solutions

About the Author

Carol Doyle Alaant Workforce Solutions

Carol Doyle, Business Development Manager, Linium Recruiting

Passionate about her work, Carol is competitive by nature and this helps her achieve great outcomes (close the deal!) for her clients. A self-professed shopaholic, she loves the thrill of the hunt and prides herself on never paying full price for anything. She also loves to dance.

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