Any sensible candidate knows to conduct thorough research on the company in question prior to attending an interview, let alone accepting a job offer. This research usually includes reading what current and former employees have to say about the business on Glassdoor. Glassdoor holds a growing database of millions of company reviews, CEO approval ratings, salary reports, interview reviews and questions, benefits reviews, office photos and more.
Does Glassdoor Really Matter?
Think about it this way; before you see a movie, you check the reviews; before you buy a new car, you take it for a test drive. A new job is a life-changing thing, of course people will be looking at your company’s track-record online – so yes, Glassdoor really matters. A study conducted by Software Advice showed that 48% of survey respondents reported using Glassdoor at some point in their job search.
In order to get your clients on board and help them understand why Glassdoor reviews matter for a business, it’s important to convey that both positive and negative reviews put you in a position of power. The more information you have about your client’s online presence; the more control you have over it.
Glassdoor Reviews Do Influence Candidates’ Choices
The extent of how Glassdoor reviews can affect recruiting for a business is astonishing.
Glassdoor recently revealed that:
- 75% of hiring managers say that reputation affects recruitment capability
- 83% of job seekers are wary of working for a company with a poor reputation
- 55% of job candidates said they would reconsider their job application if the company had a negative profile
Using Glassdoor Reviews to your Advantage
Given that the website is already influencing candidates’ career choices, it has huge potential in terms of how Glassdoor reviews can benefit employer branding. Over 1,000 companies currently hold their own free or paid employer accounts. Simply having a Glassdoor profile contributes significantly to your online branding. Ultimately, getting to grips with the site will increase your visibility to job seekers, and could increase the number of applications you receive.
What to do to Rectify a Negative Glassdoor Review
One bad review could have big implications on your client’s hiring potential. To avoid running into a situation where your client’s integrity is put on the line, you should have a plan in place for dealing with reviews that are less than complimentary.
Keep in mind our three key tips for dealing with a negative review on Glassdoor:
1. Politely Respond
Ignoring a negative review is not the answer; use this as a chance to neutralise the situation in a professional and polite way. Demonstrate that you are passionate about improving your reputation, and make it clear that you will strive to improve so that future employees do not have the same negative experience that your reviewer had.
2. Learn From It
Why was your reviewer unhappy, what prompted them to take the time to write a negative review in the first place? Negative reviews should be used as a source of constructive criticism; take the time to understand what prompted them, and then do your best to ensure the situation or event does not happen again.
3. Encourage More Reviewers
Happy employees rarely take to the internet to write about how great their employer is, disgruntled employees do. If you get a negative review and you don’t think it accurately reflects the feelings of your workforce, encourage your happy, satisfied team members to tell their stories as a counterbalance.
The numbers don’t lie; people want to work for companies that listen and care, and Glassdoor is a useful way for candidates to find out what your employees think before accepting a new job with you. Go further than simply paying attention to reviews. Join the community and cultivate a positive profile to display the culture of your company. Steering clear of the site could actually damage the growth of your business by stunting reach and visibility of the employer brand.
