How to deal with negative reviews on Glassdoor

According to a Glassdoor study, companies with positive employer branding on the site attract twice as many qualified candidates as those with negative employer branding. Another survey found that 86% of employees and job seekers research company reviews and ratings to decide where to apply for a job. In addition, 86% of women and 67% of men wouldn’t join a company with a bad reputation.

Given these statistics, it is clear that Glassdoor has a significant impact on a company’s ability to attract and retain top talent. Therefore, companies need to take their Glassdoor reviews seriously and address any negative feedback they receive, as it could dissuade job seekers from applying and even cause current employees to question their decision to stay with the company.

Glassdoor allows job seekers to access company reviews, salary information, and interview questions shared anonymously by current and former employees. The platform is known for its transparency, giving job seekers a better understanding of a company’s culture and values before they apply. It is useful for job seekers and employers because it helps bridge the gap between the two by providing an open platform for communication.

Employers have the opportunity to showcase their corporate culture and values on Glassdoor, which can help them attract and retain top talent. It also offers insightful data on how employees view the business, which can be used to enhance company culture and boost employee satisfaction. On the other hand, job hunters can visit the site and read up on what current and past employees say about the company they work or worked with.

In principle, the platform is beneficial for both company and the employee. As with many user generated content platforms, there is no real gatekeeper to filter malicious and false information seeded by competitors or disgruntled employees. Companies can also post fake positive reviews leading to a gap between reality and perception. 

Users must use an email address on Glassdoor or sign in with their social accounts.  But it is easy to set up several accounts using various emails, although this is against Glassdoor’s terms of service. Therein lies the vulnerability of the platform.

The disgruntled employee

Disgruntled employees are unhappy with their current or past work situation and may post negative reviews on platforms like Glassdoor. These employees may feel mistreated or unfairly dismissed and want to warn others of their negative experiences. 

Sometimes these employees raise valid concerns in the review. When this happens, responding professionally to protect your company’s reputation and show that you value employee feedback is important.

Before responding, take some time to reflect on the feedback provided by the employee. Try to see the situation from their perspective and understand their concerns, then provide context to clarify any misunderstandings. Sharing any actions to address the issues raised can demonstrate your proactive approach to improving employee experiences. Encouraging further conversation with the reviewer privately can show that you value feedback and are willing to work towards solutions.

Here’s an example of how to respond to an honest negative review: “Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback about your experience at our company. We value all feedback, including negative feedback, as it helps us to improve. We are sorry you had a negative experience with your manager. We take these concerns seriously and have taken steps to address the situation. We would be happy to discuss this further with you privately. Please feel free to reach out to us at any time.“

However, their reviews may also be untrue, as they can exaggerate or embellish their experiences to make the employer look bad. Some employees even go as far as coordinating an online attack on the company’s reputation. 

When this happens, all an employer can do is flag the review for a second look by clicking on the flag icon below the review on the site. Once a review is flagged, a second-tier moderator will take a second look to determine if the review content falls within Glassdoors’ content guidelines. But unfortunately, more often than not, this never works out well for the employer as the second-tier reviewer is simply looking for content that violates their policy, and not trying to determine the veracity of the review. Only if the content is deemed to violate their content policy will it be taken down by Glassdoor.

But what is the best way to deal with a disgruntled employee? Ameya Warty, Senior Talent Director at Curzon PR, comments, “The best way to deal with a disgruntled employee is through dialogue. The company should nurture an open culture where the staff feels empowered and encouraged to share their concerns with the HR or line manager. Regular meetings with the HR and line manager often help address these concerns in the early stages before they escalate in resentment. More often than not, in the absence of such a culture or lack of faith in the processes, staff members use platforms like Glassdoor to share their negative reviews.

When we reach the stage that an aggrieved staff member is hell-bent on destroying the company’s reputation, it is often too late to take corrective action as the staff member has moved to a stage beyond convincing.”

The importance of a positive company culture

A positive company culture is essential for employers trying to appeal to top talent. In the case of a negative review, it’s important to recognise what needs to be addressed to create a more positive work environment. This could mean implementing new policies, offering more employee perks, or creating better communication methods. Whatever the case may be, it’s important to be open to suggestions and try to improve the company culture. It’s also important to recognise that the company culture should reflect how you respond to negative reviews on Glassdoor. Responding politely and genuinely shows potential candidates that you take feedback seriously and are willing to make necessary changes to improve.

Negative feedback on Glassdoor can be valuable information for improving your company’s operations and culture. Take the time to review negative feedback and identify any common themes or issues that need to be addressed. Once you’ve identified areas for improvement, develop a plan to address these issues and communicate your plan to your employees. This will show your employees that you take their feedback seriously and are committed to creating a positive work environment.

Talent manager at Curzon PR, Priya Joshi, says, “Building a positive company culture helps organisations to strengthen their internal processes and mitigate against negative reviews. It is also important for organisations to align their practices, policies and values to the larger industry standards. This is a more proactive approach that preempts  discontent that employees may experience due to contradiction to what other organisations offer.”

Tips for responding to negative glassdoor reviews

 When responding to a negative review, turning the situation around and taking advantage of it to highlight your company’s strengths is a masterstroke. It’s also a good idea to provide examples of how you’ve improved the company culture in the past or how you are actively working to do so in the present. Below are some valuable tips:

• Respond professionally:  Respond to all reviews (negative & positive). Remember that the reader will read the review and your response to the review. A solid professional reply balances a poor review and provides a platform for you to showcase your authentic brand. 
• Respond with an audience in mind: It is advisable to consider your intended audience before you respond. First, determine the specific group of individuals you wish to impact with your replies, such as current employees, prospective employees, customers, or investors. Then, craft your response with their interests in mind rather than solely addressing the individual who wrote the review.
• Be honest: When responding to negative reviews, acknowledge the reviewer’s concerns and express your commitment to addressing the issue. Avoid becoming defensive or confrontational, as this will only make matters worse. Instead, take a constructive approach and offer to discuss the issue with the reviewer offline if possible. 
• Internal engagement: Motivate your existing staff to share their feedback by leaving reviews. Seize the chance to capture the authentic spirit and voice of your workforce. Your employees will likely be pleased to contribute their thoughts, as it means aiding the company in attracting excellent talent and potential colleagues. This gives them a stake in the process as well. Avoid requests for exclusively positive reviews but instead ask for genuine, truthful opinions. Employees often hold a more favourable view of a company that values their authenticity.

In conclusion, it’s important to remember that you cannot always please everyone. But you can take steps to improve your company culture and prevent negative reviews in the future by investing in internal communication. After all, communication is the key building block for culture.

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Curzon PR is a London-based PR firm working with clients globally. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Business Development Team [email protected]