These days, it’s rare to make a big purchase without checking reviews first. The same can be said for making a big career move. Before accepting a new job — or even an interview — job seekers are looking up your profile on Glassdoor to see how employees rate their experiences. But fear not: feedback is a gift. Leaning into your Glassdoor reviews can pay huge dividends for your employer brand.
Why employee reviews on Glassdoor matter
The success of your employer brand is directly tied to employee satisfaction. That’s why gathering anonymous feedback from your staff on Glassdoor is key to gauging the health and happiness of your workforce. Employee reviews offer clues and insights into which policies, initiatives, and benefits are working — and where there may be other opportunities to invest your time and money — so you can maximize your impact.
Glassdoor reviews can boost not only your employer brand, but also your recruiting efforts. On average, Glassdoor users read at least six reviews before forming an opinion on a company.1 Having quality employee reviews signals that you have an active and vocal workforce engaged in making the most of their workplace experience. This shows prospective candidates the kind of culture they can expect at your organization.
Plus, Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work and Best-Led Companies winners are scored on the quantity, quality, and consistency of employee reviews — which is all the more reason to gather feedback from your workforce.
The best ways to encourage honest employee feedback
Prompting employees to leave authentic Glassdoor reviews is a good practice that requires a mindful and delicate approach.
DO:
- Cast a wide net: From senior managers to junior associates, aim for a healthy representation of experiences within your organization by asking everyone to provide feedback.
- Be transparent about your request: It’s best to be open about the fact that you’re looking for reviews. A good time to ask employees could be at meetings when the majority of staff is present (e.g., all-hands or town halls), or you can add a note at the end of companywide memos and newsletters.
- Help employees feel safe: Assure teams that submitting reviews is voluntary and anonymous. It helps to acknowledge that you’re open to receiving critiques, not just positive comments.
- Offer a template: Try to offer some useful guidance or parameters by giving employees a template to follow or a few prompts to respond to. People will be more likely to participate if they don’t have to start from scratch.
DON’T:
- Cherry-pick employees: Make sure you aren’t just targeting employees you know are engaged and happy. Aim for authentic reviews, not ads.
- Pressure employees: Avoid the temptation to pester or chase employees for reviews. The occasional follow-up is fine, but too many requests might actually discourage participation.
- Ask brand new hires: Give new team members space and time to settle in. Glassdoor recommends asking them for feedback around the 90-day mark, or on their one-year anniversary.
- React defensively: When you see critical feedback, don’t lash out or try to identify employees who posted less-than-ideal reviews. Nobody’s perfect, so it’s OK (and expected) that there may be some room for improvement.
Making reviews part of your employer branding strategy
Once reviews start rolling in, you’ll need some tools — like Glassdoor’s Review IntelligenceTM — to make sense of this rich data and make faster, more informed decisions about employee experience.
In all your data collecting, don’t forget that it’s also critical to respond to employee reviews! The proof is in the stats: 70% of Glassdoor users agree they are more likely to apply to an open job if the employer is active on Glassdoor.2
But gathering and analyzing reviews is just the beginning. Company Bowls help you keep a finger on the pulse of employee sentiment and even allow you to engage employees in real-time dialogue.
Ready to get started? Join the conversation by claiming your Free Employer Profile, and take the first step in telling your story.
1 Source: Glassdoor U.S. Site Survey, Jan-June 2023
2 Source: Glassdoor U.S. Site Survey, Jan-June 2023