Review websites like Glassdoor and Indeed have become increasingly popular among job seekers looking for more information about potential employers. A Glassdoor study reveals 51 percent of candidates prefer finding a new job opportunity through a company review website. Because employee reviews often play a significant role in an applicant’s decision to accept a position, organizations that want to attract top talent must focus on maintaining a positive brand image and ensuring current employees are happy in their jobs.
While all companies would prefer employees to leave positive reviews about their job experience, employers should exercise caution when soliciting feedback on online platforms. Both Glassdoor and Indeed strive to provide honest and transparent company information for job seekers, so generating fake or misleading reviews in an effort to sway opinions is a violation of their guidelines.
Because it can inhibit authenticity, Glassdoor prohibits employers from offering incentives like payment or gifts in exchange for reviews. The same policy applies to persuading employees to leave reviews by using force or threats. Similar to Glassdoor, Indeed doesn’t accept job postings with deceptive or generic job information and advises users to write reviews that reflect honest and accurate opinions.
If either company has evidence employees were compensated or coerced to leave a review, the review will be removed immediately and, even worse, may be subject to additional scrutiny as was the case with Space X, Guaranteed Rate and others.
Incentivized reviews may also negatively impact employee retention or result in public backlash from customers whose trust has been violated. However, if handled properly, encouraging employees to share their opinions can build morale and enhance reputation. So how can businesses better solicit online reviews from employees to improve their online reputation?
- Solicit feedback during the onboarding process. New employees bring fresh enthusiasm to your organization. Send new hires a personal email or directly ask them to provide feedback on their experience early in their tenure. This can help you identify your organization’s strengths, but also preemptively alert you to any grievances so you can address them before they become a bigger issue.
- Invite current staff members to share their opinions on a regular basis. Asking your employees to provide feedback, good or bad, shows trust and appreciation – often leading to more organic reviews. Consider implementing an annual employee survey or establishing regular meetings with employees to get feedback. Asking for input offline can result in employees feeling more valued and trusted, and may inspire more positive reviews.
- Remember… it all begins with culture. Fostering a healthy and supportive workplace environment makes it easier to ask employees to write authentic reviews. A few ways to revamp your company culture include celebrating achievements, providing productive feedback, encouraging employee autonomy and increasing pay or vacation time for high-performing employees. These gestures can go a long way in making employees feel valued, and open the door for more genuinely positive reviews.
Need help developing an employee engagement strategy for your business? Reach out to [email protected].