Great Glassdoor reviews are a bit like love: they have to happen naturally. That said, there’s a lot that you can do to improve your odds. Because Glassdoor is becoming as important to job seekers as Angie’s List is to consumers, it pays to take whichever steps you can to encourage current and past employees to shine a light on what makes your company a great place to work.
Reviews don’t mean anything if they’re directly incentivized. More than that, word would most likely get out. The key to getting positive reviews is a positive employee experience. Here are 4 strategies to improve the odds.
#1: Take a Top-Down Approach
Incentives miss the point, and they’re bad form. In a recent installment of HR Bartender, RealMatch director of product marketing, Bart Bartolozzi, stressed that point and went on to explain that companies need to work from the top down.
This is only something that can be obtained with a true top-down approach. It can possibly happen via a strong HR department, but most of the time, it requires that the management team that is focused on creating an environment that not only is the most welcoming to its employees but empowers them, encourages them and rewards them for their time and efforts.
#2: Encourage Internal Feedback
If a bad review is news to you, there might be something missing in your internal communication. Chris Carlson, president at Sales Talent suggested at LinkedIn that employers should survey employees to learn what they like most about working for the company. But there’s more to be learned from negative feedback.
Pain points aren’t just for employers. If you can identify employee pain points, you’ll have an opportunity to shift course before a problem manifests as a bad Glassdoor review. More than that, you’ll have a happier workforce.
#3: Be Authentic
Your employees are your brand ambassadors, or they should be. When they’re comfortable and happy enough with their employee experience, any review is more likely to be a positive one. RealMatch director of enterprise sales, Jason Stewart, says authenticity is the way to build your brand ambassador base.
Whether it’s candidate experience, providing comprehensive benefits, a competitive compensation package or how you communicate the vision lithe company, genuine authenticity is critical in order to get candidates and employees (both current and past) to become brand ambassadors of your organization.
#4: Respond to Reviews
With a Glassdoor account, you have the ability to not just read what others say about your company but also tell your side of the story. Carlson recommends selecting a company executive to read and respond to reviews. That creates a clearer picture of the company, not a one-sided accounting.
“This means responding to both negative and positive reviews,” says Carlson, “and setting up alerts so that you know when new reviews get posted (something you can do in the employer center).” And the most important element of an effective response is never to be defensive. “Listen, respond and take action to correct the problem.”
Glassdoor can be any company’s best friend or worst enemy. But your company’s reputation begins on the inside with the employee experience. Employees aren’t likely to leave a poor review if they have or had a positive experience.
If the culture is overwhelmingly positive, a bad review here or there can be chalked up to a bad day. The good will outweigh the bad. But if the very idea of yet another bad review makes you wish Glassdoor had never been invented, the problem is probably a lot closer to home. Fortunately, you’re also in a position to fix it.
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