Do Glassdoor reviews really matter?
The short answer to the question posed in the headline is “Yes” and the longer answer is “100% Yes.”
Here’s why: Almost 50 percent of job seekers check Glassdoor ratings at some point during job searches, and that number is almost certainly higher for companies in tech, marketing, and other digital industries.
The site also shows up prominently in Google search results, so it’s an important part of your digital footprint.
Don’t believe me? Well, here’s a little trick you can try at home:
Do a Google search for your company.
Now scroll down to the bottom of the first page of results to the “Related searches” section.
If you see “careers” listed there, that means there’s significant search interest in your open positions. If you see “glassdoor” there, that means prospects are likely scanning your company profile on that site to see what employees are saying about you.
Do Glassdoor reviews tell the truth, though?
There's a perception that, like Yelp, Glassdoor is where unhappy people go to vent while satisfied customers (or in this case, employees) go about their day.
But while you may see the occasional ridiculous complaint there (“the vending machine is always out of Diet Coke!”), most reviews are actually pretty positive, or at least constructive in their criticism.
Part of the reason for this is that reviewers are required to rate companies holistically across five different areas:
Culture & values
Work / life balance
Senior management
Comp & benefits
Career opportunities
These scores are averaged to create the “overall” rating which appears at the top of the review. (The five composite scores can be viewed through a drop-down menu, although many site visitors don't realize this.)
What's the average score on Glassdoor?
The average rating for companies on Glassdoor is 3.7 stars out of 5. Interestingly, that number is also the average rating for restaurant reviews on Yelp. This aligns with our experience with both sites, as reviewers may single out particular aspects of the business for criticism while still providing a relatively high score.
If your number is lower than 3.7, though, or if employees are posting highly critical reviews, then you need to consider taking steps to improve your presence.
What other data is included in Glassdoor company profiles?
The job reviews are the most prominent part of company profiles, and for good reason: the individual ratings and testimonials are what most users are there to see, especially if they're interested in working for the company in question. But Glassdoor also includes user-generated data about salaries, benefits, and interview questions—all information that would be especially useful to job seekers. Users submit this data through prompts and forms included under the Salaries, Benefits, and Interviews tabs.
How should you approach Glassdoor reviews?
There’s no reason to be scared of Glassdoor and lots of good reasons to start engaging there. In fact, if used correctly, the site can be a tremendous asset for collecting honest employee feedback and communicating company values in a transparent fashion.
The first step is to claim your profile by signing up for a free employer account, which opens up different customization options and allows you to begin responding to employee reviews or any other comments posted to company profiles.
After you claim your Glassdoor profile, step two is immediately updating your company profile to ensure everything is accurate and that language and imagery reflect well on your brand.
Step three is to begin responding to reviews and even to request new ones from existing employees.
If that sounds overwhelming, we can help! We work with companies to manage their presence on Glassdoor, including:
Tracking new reviews (and auditing old ones)
Flagging problematic posts
Analyzing ratings & data
Utilizing paid services
Running a competitive landscape audit and assessment
