Here’s why employer reviews on sites like Glassdoor matter – and how to respond for a stronger employer brand.
Consumer reviews have become a force. (Can you even imagine buying something on Amazon without checking out the number of stars and digging into reviewer comments?)
Online ratings and reviews have become one of the most operative forms of social proof, guiding consumer research and influencing brand perception and purchasing behavior – be it buying a hair dryer or booking a hotel.
What does this have to do with creating a stronger employer brand? Everything.
It turns out, employer reviews hold significant weight when it comes to your employer brand:
- 86% of job seekers research employer reviews and ratings to decide where to apply;
- 50% of candidates won’t work for a company with a bad reputation, even for a pay increase; and
- employee voice is three times more credible than a CEO’s when it comes to talking about working conditions.
So, what does this all mean for your employer brand? To start, if you want to attract and retain the best possible talent, it helps to track your reviews from current and past employees. It’s important to learn from these insights, and to share that learning internally for constant improvement. And yes, it’s essential to respond to them.
Why responding to employee reviews matters
Consider this: 75% of job seekers are likely to apply to a job if the employer actively manages its employer brand, and one of the best ways to do so is by responding to reviews on sites like Glassdoor and others.
Responding to reviews shows past, current, and future employees that you listen and care about their experience with your company – and that the character of your culture is important to your organization.
What’s more, it has the elixir-like power to shift perceptions; 7 out of 10 people had changed their opinion about a brand after seeing the company reply to a review.
As well, customers, partners, and other stakeholders are becoming more morally mindful of whom they work with. A strong employer brand can echo through to your corporate brand – and vice versa – which makes it doubly important to manage your reputation online.
How to respond to employee reviews
To start, here are three key metrics to measure the effectiveness of your employee review strategy and implementation:
- Your company’s overall star rating (3.5 out of 5 is considered average)
- The percentage of employees (current and former) who would recommend your company to others
- The percentage of people who approve of your CEO.
Next, keep in mind that every review – good, bad, or ugly – warrants a response. For negative reviews, aim for a tone that’s empathetic and human but holds a clear resolve for what your business stands for. And always be genuine. Remember, your response will be online for all to see.
Here are some tips for crafting an effective response for a stronger employer brand:
- Be prompt with your reply, especially when responding to negative reviews.
- Thank employees for their feedback, welcoming their pros and cons, and for their time working at your company.
- Address specific concerns and how you aim to correct or investigate them – and make sure you take steps to follow through on that promise.
- Give information – because you never know who’s reading your reviews; it could be another employee, for example, who’s easily influenced, or who shares a similar concern. Encourage action by pointing toward useful information, resources, and tools like feedback mechanisms, documented processes, etc.
- Amplify the positives of working for your company, like a new policy you’ve recently implemented or an industry-leading standard to which you hold yourself accountable.
Employees aren’t the only ones looking at your ratings
Know who else is looking at your Glassdoor? Potential clients.
We frequently hear from procurement and other professionals that they want to work with vendors that show they care about their employees.
Nobody expects a company to have perfect review stats – in fact, that would be pretty darn suspicious. But they do expect to see an engagement that indicates that employee satisfaction is top of mind. So not only does this strategy help improve your employer brand, it can also help determine whether you gain access to business opportunities.
Make your employer brand sing
Companies with stronger employer brands understand the importance of consistently cultivating reviews and ratings on sites like Glassdoor. This transcends job markets, unemployment rates, and other external factors that a company cannot control. The reality is, you want to attract and maintain the best talent at all times.
That’s why your online employer brand can’t rely exclusively on a culture-curated Instagram feed, press release announcements on LinkedIn, or a perks-packed careers page. You want to use every tool in your power to build and hold on to your team of A-listers.
The challenge, however, is that managing your reputation as an employer takes time and resources. In most cases, it’s not any individual’s job to monitor and respond to reviews on sites like Glassdoor. In some cases, it can even put people in an uncomfortable position.
But here’s the good news: a strong agency partner (hi there!) can do the heavy lifting for you – a partner that understands your brand and is committed to upholding it. A partner that, as a brand guardian, is a natural fit to help tend to your reputation.
Your agency partner can also be a great liaison between marketing and HR, championing your brand while ensuring the language of your responses feels authentic to your culture and employee experience, not templated or impersonal.
Ready to improve your employer rating on Glassdoor? We have helped large corporations turn around their Glassdoor ratings and we can do the same for you. Contact us today to learn more about how we can create a stronger employer brand together.
