By: Emma Ross
When you make a large purchase like a car, a home, an appliance, or even a vacuum, what do you do? You turn to the internet to read countless reviews. You compare brands and compile feedback from previous owners about the features and nuances of the products they purchased.
Job seekers are now able to perform a similar evaluation on their next career move. As the job market has more opportunities than ever before, they want to make sure they find the right fit. The modern applicant wants to know what their experience will be like with your organization.
More times than not, organizations are experiencing negative feedback in their Glassdoor scores. Even though you may have many happy employees, they may not know to take the time out of their day to write about their positive experiences within your organization.
What’s hurting your Glassdoor score is that just like purchasing a faulty appliance, you’ll make sure to warn other interested buyers. The same applies to your organization. Employees who have had negative experiences may ensure they make time to write a review of their less than positive experiences. Employees don’t often write about their experience when it is neutral or positive.
If this has you worried, don’t stress! You are not alone in navigating this new territory. In fact, the average Glassdoor score is only 3.3 out of 5. Employers everywhere are looking to boost their scores and get a more accurate depiction of their workplace culture to prospective online job seekers. Read below for this 3-step guide to boost your Glassdoor score:
Conduct a Profile Audit
First things first, if you do not already have a company Glassdoor profile it is time to create one. Login and take a look at what information is already out there. Pay close attention to patterns in reviews, both good and bad to determine what the root cause of your low scores could be. Remember, great reviews begin with great employers! If there are systemic issues within your company causing turnover, you will need to address them before anything else.
Boost Team Morale
Once you have a firm grasp on where your company stands, it is time to launch an action plan to start boosting your score. You need to strategize before you send out an invitation for your employees to write reviews. Pinpoint key moments that feel like appropriate times to ask for a review such as during team events, onboarding, or exit interviews. When you make this request, ensure your employees understand what Glassdoor reviews are and that their contributions will remain anonymous. Stagger your review requests to get a continuous flow of feedback out on the site. This not only keeps your page active but also avoids speculation the reviews are inauthentic.
Engage
Finally, you need to interact with the commentary. Address negative reviews with a sincere apology and explain what your company does or plans to do to combat the issues. Sixty-two percent of Glassdoor users say their opinion of an employer improves after reading a response to critiques. Do not forget to respond to positive comments as well! Thank your employees for their contributions and expand on the positive feedback they offered. It is also crucial to engage with your team offline. If you intend to implement change to address the negative feedback, relay that action plan to your employees and encourage feedback after the changes take place.
Bonus Tips
- Post positive reviews to your careers site! This shows job seekers your company understands the importance of employee reviews while simultaneously providing reasons applicants would enjoy working for you.
- Do not make reviews mandatory, incentivize positive reviews, or insinuate consequences for negative reviews. This will decrease team morale and generate further issues within the workspace.
- Explain to your team why reviews are important and how they impact the current and future environment at the company. This will help employees feel included and empowered to support the team.
- As an employer, your online image can impact your relationships with your current employees, your clients, and your potential new hires. Optimizing your Glassdoor score might take some time, but creating a strategic plan with an open mind will raise your score to new heights!
Want to learn more? Register for our upcoming Employer Webinar on Improving Your Glassdoor Scores on June 10th from 9 AM to 10 AM
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